Dictionary of Music - Birding America

volume 469voice 1 Another term for VOICE-PART. 2 A generalterm for the human apparatus that producesmusical sounds (singing). Actually, singinginvolves a number of parts of the body, includingthe larynx (“voice box,” into which project the socalledvocal cords), the lungs and other areasinvolved in breathing, the lips, tongue, nose, andvarious portions of the throat. Voices are usuallyclassified according to their range, that is, the highestand lowest pitches they can produce accurately.The principal men’s voices are (from high tolow) TENOR, BARITONE, and BASS; the principalwomen’s voices are SOPRANO, MEZZO-SOPRANO,and ALTO (or contralto). —head voice The upperportion of a singer’s range (the highest pitches heor she can produce). In singing high notes the voiceappears to resound inside the head. The tone tendsto be light and clear in tone quality, with relativelyfew harmonics (overtones). See also FALSETTO.—chest voice The lower portion of a singer’srange. In singing low notes the voice seems toresound in the chest. The sound tends to be deep,thick, and sometimes a little rough in quality.voice exchange In medieval music, a techniquewhereby two voices alternately sing the samemelody. Also see RONDELLUS.voice-leading Also, part writing. In music withseveral voice-parts, particularly contrapuntal music(see COUNTERPOINT), the way in which the differentparts are put together, how they move from chord tochord, and how the harmonies progress through dissonanceto resolution.voice-part In music with more than a single lineof melody, the name used for each separate line orstrand. The music may be either vocal or instrumental.Often the terms “voice” and “part” alone areused in this meaning. Thus one may speak of “fourpartharmony,” meaning music with four voice-parts,or of a “fugue in three voices” or “in three parts,”that is, with three voice-parts. See also PART, def. 2.voicing 1 In organs, making minor adjustments inthe organ pipes in order to improve their tone quality;this process requires considerable skill. 2 Inpianos, making minor adjustments in the felts thatcover the hammers to improve the tone quality. 3 InREGGAE, adding vocals to a prerecorded rhythm. Ineffect, a singer records his or her own songs overthe rhythm.voix (vwA) French: “voice” or “voices.” A termused both in the sense of human voice (singing) andin the sense of voice-part. A piece marked à troisvoix (“for three voices”), for example, may mean itis for three singers or that it has three voice-parts.volante (vô län′te) Italian.lightly and swiftly.A direction to performvolta (vôl′tä) Italian: “time.” 1 A term used in thedirections prima volta (“first time”) and secondavolta (“second time”), which mark the first and secondendings for a section that is to be repeated.Sometimes the words are omitted, the first endingbeing marked with a long bracket and the figure 1,and the second ending with another bracket and thefigure 2. In that case the performer first plays thesection marked “1,” returns to the beginning andplays the section over again, this time ending withthe portion marked “2.” 2 Also, French, volte (vōlt);English, la volta (la vol′tä). A lively dance in 6/8meter that was popular during the late sixteenth andearly seventeenth centuries.voltage controlSee under SYNTHESIZER.volte The French name for VOLTA (def. 2).volteggiando (vôl′′te jyän′dô) Italian. In keyboardmusic, a direction to cross the hands.volti subito (vôl′tē soo — ′bē tô) Italian: “turn atonce.” A direction to turn the page of the scorequickly, warning the performer that the music is tocontinue without interruption. Often abbreviated v.s.volume The loudness of a musical sound. (For aphysical explanation of volume, see under SOUND.)The various gradations of loudness and softness inmusic are called DYNAMICS and are indicated bydynamic marks.