In 2019, Kim Hyuk Gun (김혁건), the vocalist of THE CROSS (더크로스), gave nasal resonance a section of its own in his doctoral dissertation. The reason: in vocal education it is important to be able to use nasal resonance correctly and control it freely.
This is the tenth part of the series. Following the mouth, soft palate and pharynx in Part 9, it sets out the sound boxes in the nose and the bones of the face — the nasal cavity and the sinuses — and how nasal resonance is used.
01.The Nasal Cavity: The Largest Resonator in the Face
The nasal cavity connects with the upper part of the pharynx and sits at the very top of the resonating cavities, above the mouth. It is a cave-like space inside the nose.
| Features of the nasal cavity | The dissertation's explanation |
|---|---|
| Structure | Entirely lined with mucous membrane; between the three or four projections on its outer wall (the turbinates) lie the nasal passages, greatly increasing its surface area |
| Connection | Connected to the sinuses, which are related to head voice |
| In resonance | Gives resonated sound a focus and changes the quality of the sound. It affects tone more than other resonating cavities |
| In singing | The largest resonator in the face. Used well, it makes the tone refined and joins low and high notes naturally |
| Stage of phonation | Plays an important role in the final stage of phonation, compared with other resonating cavities |
Depending on how the nasal cavity is controlled, the result can be a heavy nasal twang or a balanced sound. The nasal cavity also filters dust from the incoming breath and warms the air that comes in.
02.The Nasal Cavity Alone Makes a Nasal Twang
The dissertation also sets out the limits of the nasal cavity. Using only the nasal cavity, without the resonance of the resonating cavities, can produce nothing but a heavy nasal twang, and because the inside of the nasal cavity is complex, it is not a favorable setting for making sound resonate. Breath cannot easily flow in quickly and the structure is complex, so with the nasal cavity alone it is hard to amplify the sound and improve its tone.
The nasal cavity gives the sound a focus when used together with the resonance of the other resonating cavities. This is why the main resonating cavities in Part 9 were the mouth and the pharynx.
03.The Sinuses: Four Spaces in the Bones of the Face
The dissertation notes that the medical and musical worlds do not agree on whether the sinuses are resonating cavities. It then explains that the sinuses act as resonating cavities mainly when head resonance is used to sing high notes.
| Sinus | Where |
|---|---|
| Maxillary sinus | Near the cheekbones on both sides of the face (to the left and right of the nasal cavity, below the eyes) |
| Ethmoid sinuses | Several, near the bridge of the nose |
| Frontal sinus | Between the eyebrows (above the space between them) |
| Sphenoid sinus | Behind the nose |
The dissertation's photograph of the anatomical model shows the path from the airway and vocal folds to the nasal cavity.
04.Nasal Resonance Is Not a Blocked-Nose Sound
The dissertation shows where breath and sound go out through a few simple observations.
| Try this | Result |
|---|---|
| Breathe out through the nose instead of the mouth; hum | Breath and sound come out of the nose |
| Close the mouth and block the nose, then make a sound | No sound comes out |
| Open only one nostril | Sound comes out there |
| Keep the nose blocked and open only the mouth | Sound comes out of the mouth |
The technique called nasal resonance in singing means sound made by making the nose ring. Among Korean consonants, nasals such as ㄴ (n), ㅁ (m) and ㅇ (ng) are sounds made by making the nose ring — not sounds made because the nose is blocked, but sounds made by breathing out through the nose and making it ring. If you deliberately block your nose, these consonants become hard to say. Try saying "na" with the nose blocked: the "n" is stopped, and from the "a" on, you push the breath out and make the nose ring. The dissertation concludes that 비음 (nasal sound) and 비성 (nasal voice) mean the same thing — the nose ringing, or sound coming from the nose.
| Case | The dissertation's explanation |
|---|---|
| The nose is blocked and the exhale cannot get out through it | The sound comes only from the mouth, so it is closer to chest voice (oral resonance) than to nasal resonance (head resonance) |
| The nose (nasal cavity, maxillary sinus) rings a lot, but the sound comes out of the mouth | This too can be called nasal resonance |
| The nose is blocked by a cold | Good nasal resonance is hard to produce |
You need to learn where you make things ring as you breathe out and make sound, and be able to use it appropriately — that is the dissertation's conclusion.
05.The Ringing of the Nose Is Where Head Voice Begins
"In fact, the ringing of the nose is very important and essential in singing." The dissertation explains that starting from the ringing of the nose, we gain an overall resonance reaching the maxillary and frontal sinuses.
- Letting the air pass out to make the nose ring is the basis of correct head voice.
- Correct breathing makes head voice.
- Head resonance is very important for keeping a steady pitch, and the nasal cavity and frontal sinus are the path of head voice leading to high notes.
- It is good to make a habit of keeping head voice even when speaking, without letting the pitch drop.
And it adds one point about the nasal sound. Nasal sound is tied to correct airflow and appropriate resonance, and is an extension of a conscious slow exhale through humming — that is, "support." The dissertation writes that you should keep in mind that resonance is as important as breathing in phonation. Support continues in Part 20, and head voice in Part 13.
06.Today's Practice
Turned into points to check while you practice, what the dissertation and the lesson highlight looks like this.
- Ah → mm → ee — An exercise the dissertation presents for feeling the pitch of head voice. After "ah," close your mouth and hum "mm" as a nasal sound, then sing "ee" again from the changed point of nasal resonance. Feel the flow as the point of resonance moves from oral resonance (ah) to nasal resonance (mm) to oral + nasal (ee) (dissertation p.160).
- "Na" with the nose blocked — Say "na" with your nose blocked and check whether the "n" is stopped. Confirm that nasal consonants are breath going out through the nose (section 04; dissertation p.162).
- A slow exhale by humming — Let the breath out slowly while humming and listen for whether the nose rings. The dissertation sees the nasal sound as an extension of a conscious slow exhale through humming (section 05; dissertation p.163).
The lesson to watch with this part is Season 2, Episode 3, "Nasal Resonance." Its description lists nasal resonance = nasal humming, examples of breath going out through the mouth and nose, and support that holds the breath back.
07.Where to Go Next
The mouth, soft palate and pharynx are in Part 9 · The Resonators, and how to use the resonating cavities in order continues in Part 11 · Resonance Methods. High notes sung on stage can be seen in THE CROSS's Open Concert Finale: "Poem of the Wind" and "Don't Cry". Lesson videos are in Korean.
Breath let out through the nose makes the nose ring, and that ringing rises to the head — the road to high notes starts at the nose.