Have you heard of 'overtones', that captivating vocal quality? Singers with voices that instantly transform the atmosphere use them — and actually, anyone can do it!

Have you heard of 'overtones', that captivating vocal quality? Singers with voices that instantly transform the atmosphere use them — and actually, anyone can do it!

//Summary - Level-B2//

Overtones, or harmonics, are extra pitches within a sound that make a voice bright, resonant, and unique. Voice trainer Yumi Kawashima explains that these tones occur naturally above a fundamental note and can be integer (clear, sparkling) or non-integer (breathy, distinctive). Developing overtones involves exercises like humming an octave above a note, then singing the lower note, and practising strong, clear speech. Reasonable throat control, deep breathing, and daily awareness of vocal strength enhance overtones. The shape of the mouth, throat, and cavities also affects them. With training, anyone can add richness and colour to their voice.

//SUMMARIZE//

1. What Are Overtones?:

Overtones, or harmonics, are extra pitches that exist above the main note you sing or speak.
When you produce a note, you’re not just creating one single pitch — you’re making a blend of the fundamental note plus several higher pitches.
These overtones give your voice more brightness, resonance, and personality, much like light reflecting in different colours from the same diamond.

2. Types of Overtones:

There are two main categories:
Integer harmonics: These are exact multiples of the fundamental pitch. They sound clear, sparkling, and pure. Singers like Rimi Natsukawa or B’z’s Inaba often have strong integer harmonics in their voices.

Non-integer harmonics: These are not exact multiples of the base note. They sound breathy, warm, and unique, and can feel more intimate. Artists such as Hikaru Utada or Keisuke Kuwata often use this type of tone.

Your natural mix of these harmonics depends on factors like your mouth shape, throat structure, and bone resonance, but training can influence the balance.

3. Why Overtones Are Important:

A voice rich in overtones can instantly capture the listener’s attention.
For singers, it makes high notes easier to reach and more vibrant.
For public speakers, it adds authority and makes the voice more pleasant to listen to.
Overtones also help your voice carry better in a room or through a microphone, without you having to push your volume.

4. How to Develop Overtones:

Start with humming: Choose a note, then hum one octave higher than that note.
Switch to the lower note while still imagining the higher pitch is “inside” your voice.

Challenge yourself: Try humming a high note that is more than an octave away, then immediately sing a lower note. This builds pitch control and overtone awareness.
Practise regularly rather than aiming for perfection from the start.

5. Breathing and Vocal Cord Control:

Deep, abdominal breathing gives you steady airflow to sustain overtones.
Keep your vocal cords firm yet flexible — like a stretched string that can vibrate in different sections.
In overtone production, the fundamental note vibrates in larger sections, while higher overtones vibrate in smaller, faster sections. The more control you have over this process, the richer your sound will be.

6. Everyday Awareness Technique:

You don’t have to be on stage to work on overtones.
In daily conversations:
Speak with clear intention, not lazily.
Use natural strength — not shouting — so your voice has energy and presence.

For example, say “Good morning” as if you want the listener to feel it, using full breath and well-shaped vowels truly.

7. Final Takeaway:

Overtones are not a secret gift reserved for professionals — they are a natural part of every human voice.
By combining daily awareness, clear breathing, and specific humming exercises, anyone can add sparkle, warmth, and depth to their voice, making it more expressive and memorable.

1)
00:00
Want a voice that sparkles like that? Want a mellow-toned voice? There's a secret to achieving that.

Hello, I'm Yumi Kawashima, also known as Yumi-sensei. I'm a voice trainer and music therapist specialising in soprano singers.
Today, I'd like to share the secrets to a great voice that everyone aspires to have.

Some people have voices that captivate you instantly.

This is true even among professional singers and non-singers who speak for a living. What exactly makes a voice good? The possibilities are endless.

However, today I would like to talk about overtones — a component of sound — and explain why a voice containing these overtones is so incredible, and how you can develop a voice like this. Today's theme is overtones.

2)
01:05
My channel offers a variety of voice training lessons for people with vocal or throat problems, those who want to improve their singing, their throat or their voice, and those who wish to improve their health or their confidence. I also upload videos on how to strengthen your throat and voice, as well as the connection to anti-ageing. Please watch until the end.

Today, I would like to talk about overtones, also known as harmonics.

First, I will explain what they are. Secondly, I will demonstrate how to produce them with your voice. Thirdly, I will discuss the different types of overtone. Finally, I will introduce training methods to help you make them.

Please watch until the end. So, let's start by talking about the first overtone. What exactly is it?

3)
02:11
What is an overtone? Most people think of a sound as a single note, don't they?
For example, in the musical scale Do-Re-Me-Fa-So, when you hear the note 'Do', you might think of 'Do' as just the pitch of 'Do'. However, if you think of 'Do' as the fundamental note, then the sound you're hearing isn't a single note; it contains components of different pitches.

These components are called 'harmonics'.

To understand overtones, it helps to understand different pitches. But what unit is pitch measured in? As you may already know, it's measured in hertz.

The higher the number, the higher the note; the lower the number, the lower the note.
This may be difficult to understand, but put, the 'pong' sound often used in time signals and the 'ra' sound are both 440 Hz.

4)
03:18
From that 440 Hz 'La', an 'La' one octave higher is 880 Hz louder. That's how it works.

Therefore, a 'La' one octave lower than a 440 Hz 'La' is 220 Hz, which is half the pitch. Just remember that.

Let's think of the original note that becomes the fundamental, such as the middle 'C' on a piano.
In light of what we said earlier, if middle C is 100 Hz, then C one octave higher would be 200 Hz.

Please keep this fundamental structure in mind.

Now, let's return to harmonics. Harmonics are the fundamental note. For example, if we take the middle 'C' that I mentioned earlier, we can hear a different note.

5)
04:26
Hey, I've written a note here. This is the low "C" that is the fundamental note. This isn't a middle "C," but a lower "C." The "C" one octave above this low tone is called the second harmonic. 

The fundamental note is the first harmonic, the "C" one octave above is the second harmonic, and the note "G" above that is the third harmonic, the "C" above that is the fourth harmonic, and the E above that is the fifth harmonic.

So, for example, when you hear the note C, all of these notes are incorporated into it. Did you understand?

The notes I have written represent the sounds we commonly hear, but please bear in mind that there are also notes that are being listened to, which are not written here.

6)
05:33
Even a single fundamental note contains an infinite number of sound components, including ones not listed here. A voice with a high proportion of these components is said to have good harmonics, meaning it resonates well.

Would you like to try producing a voice with various harmonics?

Now, I'd like to talk about voices with good resonance and voices with few harmonics.

Put, a voice containing harmonics sounds sparkling and clear.

As I'll explain later, there are integer and non-integer harmonics: the former are regular, while the latter have a slightly more unique colour. The individuality of a person's voice is determined by which of these components are present. Please keep that in mind.

7)
06:38
Next, I'd like to address what you're probably wondering about: how to produce overtones.

While you can find plenty of information about overtones on YouTube or through online research, it's all academic if you can't apply it to your voice.

In this video, I will help you to incorporate overtones into your voice.

First, think very simply. As I mentioned earlier, there are many overtones above the fundamental note on this staff.

For example, when producing the note "C", it's essential not only to focus on that note, but also to be aware of the overtones above it.

8)
07:45
Now, let me explain in detail how to do it.
First, the second harmonic is the simplest and is one octave higher.

When trying to produce a middle C, you will probably hear a note of this pitch and describe it as "Do". However, you should also make a 'Do' based on the second harmonic, which is one octave higher. By listening to the actual note and imagining a 'do' one octave higher rather than just 'c', you can create a voice that incorporates overtones.

I've posted specific practice methods for this in other videos. We'll be using humming.

9)
08:49
Before producing a middle 'C', you'll make a 'C' one octave higher, so try humming very lightly to this high note.

Starting from this high-pitched hum, open your mouth and produce the 'C' as you would the middle 'C'.

Let's give it a try. First, try humming out loud.
Humming: 'Hmm.' Now, hum an octave higher, open your mouth and produce a 'C' sound. By practising like this, you'll gradually improve the overtones in your voice and your sense of them.

10)
09:54
As an even more advanced example, if you go from the third overtone one octave up and then a fifth higher on the Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So scale, you'll hear a high-pitched sound. Hum this note, even though the two notes are pretty far apart, and then produce a low, middle "C" sound.

This is quite difficult because you are humming a very high note while producing a low "C".

However, practising this will instantly solve any problems you're having with pitch or producing high notes.

Don't aim for 100% at first. Practise humming from a high note and producing a low 'C'. Your voice will gradually develop more overtones, so give it a try!

11)
10:58
To put it more simply, my teacher once said:

'When you sing, don't focus on the sound you hear. Sing as if you're reaching out to grab a sparkling star you see far away in the night sky.'

Singing "ah" as if you're reaching out to grab a sparkling star high in the night sky creates a vivid image, and imagining this sparkle while singing is highly effective.

Now, my third point might seem a bit out of context, but I'd like to talk about the types of harmonics.

As I mentioned earlier, there are two types: integer and non-integer. So, what exactly is the difference between the two? As the name suggests, integer harmonics are those with integer harmonics attached to the fundamental tone.

12)
12:03
Non-integer harmonics are those that are not multiples of the fundamental tone.

This is a little complicated, but integer harmonics have regular waveforms.
Non-integer harmonics, on the other hand, have irregular waveforms. I think you can probably imagine what that means.

Voices with integer harmonics sound sparkling.
Voices with clear, bright and resonant tones that carry well on a microphone and sound perfectly in tune contain many whole-number harmonics.

Singers such as Rimi Natsukawa and B'z Inaba have voices that blend whole-number harmonics perfectly.

In contrast, voices with non-integer harmonics sound more unique.
They sound full or breathy, and have a unique quality that draws you in.

13)
13:06
Singers such as Keisuke Kuwata, Aki Yashiro and Hikaru Utada are said to have voices containing non-integer harmonics.

This does not mean that people with integer harmonics cannot produce non-integer harmonics; they can.

The shapes of the oral, nasal and throat cavities produce these harmonics.

You can think of non-integer harmonics as being contained in the breath. For this reason, I believe that people who are capable of producing non-integer harmonics will vary depending on the shape of their mouth, the configuration of their throat, and their bone structure. However, effort and subsequent awareness can also have a significant impact.

14)
14:13
I think it's a good idea to train yourself based on whether your voice produces integer or non-integer harmonics, while also considering which type you'd like to emulate.

In the fourth section, I'll explain how to do that.
I think you're primarily interested in producing a voice that contains harmonics.

Now, I'd like to explain how harmonics are produced using a simple diagram to illustrate how vocal cords create body harmonics.

Imagine this as a taut string, a piece of cloth or a stretched space.

You can think of this length as a bow or two rubber bands joined together with a gap in the middle.

Imagine the vibrations created when these two rubber bands sway back and forth — these are the harmonics. Harmonics are added as the fundamental tone oscillates.

15)
15:18
This is how the harmonics of the fundamental vibrate.

Now, let's look at the second harmonic. Imagine it splitting in two halfway along its length. The chamber splits into two.
The width narrows, and the vibration speed doubles.
This is what the second harmonic looks like.

The third harmonic splits into three chambers, resulting in an even faster vibration speed.
The fourth harmonic splits into four, resulting in an even faster vibration speed and an increased frequency.

16)
16:25
Looking at this diagram and the 'bounce(Bi-yo-yo-yo-yon)' sound I mentioned in my talk, how would you get your throat to vibrate like this?

Imagine this diagram represents the muscles of your vocal cords.
First, you need to keep them tight.
The 'bounce(Bi-yo-yo-yo-yon)' sound is the force of your breath.
When you exhale, your breath passes through your vocal cords, and they vibrate and join together, creating overtones.

The key is to properly train your vocal cords and the surrounding muscles, and then take deep breaths using abdominal breathing techniques. This action, or vocalisation, leads to the creation of overtones.

17)
17:33
So, it's straightforward. Rather than doing something else, you can improve your throat control and create a voice with overtones by diligently practising your voice through voice training.

Do you understand?
That said, even if you take lessons from a professional, it's not easy to attend classes every day. So, I'd like to conclude this video by telling you about something I want you to pay attention to in your daily life.

I'm going to tell you something significant now.
It's a simple thing that most of you don't do, but just being aware of it will make your voice incorporate overtones and change.

It's all about being constantly aware of producing a strong voice.

18)
18:38
Instead of speaking lazily, try saying "Good morning" with conviction.

I'm a vocalist by trade, so I can naturally produce a strong voice, but I also use my body to speak firmly and clearly to communicate with everyone.

I don't speak loudly or forcefully, but I always make sure to produce each word.

I slow down the tempo slightly to convey each word carefully, using my vocal cords properly and exhaling deeply.

19)
19:42
As I said earlier, this is an effortless and straightforward technique, but you probably aren't aware of it.

From now on, in your daily conversations — for example, when you go shopping or talk to shop assistants — it's essential to speak with the awareness that you're conveying every word rather than speaking carelessly and making your voice difficult to hear.
Being conscious of this will make a difference to your voice.
This awareness will extend your healthy lifespan.

20)
20:48
Today, we discussed overtones, as well as the awareness and training techniques that can be employed to incorporate them into your voice.

We will continue to upload more videos like this to help improve your voice, throat health and appearance. Thank you for watching until the end today.

Have you heard of 'overtones', that captivating vocal quality? Singers with voices that instantly transform the atmosphere use them — and actually, anyone can do it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD67FQrlHGc