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Twang mode is one of the most important concepts and skill sets any

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singer must master and understand to become an amazing vocalist. In the
universe of singing, including all genres and styles, every great note that has
ever been sung, apart from windy phonation, has twang properties. Few

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topics in this entire training system could be more important than the
understanding of, and ability to, twang.

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As a singer, Twang reigns high on your list of priorities. Only your

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commitment to practice and the ability to bridge registers would rank higher

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perhaps. Being able to twang, and to become a master at it, will make or break
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your success as a vocalist. It’s that important! In a very true sense, twang is a

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specialty of TVS training, because it is essential to configuring a full voice in the

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head voice and is the key factor that is going to replace the windy falsetto mode
phonations that students seek to eliminate in their singing. It also is key to

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gaining support in the larynx without triggering constriction, when singing the
“hard stuff”.

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When the epilarynx (the tube between the true, and the false, vocal folds) is
narrowed, a formant between 2-4 KHz (2000-4000 cycles per second) is

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created. This narrowing also creates an extra resonator, leading to clustering
of the third, fourth, and fifth formants , as well as a higher amplitude of the vowel

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spectrum at around 3.0 KHz. This is the characteristic ‘singer’s formant’, and it
produces a bright, piercing change in voice quality. In simple terms, twang

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brightens the sound color and amplifies the voice.

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The frequency of this formant corresponds to the most sensitive part of human
hearing due to the resonant frequency of the ear canal. This means that twang

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T phonations are not only actually more intense, but they also seem louder

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because of this ear sensitivity. By creating sounds that match the acoustic
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frequency of the ear canal of the listener, twang seems louder.

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In addition, twang users need to know that adding twang via epilaryngeal

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narrowing shortens the ‘vowel part’ of vocal tract to certain extent. So to

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vowels toward darker versions. This re-balances the tone quality c
compensate, the singer should either let the larynx lower a bit, or shade the

so that the vowels sound very much like they did before. However, the overall

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projection has the benefit of the twang. Twang gives the singer amplification,
but also has a tendency to brighten the sound color. Sometimes the increase

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in bright harmonics in the sound color from twang can make the overall
balance of color too brittle, so a subtle dampening of the larynx can

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compensate and introduce warmth into the sound color chemistry. Vocal

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twang and a good dampened larynx go well together.

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Dampening the larynx to warm or “round” the sound when compressing you
voice into twang positions is helpful for both genders of course, but in some

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sense, it is particularly important that women develop strong larynx

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dampening skills and instincts because the smaller space of the

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female vocal tract can augment any risk of sounding too quacky or

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“shrill”.

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This results in a huge benefit in ease and power. The combination also makes

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the twang less obvious, as the vowel quality is more consistent with the singer’s

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previous sound. In other words, as the amount of twang compression
increases to compensate for the shift in CT and TA balance, the singer

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must modify their vowel, and/or increase the pharyngeal resonant space,
to recalibrate the formants and keep the sound from sounding too
“quaky”.

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The Volume Perceived with Twang is Louder

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for 2 Reasons:
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THE INCREASED VOCAL FOLD ADDUCTION, WHEN COUPLED WITH INCREASED BREATH

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PRESSURE, LEADS TO INCREASED AMPLITUDE OF THE SOUND, WHICH RESULTS IN AN

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INCREASE IN THE VOLUME PERCEIVED BY THE INDIVIDUAL.

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THE EXTRA SPECTRAL BOOST CORRESPONDS WITH THE RESONANT FREQUENCY OF THE

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EXTERNAL AUDITORY MEATUS (THE EAR CANAL) MAKING THE PERCEIVED VOLUME LOUDER.

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Twang is Characterized By:
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V A TILT OF THE THYROID CARTILAGE.
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A NARROWING OF THE EPIGLOTTIS FUNNEL.

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AN AMPLIFICATION OF THE FORMANT AT 2000 – 4000 KHZ SPECTRUM.

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INDUCED VOCAL FOLD ADDUCTION (CLOSURE), AND A LONGER CLOSED PHASE.

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The Neutral Larynx on the Left & a Twang Larynx on the Right. The Neutral larynx illustrates

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what your larynx may look like, when phonating speech mode or falsetto in the head voice.
The larynx on the right represents twang, the most important vocal mode for singing. A

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contraction of the AES muscle makes the epiglottis close, which narrows the upper vocal

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tract and tilts the thyroid cartilage. Twang Vocal Mode – The Four Pillars of Singing

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This beneficial chain reaction caused by vocal twang, as you can clearly see,

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results in putting the laryngeal configuration into a highly stable, amplified, and

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full tone. In terms of the aesthetic, it pretty much is the biggest
contributing factor to removing Falsetto vocal mode from your head voice

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and replacing it with the illusion of a “chest voice” aesthetic.

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It is important to remember that when great twang is executed properly and the
aesthetic sounds like the chest voice, the singer is not in the true chest voice

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register. It only sounds like they are. The singer is simply phonating twang,

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assisted by strong belt musculature through the proper vowels and good
respiration. In summary, registration changes, and a balance between
the CT and the TA muscles, have to gradually be coordinated. As that is

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happening, vocal fold closure is induced by applying more compression through
greater application of vocal twang. However, CT and TA muscle coordination,

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and good vocal twang, are not the only factors involved in developing the skill
for bridging successfully.

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The Benefits of Vocal Twang:

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INDUCES VOCAL FOLD CLOSURE.

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AS A COMPONENT OF YOUR INTRINSIC ANCHORING SET, HELPS STABILIZE THE LARYNX FOR

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BETTER BRIDGING AND HEAD VOICE SINGING.

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AMPLIFIES A 2000 – 4000 KHZ FREQUENCY, WHICH MAKES THE SINGER SOUND LOUDER.

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ESTABLISHES A RESONANT CHANNEL BETWEEN THE VOCAL REGISTERS, TO AID IN REGISTER

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BALANCES RESPIRATION BETWEEN THE SUB-GLOTTAL AND SUPRA-GLOTTAL POSITIONS,

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RESULTING IN A MORE EFFICIENT PHONATION.

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IS GREAT VOCAL HEALTH. VOCAL TWANG STRENGTHENS THE VOICE AND NOT ONLY IS

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CRITICAL FOR SINGING, BUT HEALS AND REHABILITATES THE SPEAKING VOICE.

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