Vocal Pedagogy

• 1.) let the neck be free (dont allow tension in the neck muscles to increase)
• 2.) let the head go forward and up (not back and down)
• 3.) let the torso widen out and lengthen up (dont allow it to be short-ended and narrow by arching the spine)

"When a body feels lighter, it begins to stand and to move as though it were lighter"

Rolfing involves readjusting the fascia, the connective tissues that connects the muscle.

Elements in common the voice has with musical instruments are 1.) actuator 2.) a vibrator 3.) a resonator THE human voice has an ARTICULATOR

volition, respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation

(Motivator >>Neural Pathways)

Respiration >> is (actuator>>breath energy)

Phonation - (Vibrator>>Creator of fundamental frequency)

Resonation - (Resonator>>Enhancement tone)

Articulation (Articulator>> Shaping of the tongue into recognizable sounds)

The brain and the neurological system sends commands to and receives messages from the body, resulting in muscular responses that control various aspects of the vocal process.

The muscles and the organs of breathing (trachea,lungs, bronchi, diaphragm, ribs and abdominal and back muscles) act in coordination to control the inhalation of the vocal process.

The larynx, or the voice box, consists of folds, muscles, ligaments, and cartilages that coordinate airflow, which vibrates the vocal folds to produce a fundamental "Buzz-tone".

The combined resonance cavities, principally the mouth, throat, and nose, act as acoustical secondary vibrators for enhancing the fundamental buzz-tone.

The organs of speech (tongue,jaw,cheeks, teeth, lips, hard palate/soft palate), and alveolar ridges) coordinate in producingall of the sounds normally associated with human verbal communication.

Cartilage- weight bearing tissue which is more flexible than bone.

Ligaments- hold bones together.

- are the attachments of muscles to bones.

Muscles- Flexible tissue designed to move body parts

Cartilage

In a state of relaxation

Shorten and thicken

pull

tenses a muscle and fixates it, but does NOT shorten it

the action of one muscle in the pair is in direct oppostion to the action of the other. When one contracts, the other is stretched and becomes lengthened and thinned.

there is tension or fixation, without movement

under volutary control from the brain

smooth muscle is visceral muscle that lines a number or organs, and contraction of smooth muscle is regulated by the autonomic nervous system and are NOT under voluntary control

the torso or the (body trunk) contains the entire respiratory system, except the head airways

The spine or backbone is the main pillar supporting the breathing mechanism

twenty-four each one resting on the one below, with connective tissue in between.

neck, lower back

There are seven bones in the neck called the cervical

There are twelve bones in the chest and they are called thoracic

lumbar and there are five

lowes lumbar vetebrae connects to the pelvis, which consists of the sacrum and the coccyx or coxal bone.

a pair of ribs or (costae), one on each side

the ribs are semi-circular and the upper seven of them connect to the breast bone or (sternum) in front

oral and nasal , travels through the pharyx

pharynx known as the throat and is divided into the nasopharynx, the oropharynx, and laryngopharynx

pharynx to the larynx, air continues to the trachea, and finally to the lungs via the bronchi.

trachea which is the flexible, cylindrical, cartilageneous pipe resembling a vacuum hose

bronchi (branches) located within the lungs, where they bronchi turn into bronchioles that terminate at alveoli (or air cells)

lungs, sac called the pleura

visceral pleura

parietal pleura

liquid with negative internal pressure, causing them to be sucked together, this also reduces friction to the rib cage

because the pleural membranes are coupled, lungs are held suspended and partially inflated within the rib cage, which is laterally expanded and held in place by the outward pull of the rib cage.

rib cage, the lungs must also expand

negative

lungs, depends on expansion of the rib cage, which determined by the muscular forces

elasitc recoil force. this works in opposition to the expansion of the rib cage

elastic recoil forces,rib cage,lungs

womens, men

The diaphragm

The diaphragm is the most important muscle of inhalation

chest cavity and the ceiling of the abdominal cavity

Salad bowl

course inward and up ward, joinger together at the central tendon in the center of the rib cage

direct antagonist muscle.

epigastrium

in quiet breathing, inspiration requires only the involuntary contraction, and expiration is an entirely passive process

the pelvic diaphragm

intercostal muscles attach to the ribs, filling the gaps between the ribs with muscles and membranes.

to aid inhalation and exhalation and help to create a subglottal (below the vocal folds) air pressure for voice use

coordinating and balancing the action of the inspiratory and expiratory muscles and by providing checking action to the passive process of respiration

originate from a higher rib, and insert into a lower rib, and when they contract pull the lower rib toward the upper rib

it usually involves neck muscle action (scalenes and sternocleidomastoids) which lifts the upper 2 ribs and the sternum to which they are attached

lower rib and insert into a higher rib

upper rib up and toward the lower rib

internal intercostal breathing

expiration

external /internal obliques and transverse abdominus

it should be relaxed during inhalation in order to allow for displacment of the abdominal viscera by the contraction of the diaphragm

first misconception is that diaphragmatic action cannot be consciously controlled , except indirectly as when willing to hold a breath

"support with the diaphragm" manner of singing

to be able to place your hands on the diaphragm

• 1.) respiration in, down , and out,
• 2.) suspension
• 3.) expiration
• 4.) recovery

complex interactions of the muscular forces and elastic properties of the vocal folds (myoelastic), working in combination with airflow (aerodynamic) to produce vocal tone

glottis

• 1.) recoil of the lungs and diaphragm causing air to go through the glottis
• 2.) muscular forces within the larynx adduct the vocal folds or bring them together
• 3.) airflow throught the narrowed glottis causes the folds to beat or oscillate together rapidly

• that vocal folds are adducted because of neurological impulses
• and vocal tone is produced when airflow from the confined spaces of the lungs, trachea, and subglottic area moves through the glottis to a larger space because of a drop in pressure across the glottis and causing them to be sucked together

• 1.) the elasticity of the vocal folds
• 2.) the aerodynamic factor of the Bernoulli Effect

vocal folds

hyoid bone

bone

hyoid

thyroid cartilage

cricoid cartilage

inferior cornu

open and close glottis or vocal folds during breathing and phonation

vocal process

the thyroarytenoid muscle

epiglottis

epiglottis

• 1.) abductors (openers) posterior cricoarytenoids for this
• 2.) adductors (closers) interarytenoids used for this
• 3.) tensors (lengthening and thinning) contraction of the cricothyroid causing cartilage rock forward, mucosal cover more tense
• 4.) relaxers (shortening and thickening) throarytenoid muscle or vocalis muscle as it contracts , shortens folds

strap muscles (infrahyoid) and (suprahyoid)

primary laryngeal depressors

counterbalance the infrahyoid muscles

aspirate (soft release) when vocal folds dont close completely during the glottal cycle, breathy tone quality

aspirate or soft onset excessive airflow at the onset like "H"

glottal (hard) onset and this produces pressed phonation

glottal or hard release is the "terminal grunt" when operal singers end on a high note

coordinated or balanced onset "gesture of inhalation"

coordinated or balanced release , allowing for not too much or too little tension on vocal folds