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B.  Vocal Quality
The three descriptors of good vocal production are: well supported, freely produced, and resonant. A resonant vocal tone that conveys the sensation of a single pitch, that is produced freely and without apparent stress by well-managed breath support, and that enhances (or at least does not detract from) the artistic impact of a song may be said to possess good quality.


 * 1) Well supported: the dictionary defines support as a foundation or base for something. It also means to strengthen, reinforce, fortify, or sustain. Support may best be defined as breath management. Breath management (singing on the breath supplied by isometric involvement of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles) is a prerequisite for producing a good tone.
 * 2) Freely produced: tension or lack of free production can both be seen and heard. Tension can be caused by under- or over-support, forcing the muscles of the larynx also to undertake the task of breath management. Tension can be detected when the singer unnaturally manipulates the shoulders, jaw, tongue, and laryngeal muscles to manufacture a sound. Virtually any muscle tension above the chest may interfere with the ability to resonate. Raucous, breathy, strident, nasal, husky, forced, swallowed, or other types of poor vocal qualities call attention to individual voices, rather than the ensemble.
 * 3) Resonant: resonance is basically amplifying and reinforcing harmonics produced by the action of the vocal folds as the air from the lungs passes through the glottal opening. The singer enhances this raw sound through the use of the principal resonators, the throat and mouth. When breath is properly managed, extraneous tension eliminated, and the voice is resonant, the vocal tone will ring. Quality and quantity of ensemble ring are determined by both the quality of the ring in the individual singer's voice and its match with the other voices in the ensemble.

Additional factors affecting vocal quality:


 * 1) Vibrato is a normal phenomenon of proper breath management. In barbershop singing, some vibrato in the voice, especially the lead voice, can be very effective in enhancing the emotional content of the music. However, too high a vibrato rate or excessive pitch or volume variation will erode ensemble sound.
 * 2) Tremolo is a rapid oscillation between two distinct pitches with accompanying loss of the sense of a central pitch. Lack of muscular coordination is a primary cause for tremolo. Tremolo is unacceptable in good singing.
 * 3) Loud singing is often used in an attempt to generate a high degree of resonance and harmonic content. The ring in the sound can increase simply because the harmonics are also louder. However, achieving harmonic reinforcement should never be at the expense of vocal quality. Excessive volume introduces distortion and noise by reinforcing incompatible harmonics.

The potential for artistic singing is enhanced by the selection of music that reflects a quality singing range for each of the individual voices. Conversely, selecting a song that has a demanding tessitura, an angular melody, or difficult voice-leading can cause some or all of the singers to find it difficult to produce accurate tones in good vocal quality. Performers are encouraged to choose music that suits their capabilities and that features the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses of the ensemble. Since the Singing judge evaluates the overall vocal performance, there are no benefits in choosing difficult or easy music—only in choosing music that the ensemble can sing well.