Short Courses & Events / Archive

Basics of Voice Acoustics for Voice Pedagogues

Thursday 26th October 2023, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)

In this course, we will explain the basics of the acoustics of human voice. We will answer questions such as: What is sound? How can sound be investigated? We will shortly explain four basic characteristics of sound, i.e., fundamental frequency, sound spectrum, sound intensity and length, and their relationship to the perceived sound qualities, i.e., pitch, timbre, loudness and sound duration, respectively.

Next, we will look at different basic types of sound: pure tones, complex tones and noises. We will show how these sounds can be recognized perceptually by ear, as well as objectively by simple analysis of the sound waveform and of the sound spectrum. We will demonstrate the production of such vocal sounds live and show how we can understand and analyze them using the Voce Vista software.

Further, we will cover the basics of the source-filter theory of voice production and talk about how the voice source and filter differently contribute to the produced vocal sound. We will talk about the harmonics (overtones) and formants, which are important for voice timbre. We will also talk about the role of formants for production of vowels as well as for different singing voice qualities. We will show how we can easily synthesize voice of a singer using a software based on the principles of the source-filter theory.

Finally, we will take a look at the voice resonance phenomenon and discuss the contribution of subglottal and supraglottal (vocal tract) cavities to the resulting vocal sound. We explain and discuss three possible strategies for improving the “resonance in voice”: formant tuning, singer’s formant and changes of vocal tract inertance. By the end of the course, you will have a better idea on how voice acoustics can provide more insights and better understanding of human voice production and how can it be applied to singing voice.

🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available

Attend both Jan Svec's Basics of Voice Acoustics for Voice Pedagogues and Gökçe Kutsal's Acoustics in the Voice Studio and save £10!

Click here to find out more.

Jan Svec

Jan G. Svec, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned Czech physicist performing basic research on production of human voice. He holds a MSc degree in fine mechanics and optics and PhD degrees in biophysics as well as in medical sciences...

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Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.

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Sorry, this is an archived short course...

We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.

Navigating Vocal Aging for Singers
Thursday 9th October 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)

Navigating Vocal Aging for Singers

Karen Brunssen

As singers approach their senior years, they can benefit greatly from a voice teacher who understands the normal changes involved as they navigate vocal aging. This course will focus on the realities of aging voices for senior singers and what can be done to address vocal production and peripheral issues that can affect the activity of singing.

Introduction to Vocal Acoustics for Spoken and Sung Voice
Friday 10th October 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Monday 13th October 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)

Introduction to Vocal Acoustics for Spoken and Sung Voice

Gökçe Kutsal

This course is designed to break down the fundamentals of acoustics for both spoken and sung voice in a beginner-friendly, accessible way — so you can easily understand and apply these concepts to your teaching or research.

Water Resistance Therapy and Semioccluded Devices for Voice Training
Monday 13th October 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)

Water Resistance Therapy and Semioccluded Devices for Voice Training

Dr Marco Guzmán

Several voice devices to perform water resistance therapy (WRT) and some oscillatory positive expiratory pressure devices (OPEP) (e.g. Acapella Choice, Shaker Medic Plus, New Shaker) are now commonly used for both voice training and voice therapy. Are these devices truly good for voice training? Are these devices the treatment by themselves? and how much evidence currently supports the use of these devices?