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Yodeling (or yodelling, jodeling) is a form of singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the vocal chest register (or "chest voice") to the head register (or "head voice"), making a high-low-high-low sound. This vocal technique is used in many cultures throughout the world. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Harry Belafonte singing, photograph by C. van Vechten Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ... The chest register is generalized to be the range of vocal notes below middle C (C4). ... The head register is generalized to be the range of vocal notes above middle C (C4). ...

In Alpine folk music, it was probably developed in the Swiss Alps as a method of communication between mountain peaks, later becoming part of the region's traditional music. In Persian and Azeri classical music, singers frequently use tahrir, a yodeling technique that oscillates on neighbor tones. In Georgian traditional music, yodelling takes the form of krimanchuli technique. In Central Africa, Pygmy singers use yodels within their elaborate polyphonic singing. Yodeling is often used in American bluegrass and country music. Switzerland has long had a distinct cultural identity, despite its diversity of German, French and other ethnicities. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Figurines playing stringed instruments, excavated at Susa, 3rd millennium BC. Iran National Museum. ... Azerbaijan is in Caucasus but, musically, it is more closely linked to Persian culture. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... A nonchord tone or non-harmony note is a tone in a piece of homophonic music which is not in the chord that is formed by the other tones playing and in most cases quickly resolves to a chord tone. ... Georgian folk musicians, 1890 // Georgian folk music possesses what the oldest tradition of polyphonic music in the world, predating the introduction of Christianity. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In music, the word texture is often used in a rather vague way in reference to the overall sound of a piece of music. ... Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music. ... country music, see Country music (disambiguation) Country music, the first half of Billboards country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States. ...

Technique

All human voices are considered to have at least two distinct vocal registers, called the "head" and "chest" voices, which result from different ways that the tone is produced. Most people can sing tones within a certain range of relatively lower pitch in their chest voices, and then a certain range of relatively higher pitch in their head voices. There is often a gap between these ranges, especially in inexperienced or untrained singers. Experienced singers, who can control their voices to the point where these ranges overlap, can easily switch between them to produce high-quality tones in either. Yodelling is a particular application of this technique, wherein a singer might switch between these registers several times in but a few seconds, at a high volume. Going back and forth over this "voice break" repeatedly produces a very distinctive type of sound. Pitch is the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. ... For other uses, see Volume (disambiguation). ...

For example, in the famous example syllable "Yodl - Ay - EEE - Ooooo", the "EEE" is sung in the head voice, while all other syllables are in the chest voice.

Examples

• Alpine yodeling can be heard in the songs of Franzl Lang, Stefanie Hertel, Zillertaler Schürzenjäger, Ursprung Buam, Harry Torrani, and Mary Schneider.

• Yodeling was a part of country and western music from its beginnings, most notably in the singing of Jimmie Rodgers, who recorded more than a dozen songs under the title "Blue Yodel" with an appended number, and that of The Carter Family. Other country and western yodeling singers include Elton Britt, Wilf Carter, Yodelin' Slim Clark, Slim Whitman, the Belgian entertainer Bobbejaan Schoepen, Patsy Montana, Doug Green, Wylie Gustafson, and in early pre-rock and roll recordings by Bill Haley. The Band used yodeling in "Up On Cripple Creek". Gene Autry was another country-style yodeler. Hank Williams yodels the word "Blues" in Lovesick Blues. An UK example of this style was the Glasgow-born Karl Denver; the style can be heard in Frank Ifield's version of Johnny Mercer's "I Remember You."

• Kerry Christensen is one of the world's most versatile yodelers and performs both Alpine and country/western styles.

• Yodeling is less often heard in pop music and rock. One of the most famous examples of yodeling in popular music is "Hocus Pocus" by the Dutch rock group Focus. Jewel is another example, and while she does not truly yodel in her commercial music, her proficiency contributes to her vocal style, which features fast transitions between her head voice and chest voice. More recently, Shakira has featured similar vocal stylings in some of her songs.

• The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein contains a yodelling song, "The Lonely Goatherd", in which Mary Martin yodelled to good effect in the original production on Broadway in 1959. Gwen Stefani also put herself to the task of yodeling "The Lonely Goatherd" at the beginning of her 2006 single, "Wind It Up".

• Irish singer Dolores O'Riordan is renowned for her yodelling particularly in tracks such as "Dreams", one of several Riordan-penned singles from the double platinum album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? by The Cranberries.

• Soul singer Aaron Neville was inspired by Gene Autry's yodelling to develop his unusual vibrato singing style.

• The late Indian singer, actor, and composer Kishore Kumar was the best-known yodeller in Bollywood cinema. Some of his best examples include the songs "Main Hoon Jhumroo," "Thandi Hawa Yeh Chandni Suhani," "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana," and "Chala Jata Hoon."

• In the Tamil film world, talented comedian and singer Chandrababu yodelled in some of his songs.
• Taylor Ware entered for America's Got Talent with singing and yodelling.
• The lead vocalist for American electro-punk band the Epoxies is known for her yodeling in a lot of their songs.

Franzl Lang (left) with Schwarz Ferdl (1988) Franzl Lang (born as Franz Lang December 28, 1930, in Munich, Germany), known in German as the Jodlerkönig (Yodeler King), is a famous yodeler from Bavaria, a southern region of Germany. ... Stefanie Anke Hertel (born July 25, 1979 in Oelsnitz, Saxony) is a German yodeler and popular performer of Alpine folk music. ... Zillertaler Schürzenjäger is an austrian band whos music often combines the traditional volksmusik style with elements of rock n roll. ... Ursprung Buam is an Austrian folk music trio from Zillertal, Tyrol. ... Harry Hopkinson (8 June 1902–4 March 1979) has been credited as one of the worlds greatest yodelers. ... Mary Schneider is an Australian performer, renowned for yodelling works of classic composers. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... The Blue Yodel songs are a series of thirteen songs written and recorded by Jimmie Rodgers during the period from 1927 to his death in May 1933. ... Maybelle, A.P. and Sara The Carter Family was a rural country music group that performed between 1927 and 1943. ... Elton Britt (July 27, 1912–June 23, 1972), born James Britt Baker, was a country music yodeler, singer, songwriter and author who sang and played guitar since his mid-teens. ... Wilf Carter (born December 18, 1904 in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, Canada, died December 5, 1996 in Scottsdale, Arizona), also known as Montana Slim, was a Canadian country music singer and yodeler. ... Raymond S. Yodelin Slim Clark was born in Petersham, Mass. ... Slim Whitman (born January 20, 1924 in Tampa, Florida) is an American country music singer and songwriter. ... Bobbejaan Schoepen Bobbejaan Schoepen (born Modest Schoepen, May 16, 1925, Boom, Antwerp) is a Flemish entertainer, singer, guitarist, composer, actor, and founder of the Bobbejaanland amusement park in Belgium. ... Rubye Blevins aka Patsy Montana (30 October 1908–3 May 1996) was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first female country music performer to sell one million records. ... Wylie Gustafson is a country and western singer/guitarist who for many years has toured the world with his band, Wylie and the Wild West. ... Bill Haley, with his band, the Comets, was one of the first rock and roll acts to tour the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Band. ... Orvon Gene Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television. ... For other persons named Hank Williams, see Hank Williams (disambiguation). ... Artist: Hank Williams Sr. ... Karl Denver (born Angus Murdo McKenzie, 16 December 1931, in Springburn, Glasgow died 21 December 1998), was a British singer, who, with his Trio (Kevin Neil (born 25 July 1931, in Manchester, Lancashire; Gerry Cottrell (born Gerard Cottrell, 18 December 1933, in Manchester, Lancashire died Frid 24 November 2006, at... Kerry Christensen is an American yodeler (born October 6, 1954, in Grace, Idaho). ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... For the music genre, see Pop music. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles, however saxophones have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since the 90s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For R&B singer Jewell Caples, see Jewell (singer). ... This article is about the musician. ... For other uses, see The Sound of Music (disambiguation). ... Rodgers (left) and Hammerstein (right), with Irving Berlin (middle) and Helen Tamiris, watching auditions at the St. ... The Lonely Goatherd is a song from the musical The Sound Of Music, sung by Julie Andrews, (playing Maria von Trapp), and the von Trapp children. ... Mary Virginia Martin (b. ... Gwen Renée Stefani (born October 3, 1969) (IPA pronunciation: [1]), is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and occasional actress. ... Wind It Up is a pop rap song written by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams originally for inclusion on Stefanis Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005. ... Dolores Mary Eileen ORiordan (Burton) (born September 6, 1971) is an Irish singer and songwriter. ... Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Cant We? is an album by The Cranberries. ... The Cranberries are an Irish alternative rock band that rose to mainstream popularity in the 1990s. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Aaron Neville (born January 24, 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American soul and R&B singer. ... Orvon Gene Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television. ... Vibrato is a musical effect where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small distance for the duration of that note or sound. ... Kishore Kumar (August 4, 1929 – October 13, 1987) was an Indian film playback singer and comic actor. ... Bollywood (Hindi: , Urdu: ) is the informal name given to the popular Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India. ... Kollywood is a name often applied to Tamil Cinema, based in Chennai (formerly Madras) in the state of Tamil Nadu in south India. ... JP Chandrababu (1932–1974) - Tamil film comedian-actor, singer and dancer, whose chaplin-style on-screen movements and unique singing style, with some humorous yet philosophical Tamil lyrics and a bass voice, made him popular from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. ... Taylor Marie Ware (born September 17, 1994) is an American singer and yodeler from Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. ... Americas Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network. ... The Epoxies are a Portland, Oregon-based band. ...

Miscellany

"Appenzeller" and "Bravour Jodler" are yodeling standards which are performed by many different singers. Appenzell can refer to: Appenzell, a region in Switzerland and former Swiss canton, which split 1597 into: Appenzell Innerrhoden (Appenzell Inner Rhodes) Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Appenzell Outer Rhodes) Appenzell (district), the district of Appenzell Appenzell (town), a town in Switzerland and the capital of Appenzell Innerrhoden Appenzeller can refer to: the...

The best places for Alpine-style yodelling are those with an echo. They include lakes, rocky gorges, anywhere with a distant rock face, the outdoor areas between office buildings, in a canoe next to a rocky shoreline, or down a long hallway, and best of all, a mountain range. In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo (plural echoes) is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. ... For other uses, see Lake (disambiguation). ... A gorge is a narrow passage between steep mountains or hills. ... It has been suggested that Canadian canoe be merged into this article or section. ... For exotic financial options, see Mountain range (options). ...

According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word yodel is derived from a German word jodeln (originally Bavarian) meaning "to utter the syllable jo". The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is the most successful dictionary of the English language, (not to be confused with the one-volume Oxford Dictionary of English, formerly New Oxford Dictionary of English, of... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Doo-wop

Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music popular in the mid-1950s to the early 1960s in America. ...

References

This article or section includes a list of references or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations.

• Yodel-Ay-Ee-)000: The Secret History of Yodeling Around the World by Bart Plantenga, New York: Routledge, 2004), ISBN 0-415-93990-9 --from Switzerland to the avant-garde, exhaustive survey of the field.