The following information comes from Jean Barford and while there have been tweaks over the years, it still serves today!

The “Barford” volumes/textures

• soft velvet
• medium velvet
• loud velvet
• medium spikes
• loud spikes

Guidelines for using the “Barford” volumes/textures

• Your loudest loud is always spikes.
• Your softest soft is always velvet.
• You can achieve a more complete range of dynamic contrast in a crescendo or decrescendo by using this range of textures instead of just “plain” volumes.
• The breath pressure for the singer executing a loud velvet and a medium spike is the same. The difference is the texture.
• Spikes sound louder than velvet. (See preceding guideline…)

Considering the above, you can additionally use textures to vocally “highlight” various aspects of the arrangement: interesting vocal lines including embellishments, “walking” vocal lines, solos, etc.

Planning your dynamics

• Loud volumes are generally spiked.
• Soft volumes are generally velvet.
• Mid volumes can be either.
• High notes are not always spiked.
• Low notes are usually velvet.

All textures should ALWAYS be well resonated…this includes spikes. If spikes are not resonated, the resulting sound will be thin…far from the desired result.

Any singer who chooses spikes when the rest of the ensemble is in velvet WILL stick out.

If a singer doesn’t yet have the vocal skills to execute these texture changes, they can still contribute to the ensemble sound by staying in velvet at all times.