The Physiology of Singing

Hannah Black

What is it?

We don’t typically think too much about what the voice is. The action of producing noise is so effortless and natural that we never really take time to think about what goes into talking – or singing. The body part most frequently associated with sound is the mouth. It’s where the noise is expelled from the body, the part we see moving, opening, closing, stretching. But there is much more to the production of sound than that.

The system

Producing a sound actually involves a series of complex events. The whole system can be reffered to simply as “the instrument.” This instrument can be broken down into three parts. The “activator” which spurs the “vibrator” to make sound and the “resonator” to amplify the sound. Most instruments act in this way. The clarinet, for example, has these components. The air being blown in activates the reed which vibrates. The vibration makes a sound that it then amplified by the body of the instrument.

The Vibrator

Function 1: Protection

The Larynx and Sound Production

Inside the larynx are the vocal folds which are controlled by muscles and cartilages…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wYeauSxXSBA#t=102s

*(watch from start to 3:05)

• Arytenoid and Cricoarytenoid Muscles• Thyroarytenoid Ligament• Listen to this sample of vibrato sung by Dame

Joan Sutherland…http

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAZCE-h9qBk

Cords and What You Hear

Males: Frequency is apx. 125 Hz, between 17 mm and 25 mm

Females: Frequency is apx. 210 Hz, between 12.5 and 17.5 mm

Children: Frequency is over 300 Hz.

Cartilages involved in Larynx• Thyroid Cartilage =“Adam’s Apple” • Cricoid Cartilage = lower part of the larynx,

top of the trachea• Arytenoid Cartilage = back of the vocal folds,

movement of the vocal cords.

Activator

The Resonator

• Nasopharynx• Oropharynx• Laryngopharynx

The Laryngopharynx is where the sound first comes to. It rests behind the Larynx, above the esophagus, and is defined by the form of the Epiglottis. Because it cannot really change size, it is not the ideal place for resonation, but it begins the first vibrations.

IPA is an international method for being able to learn pronunciations based on where the vowel is formed in the mouth:

Lots of space for efficient resonance

… and that’s how the voice works in relation to physiology! The production of sound involves many systems and may intricate parts. All of these small pieces alter the quality of the voice. They also change constantly, especially when growing up, making the voice a very dynamic instrument. Here is a stroboscopy of vocal cords for a more personal look!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajbcJiYhFKY&feature=player_detailpage#t=11s

Works Cited

http://vocalwisdom.com/vocal-physiology-for-singing/larynx

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http://www.singinglink.com/physiology-of-singing

http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-are-Vocal-Cords.aspx