Nasality
Singing fault in which too much air escapes through the nose and the tone sounds nasal.
What it means
Nasality is a fault in singing and speaking in which more air than necessary escapes through the nose, so that the tone sounds narrow, flat and nasal. The cause is usually that the soft palate does not sufficiently close off the nasal cavity from the mouth. The result is a sound without carrying power and without rounded vowels.
Musical use
A slightly nasal tone can be used deliberately as a tone color in pop music or in some folk traditions. In classical singing, however, nasality counts as a defect. It must be distinguished from nasal resonance, which is desired in singing training: in that the spaces of the nose and facial skull resonate without air escaping through the nose.
Nasality should be distinguished from the nasal as a speech sound, such as m or n, in which the air stream is deliberately directed through the nose.
Performance practice
Test whether you are singing nasally: pinch your nose closed while singing a vowel. If the sound changes markedly, air is escaping through the nose. Raise the soft palate as in a yawn, think of a wide throat and, if in doubt, ask your singing teacher for advice.