Of Overtones and Love Messages: How a Video Redefines the Boundaries of Vocal Control

In a universe where Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday and World Sound Healing Day magically come together, a fascinating video reveals the hidden world of vocal sounds: a spectrogram of curious vibrations that look like letters and form the words “I LOVE YOU”. But what exactly is behind this amazing phenomenon?

Welcome to the world of the secret language of overtones, a realm that only a few have explored. As the author of this blog, I have probably mastered one of the most precise controls of human vocal resonance on the planet. Because let’s be honest, who else but me could accomplish something so masterful? (Of course, you are welcome to prove me wrong at this point. And I would be very happy if you did. Just give it a try!)

The voice, a miracle of nature, harbours more secrets than most people can imagine. Did you know that the true essence of the voice lies in the resonances of the vocal tract?

Yes, the overtone chord may seem like the star of the stage, but the real magic lies in the resonances that make our voices unique. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey I want to take you on. Are you ready to push the boundaries of controlling your voice? Then subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss a post. Because there is still a lot to discover in the world of vocal resonance.

How Overtones Harmonize Your Brain

Imagine how a simple hearing test could change the world. That’s exactly what’s happening with my hearing test, which is attracting more and more attention – and not just in philosophical and neuroscience circles. But what makes it so special that it garners such widespread interest?

Since 2022, this test has been a key component of a groundbreaking educational concept for children. Developed under the leadership of the Omni Aqua Foundation by Akiko Stein in collaboration with Prof. Mag. rer. nat. Dr. phil. Annemarie Seither-Preisler, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Peter Schneider, and myself, the concept, named F-dUR – Peace through Primordial Sound, is based on the unique properties of water and overtones. These elements, combined with mindfulness exercises and the synchronization of the brain hemispheres, foster a deep empathic connection with oneself, fellow humans, and nature from an early age. We are convinced that this approach is key to inner peace, which in turn is essential for peaceful and empathetic interaction with each other.

In the video excerpt from a thirty-minute documentary about the F-dUR concept, which you can see here, you’ll dive into the fascinating world of sound. The documentary features exciting interviews with leading neuroscientists and reveals the unexpected power of overtone awareness. This clip is just a taste of the whole story. You can watch the full film, which takes you deeper into this innovative concept, here. Dive with us into the world of sound and discover how a hearing test can do much more than just detect tones – it can build a bridge to deep inner peace and empathy.

Foto des Sammelbandes Weichnachtslieder von Jan Heinke

In memoriam Jan Heinke 2 – Christmas Song Collection

Dear fellow aficionados of Jan Heinke’s overtone music,

I would like to tell you again today about this moving story that touched me deeply. In April 2022, my friend and musician Jan Heinke passed away. But just a few hours before his death, he wrote me an email with a special attachment.

In this email, Jan told me that he felt he would no longer be able to complete his work and asked me to take care of it. I knew what to do. Attached was a huge collection of folk songs from all over the world that Jan had set for overtone singing – several hundred songs! Jan had already started working on this in 2013 and had received a work grant from the Kulturstiftung Sachsen.

Together with Jan’s partner Claudia, we have now completed the second volume of the series with 35 Christmas carol movements for polyphonic overtone singing. On the occasion of the 3rd Advent 2023, this volume will be published here and on Jan’s website as a free e-book with a free Creative Commons license.

Jan’s nine years of dedicated work on these arrangements will now be posthumously shared with the public, fulfilling his cherished desire. According to a report on the project, the initial objective was to explore the potential of overtone singing as a vocal technique for both performers and composers in Western culture, an area that had not yet been extensively investigated. These song arrangements were intended to encourage the practical application of overtone singing in music.

I am both grateful and honored to continue Jan’s legacy and share his remarkable work with the world. His music will live on and inspire others – exactly as he wished.

Warm regards, Wolfgang

Jan Heinke – Memories of Jan

Download: Christmas Songs set for Overtone Singing by Jan Heinke – ebook

Photo of the anthology Christmas Songs by Jan Heinke

Foto des Notenbandes Deutsche Volkslieder im Satz für Obertongesang von Jan Heinke

In memoriam Jan Heinke – German Folk Song Collection

Hello fellow aficionados of Jan Heinke’s overtone music,

I am eager to share with you an emotionally charged story that has profoundly touched me. In April of last year, my dear friend and talented musician, Jan Heinke, sadly passed away. However, just hours before his untimely departure, he sent me an email containing a very special attachment.

In the email, Jan confided that he felt he wouldn’t be able to complete his work and requested that I see it through. I instantly knew what I had to do. Attached was a vast compilation of folk songs from around the globe, meticulously arranged for overtone singing by Jan – several hundred songs in total! He had initially begun working on this project in 2013 and had received a grant from the Kulturstiftung Sachsen to support his efforts.

In collaboration with Jan’s life partner, Claudia, we managed to finalize the first volume of the series, featuring 126 German folk songs adapted for polyphonic overtone singing. To commemorate the anniversary of his passing on April 20th, 2023, this volume will be made available on Jan’s website as a free e-book, complete with a complimentary Creative Commons license.

Jan’s nine years of dedicated work on these arrangements will now be posthumously shared with the public, fulfilling his cherished desire. According to a report on the project, the initial objective was to explore the potential of overtone singing as a vocal technique for both performers and composers in Western culture, an area that had not yet been extensively investigated. These song arrangements were intended to encourage the practical application of overtone singing in music.

I am both grateful and honored to continue Jan’s legacy and share his remarkable work with the world. His music will live on and inspire others – exactly as he wished.

Warm regards, Wolfgang

Jan Heinke – Memories of Jan
Download: Deutsche Volkslieder arranged for Overtone Singing PDF

Foto des Notenbandes Deutsche Volkslieder im Satz für Obertongesang von Jan Heinke

Autumn forest with sunrays

Forest Birds – My Contribution to World Listening Day 2022

July 18, 2022 is World Listening Day again. Forest Birds. I recorded them to be able to accompany my future planned overtone chanting meditation music with them.

Since the use of other people’s sound material in own productions often causes problems with copyright protection, I make this recording freely available to everyone and publish it under public domain, or CC0 license. So, help yourself if you like it.

Download mp3 (320 kBit/s): Waldvögel

Download wav: Waldvögel


CC0
To the extent possible under law,
Wolfgang Saus

has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to
Waldvögel (090524-Vogelzwitschern-Hky-320.mp3) and Waldvögel (090524-Vogelzwitschern-Hky.wav) audio files.

This work is published from: Deutschland.

Do You Hear a Melody or Syllables? Saus’ Hearing Test.

In this video you will learn how to hear harmonics in vowels. This will open up a new dimension of sound perception to you. This way of hearing is rare on the fly, but it can be learned and is a prerequisite for understanding and learning choral phonetics. And it makes learning overtone singing easy and fast.

Do You Hear Syllables or a Melody?

After this video, your hearing is immediately changed, and that irreversibly. It is like a picture puzzle: once you have seen both sides, you will always see them. After the video, you are always able to hear harmonics in sounds. As soon as you have perceived both syllables and overtones, you can decide what you want to hear. And if you focus on harmonics for the next 3 weeks from today, your overtone hearing will become an integral part of your sound perception. Your brain will form new synapses.

Side Effects

You’ll be surprised what additional changes come after that:

  • You will hear more empathically, understand better how other people feel, just by hearing their voice.
  • When you sing in a choir, you will perceive intonation quite differently and unconsciously find a resonance with other voices.
  • Many also report that they perceive colors and scents more intensely afterwards.
  • You will notice a more conscious access to resonance in your voice.

If you immediately heard the melody in the first example, then you already were an overtone listener. Then the video will help you understand and become aware that you hear differently than 95% of the people around you.

But I Never Sang a Melody

One of the most exciting things about overtone listening for me is: In the end, everyone has heard the melody once, right? – but I never sang a melody! In all the singing examples, all the pitch frequencies are unchanged. I have not changed a single pitch. So in the classical sense I did not sing a melody. I only changed resonances and thus volume ratios, so in the classical sense I sang syllables on a single note, which is what most people heard at the beginning.

Despite Contradiction Everybody is Right

So if someone thought at the beginning that there was no melody, he was right, even when the melody became obvious to everyone. And everyone who hears a melody is also right. One would have to define melody independently of the tone pitch.

Many years ago, after I found out that others do not hear the same as I do, I had sent a sound file of the first example to various experts. But nobody found a melody, not even with the most modern methods of analysis. Why not? Because apparently no one thought to look for a melody. However, after hearing the melody, one finds it in the sound spectrum. But only as a volume pattern, not as a pitch change. Isn’t that exciting?

Personally, I have learned from this to approach perceptions of other people with less prejudice, especially people from the spiritual realm, who I might have dismissed as unscientific in the past. Leaving paradigms behind is probably part of the coming zeitgeist in many ways.

Find more information about the test as well as an audio version for download in my blogpost “A Melody Only Some Can Hear – Take the Hearing Test”.

Video Content

00:00 The magic of listening
00:21 Brain and sound processing
01:31 Melody hidden in syllables
01:50 Hearing test part 1 – 5% hear the melody
02:05 The melody revealed
02:58 Why some sounds remain hidden
04:02 Hearing test part 2 – 20% hear the melody
04:52 Hearing test part 3 – 40-60% hear the melody
05:20 Hearing test part 4 – 100% hear the melody
06:27 Steps to discover the melody
06:54 Step 1 – Overtone singing technique
07:03 Step 2 – Vowels between u and i
07:16 Step 3 – Consonant n
07:24 Step 4 – Consonants n and t
07:56 Step 5 – other consonants
08:32 Step 6 – Intermediate step consonant transitions
09:20 Trust your perception
09:56 Step 7 – back to syllables
10:18 Step 8 – your hearing has now been changed

Video Transcription

The most important thing in overtone singing is listening. It turns out that not everyone hears the overtones spontaneously. These are studies from the early 2000s in Heidelberg at the University Clinic, which showed that it depends on which part of the brain processes the sound. There is an auditory center on the right side that hears harmonics, and there is an auditory center on the left side that is responsible for the mathematical part of music, that is, intervals and melodies and rhythm and things like that. On the right hemisphere the timbre is analyzed, but that also includes the information of the overtones, which are usually not heard separately. And then there is an interpretation of sound as language. That happens on the left side in the Broca and Wernicke centers, which are both located on the left side. And now it’s important that when you sing overtones, that you hear the overtones. That means that you have to activate the right side, the right auditory cortex. For that, I have a test that you can use first to check where you stand, and at the end, there’s a systematic guide to the perception on the right hemisphere. So when this video is over, you’ll hear completely differently if you don’t already heared the overtones right from the first example. Now I’ll sing a meaningless sequence of syllables, and I’ll sing them on a single note, that means I won’t change any pitch, yet there’s a melody in these syllables, and I’ll hide this melody in the resonances of the vowels. Let’s see if you can hear that.

So, that was a very well-known melody from the classical period. As a little hint: It was composed in Bonn and I don’t want to hide it at all. The point is to learn to listen to it, it’s not about showing now what you can’t do, but just the opposite. It was “Joy, Beautiful Sparks of the Gods” in this register.

Typically, only 5% of people hear this melody spontaneously. If you now know what to listen for, you may now already have a little inkling of the melody or even hear it clearly. For those who don’t hear the melody now, this has nothing to do with musicality, but only with the preference on which side your brain processes this sound. There is usually a block when the left brain decides that this is speech, but it doesn’t understand a word. Then it tells the rest of the brain: Shut up, I need all the attention. And language is very dominant in our brain. That’s why this side, here the speech center, is apparently particularly active in most people. But now I would like to change this filter that says important and unimportant, language is important, timbre and overtones are unimportant. I would like to turn that around. And I do that by systematically removing information in the sound for the left side, for the speech center. I do this step by step in such a way that you will recognize at which point this flips over. At the end, you will definitely hear the melody.

Now I’ve only used Ü sounds like that, and that means in the phonetic vowel triangle I’ve only gone along vowels where the second formant, as they used to call it, or I call it “second resonant frequency”, changes. I left out all the frequencies that move in the direction of the vowel A, that would change the first resonance. So now usually there’s about 20% of the people who perceive the melody now. For the rest, I go one step further and leave out the consonants. Now usually about 40 to 60 % of the people are with me and hear this melody. If you don’t hear it yet, I go one step further.

Now everyone should have heard the melody. Who now does not hear the melody, as a whistling melody, then I unfortunately can not help. But I have never experienced that someone has not heard the melody. It can only be that one hears in such a way that it does not belong to the voice. Most people hear it as a whistling melody. And there it is separated in the brain, one then hears two separate melodies, respectively one hears a humming tone and in addition a whistling melody. For some people, this whistling melody can no longer be assigned to the voice, while others can associate this whistling tone with the voice. The main thing is that you hear this melody now.

If it has disappeared now, go back to that example where the consonants weren’t there yet, or where the consonant was N. I can fine-tune that again by replacing the T-sound with a D-sound. You’ll notices here, the more sibilants are added, the more this melody now moves into the background of awareness, and the speech center pushes itself into the foreground. But the melody is still there. Particularly interesting is the transition where you’re no longer sure, is it just my imagination, because I know what I’m supposed to hear, or did I actually hear that? And that’s a very interesting transition, because that’s where the conscious mind decides whether it trusts the right hemisphere of the brain. It’s a trust thing. You know that I’m singing the melody, so you can trust me. If you don’t trust me, then trust your own perception. If you mistrust it, then yes, you don’t know. But still the melody is there. I know that I am singing it. Next step.

Now I have added a little bit of movement into the first resonance again. And now I take a little bit more movement into it, and then I’m back at the beginning, which I started with.

And I hope that now most of you have come along up to that point. But if you have lost the melody two or three examples earlyer then it’s still perfect, then the right hemisphere is now activated. And this is an essential foundation to learn to sing harmonics.

Next Level Resonance Strategies – Singing Phonetics


Recording of the webinar “Voice Masters Live” by Philippe Hall from Singing Revealed on March 29, 2022.
Recording of the webinar Next Level Resonance Strategies in the Voice Masters Live series by Philippe Hall from Singing Revealed, on March 29, 2022.
Sprache: English


 

Next Level Resonance Strategies – Singing Phonetics

  • What are formants?
  • What are resonances?
  • Why are vowels dependent on pitch?
  • What is formant tuning?

Philippe Hall talks to Wolfgang Saus about vowels and their importance for resonance strategies.

Resonance is a cornerstone of any vocal technique. However, the relationship between vowels, resonances, formants, harmonics and pitch is a complex topic and often confusing.

Wolfgang Saus shows participants how to use a vowel resonance chart to see at a glance why some vowels work excellently at a particular pitch and others not at all. Participants learn how resonances can be controlled by tongue movements and how they can optimize their resonances by using the right vowel nuances. After the seminar, they will be able to deal confidently with the terms vowel, resonance and overtones.

Still, still, still – for Overtone Singing and Keys

Still, still, still is an Austrian Christmas carol from the Salzburg region. It first appeared in print in 1865 in a collection of carols with the following text, which is no longer common today:

1. Sleep, sleep, sleep, my precious baby sleep!
Maria sings a lullaby sweet
And lays her true heart at your feet.
Sleep, sleep, sleep, my precious baby sleep!

2. Great, great, great, the love is more than great.
God has left his throne on high,
To walk the street, to come us nigh.
Great, great, great, the love is more than great.

3. Rise, rise, rise, all Adam’s children rise.
O, kneel at the feet of Jesus now,
Our sins to atone he did vow.
Rise, rise, rise, all Adam’s children rise.

4. We, we, we, ee all implore Thee:
Open for us heaven’s gate
Let your kingdom be our fate.
We, we, we, – we all implore Thee.

5. Rest, rest, rest, allow the Child to rest.
Saint Joseph snuffs the candle out,
Angels are guarding all about.
Rest, rest, rest, allow the Child to rest.

(Translation wikipedia)

Performers:
Michael Reimann – Keys
https://michaelreimann.de/
Wolfgang Saus – Overtone Singing
https://www.oberton.org/
Video – josephphackney pixabay
https://pixabay.com/

What a sound! – Young Ensemble Dreden, Olaf Katzer, Jan Heinke

Such sounds cast a spell over me. Those who know me know how much contemporary choral music touches me. And as an overtone singer, I have been trying to bring overtone awareness to choirs for almost four decades. I am all the happier when composers who know something about overtone singing write choral music.

Jan Heinke is an absolutely exceptional musician. We have been friends for many years now, and Jan never fails to impress me with his deeply reflective worldview. His music is unique in the world, his playing on the steel cello he built, his ultra low bass and the virtuosity of his overtone singing. The Junge Ensemble Dresden under the direction of Olaf Katzer is one of the top chamber choirs in Germany and one of the select ones dedicated to contemporary classical music at the highest level.

You find the CD here: https://jungesensembledresden.de/cd

CD „Licht über Licht“
Performer: Junges Ensemble Dresden
Artistic direction: Olaf Katzer
Soloist overtone singing: Jan Heinke
Total playing time: 61:30

Jan Heinke: http://www.janheinke.de/, http://www.stahlquartett.de/

“Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” – for Overtone Singing and Piano

Noten aus dem Speyerer Gesangbuch 1599 - Es ist ein Ros entsprungen“Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” is a Christmas carol from the Speyerer Gesangbuch 1599. Here as a version for piano (Michael Reimann) and overtone singing (Wolfgang Saus).

The challenge for overtone singers here is especially the intonation conflict of the natural overtone thirds with the equal-tempered ones of the piano. In this version, I have partially adjusted the overtones to match the equal-tempered tuning, resulting in “out of tune” fundamental tones. The alternative of intonating the harmonics in relation “out of tune” is found by some to be cleaner overall. An interesting experiment. Piano and overtones never fit together exactly because, except for the octave, none of the piano intervals correspond to the natural harmonic order. I think it sounds delightful nonetheless.

Free sheet music here.

Performers:
Michael Reimann – keys
https://michaelreimann.de/
Wolfgang Saus – overtone singing.
https://www.oberton.org/
Video – caelan, pixabay
https://pixabay.com/