Clear Tone
Quick Definition
A voice quality that is free of breathiness, strain, or excessive noise, with full vocal fold closure during phonation.
Factual Definition
A phonation type characterized by complete glottal closure during the closed phase of vocal fold vibration, resulting in efficient voice production without audible air escape or hyperfunctional tension. The resulting tone has a clear harmonic spectrum without aperiodic noise.
Full Explanation
Clear tone (sometimes called ‘clean tone’) refers to a voice quality where the vocal folds come fully together during each vibratory cycle, converting breath into sound efficiently. This contrasts with breathy tone (incomplete closure, air escapes) or pressed/strained tone (excessive closure, hyperfunctional compression).
Clear tone is generally considered the baseline healthy phonation from which other stylistic choices can be made. A singer with good clear tone production can then add breathiness for effect, but has the option to return to full efficiency when needed.
Developing clear tone often involves finding the balance point between too much and too little compression at the vocal fold level, typically guided by sensations, acoustic feedback, and specific exercises.
How Different Methods Define This
This term may be used differently across vocal pedagogy traditions: