Home › Music, Instruments & Performance › Singing & Vocals › resonance

resonance

REZ-uh-nuhns /ˈrezənəns/

nounB2TOEFLIELTSGRE

generalacademictechnical

The quality in a sound of being deep, full, and reverberating; the reinforcement of sound by reflection or synchronous vibration.

In singing, resonance is the process by which the basic product of phonation (the sound made by the vocal cords) is enhanced in timbre and intensity by the air-filled cavities of the vocal tract (pharynx, mouth, and nose).

The story behind the word. The word comes from the Latin 'resonare', which literally means 'to sound back' or 'echo.' It describes the physical phenomenon of sound waves bouncing off surfaces and reinforcing each other, creating a richer, louder sound than the original source.

Word relationships

reverberation: Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a space after the source has stopped, whereas resonance is the amplification and enrichment of the sound while it is being produced.
fullness: Fullness is a subjective description of sound quality, while resonance is both an aesthetic quality and a measurable physical phenomenon.

flatness: A quality of sound that lacks depth, ring, or acoustic amplification.

Commonly confused with

echo: An echo is a distinct, delayed repetition of a sound, while resonance is the immediate enrichment and amplification of the sound.

Word family

resonate (verb): To produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound.
resonant (adjective): Deep, clear, and continuing to sound.

Collocations

vocal resonance
chest resonance
nasal resonance
deep resonance
acoustic resonance

Idioms & expressions

find resonance with

Example sentences

"The stone walls of the ancient chapel provided a natural resonance that made the choir sound divine." Describing the acoustics of a performance space.
"To achieve maximum resonance, the singer must learn to open the back of the throat and relax the jaw." Vocal training instructions.

Memory hook

Think of a bell ringing in a large, empty room. The sound 're-sounds' (sounds again and again) as it bounces off the walls, creating a deep resonance. Resonance is sound that re-sounds with depth.

When not to use

Do not use resonance to describe a thin, nasal, or flat sound. Resonance specifically implies depth, richness, and projection.

Fun facts

Opera singers can shatter glass using resonance. If a singer matches the exact resonant frequency of a wine glass and sings loudly enough, the glass will vibrate so violently that it shatters.