19/04/2016
UNDERSTANDING YOUR VOCAL ORGANS
1.The Larynx-Voice
2.Pharynx-Throat
3.Trachea-Wind pipe (Lung)
4.The Diaphragm-Air bank
THE LARYNX (See diagram attached for reference purpose please)
The larynx is the voice box and it is responsible for producing sound. The vocal cords have two membranes or two walls that snap open and close when you sing or speak; when you shout it snaps together forcefully and doing this continuously can cause a strain on the voice or damage the voice. The vibrating part of the larynx is the VOCAL FOLDS
(it vibrates to create sound).
THE PHARYNX: It is the throat. It goes up from the larynx(study the diagram attached). Its muscular walls function in the process of swallowing and also air passes through your throat.
THE TRACHEA: It is also known as the wind-pipe.it is the tube that connects the lungs and the throat. The larynx sits on top of the trachea.The lungs supply a stream if air which passes through the trachea.
THE DIAPHRAGM: This is positioned underneath the lungs. It is the main muscle responsible for controlling breathing; I call it the 'Air bank'. When you inhale, the air is stored in the diaphragm before exhaling. Breath coming from the lungs and diaphragm is crucial for effective workings of the voice ."Without breath,there would be nothing to power the voice". Simply put, the voice cannot exist without the breathing process.
HOW THESE ORGANS WORK
Air comes out of the lungs through the trachea and into the larynx. This air makes the vocal fold vibrate and when the vocal fold vibrates, they alternatively trap air and release it. Each release sends a little puff of air into the pharynx and each puff of air is the beginning of a sound wave. The sound wave is enhanced as it travels through the pharynx by the time it leaves the mouth, it sounds like a voice.
Remember i said earlier that your larynx has two walls that snap open and close; so the vocal cords open during breathing and closes during swallowing. It vibrates very fast from 100 to 1000 times per second depending on the pitch of the sound you make. Pitch is determined by the length and tension of the vocal folds which are controlled by the muscles in the larynx.
Let me quickly mention that your larynx is your voice box and your vocal cords is still the same as your voice box so don't be confused. We use each word depending on what we are trying to explain, so the vibrating part of the larynx is the vocal cords or vocal folds as some people will call it which are the producers of sound.
MAIN PART OF THE VOICE ARE:
* The Power Source i.e. your lungs
*The Vi****or which is your voice
The Power Source: The power for your voice comes from the air that you exhale. When you inhale, the diaphragm lowers and the rib cage expands drawing air into the lungs. As we exhale the process reverses and air exists the lungs, creating an air stream to the trachea. This air stream provides the energy for the vocal folds in the voice box to produce sound. The stronger the air stream ,the stronger the voice or sound produced.
The Power Source: The power for your voice comes from the air that you exhale. When you inhale, the diaphragm lowers and the rib cage expands drawing air into the lungs. As we exhale the process reverses and air exists the lungs, creating an air stream to the trachea. This air stream provides the energy for the vocal folds in the voice box to produce sound. The stronger the air stream ,the stronger the voice or sound produced.
We shall be looking at 'Breath Support' later in other articles.
The Vi****or: The larynx or the voice box sits on top of the windpipe. It contains two vocal folds also known as the vocal cords that opens during breathing and closes during swallowing and voice production. When we produce a sound, the air stream passes between the two vocal folds that have come together; these folds are soft and are set into Vibration by passing air stream.
The Resonator: (The tongue, palate, oral cavity, nasal cavity, sinus cavity, chest cavity) By themselves the vocal folds produce a noise that sounds like the simple buzzing, much like the mouth piece on a trumpet if you have seen one and you can also take a look at it. All of the structure above the folds including the throat, nose and mouth are part of the resonator system. We can liken these structures to that of a horn or trumpet, the buzzing sound created by the vocal folds. Vibration occur by the shape of the resonator tract to produce our unique human sound.
When our voices are healthy, the three main part of the voice work in harmony to provide effortless voice during speech and singing.
We shall also look at 'how to keep your voice healthy and free from vocal strains, nodules or damage. Keep following us.
You can ask questions based on each topic but how ever these can be further explained when you engage our service in one on one vocal training sessions.
