Chapter 8: Phonation Flashcards
Practically speaking, how many vocal registers are there?
To what does each of the vocal adjustments correspond?
Scientific evidence points to the physical reality of Three vocal registers.
The upper adjustment corresponds to the upper singsong or head, voice. It is light, clear, and whistlelike in quality.
The lower adjustment corresponds to the lower, or speaking, voice, which develops in strength and depth as children grow older.
The middle voice is a combination of the upper and lower adjustments and is most readily apparent when children are playing vocal games involving the imitation of sirens or vocal glissandi.
What is the link in development of the young singing voice?
How may this help to develop confidence in singing?
Attention to the speaking voice is a vital link in the development of children’s singing voice.
A clear, supported speaking voice is foundational to good singing, and students should be monitored constantly for the quality and projection of their speech.
Describe the correct use of the lower adjustment for children’s singing for pitches below C1 and between C1 and C2.
The pure lower adjustment can produce a beautiful tone in the in the intermediate child’s and adolescents voices when produce for pitches from middle C and lower. It also can add a beautiful color to the voice when used properly in combination with the upper adjustment between C and one octave above.
Primary children should be encouraged to sing only in the middle voice that combines both upper and lower adjustment. This will produce a robust sound.
What adjustment does the English choirboy model used from C 1 to C 2, and what often are the results of such registration?
In the English choirboy model, children sing only in the upper adjustment between C1 and C2. The result is a loss of vocal quality and vitality and as they sing in the range from G1 down to middle C.
Do boys lose the ability to sing in the upper adjustment during and after the voice change? Relate this to the infamous “voice break” among male adolescents.
Boys do not lose the capacity to sing in the upper adjustment during the voice change. Boys may lose the ability to sing a full upper-adjustment range, C-2 C-3, but they are able to continue to sing in the upper voice between the C1 and C2 (or even E2).
What is the key to the production of the adult male his voice?
Continued exercise of the upper voice during and after puberty is the KEY to the successful coordination of the upper voice in the adult male (changed voice).
Men do not sing in the pure upper voice typically, but can thought combine the upper voice with the lower voice to produce the passagio, or head–voice range from middle C to one octave above.
Describe the major cartilages of the larynx and how each functions.
The thyroid cartilage is the largest cartilage of the larynx, which by its shape and size protects the other parts of the larynx from all but the most damaging blows.
The cricoid cartilage Is surrounded anteriorly by the thyroid cartilage and forms a ring that sits on top of the trachea, to which it is attached. The cricoid cartilage is wider and taller posteriorly, giving the appearance of the signet ring.
The arytenoid Cartilages are pyramidal in shape and are located posteriorly on the top of the cricoid cartilage. These two cartilages can rotate and slide from side to side or forward and backwards on the cricoid. To the base of these cartilages are attached the posterior ends of the vocal folds.
Describe the difference between the pure-upper adjustment tone and the falsetto tone.
In what part of the vocal range should the pure upper-adjustment to be used in children’s singing?
The falsetto voice lacks resonance. The pure upper voice is one that is full and vibrant.
The falsetto voice lacks resonance (like the sound of the trumpet mouthpiece blown without a trumpet), a condition that seems to arise when the pitch produced by the vocal folds does not match the proper resonator in the vocal track.
However, the pure upper voice is one that is full and vibrant; it is most often associated with the pitches from C2 to C3. This is commonly known as the upper soprano range and change male voices are capable of producing vibrant pitches at least at the lower in this spot.
What is another name for the thyroid notch?
What anatomical purpose does it fulfill?
Another name for the thyroid notch is the epiglottitis. It is the cartilage that closes off larynx during swallowing.
Describe the two sets of muscles of the larynx that regulate pitch and how each function.
The cricothyroid muscles (vertical and oblique) are primarily pitch control muscles, lengthening the vocal folds for higher pitches.
The thyroarytenoid muscles lie with in the vocal fold. When they contract, they cause the vocal folds to shorten and thicken, thus lowering pitches pitch. This reverses the action of the cricothyroid muscles.
What is the hyoid bone, and how does it function?
The hyoid bone is the only bone of the laryngeal structure and serves as the upper end and of the larynx.
Describe the three sets of muscles of the larynx that open and close the vocal folds and how each functions.
The lateral cricoarytenoid muscles help to bring the vocal folds together.
The interarytenoid muscles upon contraction drive the vocal folds together.
The posterior cricoarytenoid muscles upon contraction moves the vocal folds apart for normal respiration. In this position, the opening between the two vocal folds is call the “glottis.”.
Describe the three sets of muscles that help to lower the larynx and one that raises the thyroid cartilage.
Sternohyoid muscles attached to the sternum in the hyoid bone. Contraction of these muscles helps to LOWER the hyoid bone and loosen all the hyoid tissue because it shortens the distance between the sternum and the hyoid bone.
The sternothyriod muscles when contracted helps to LOWER the thyroid cartilage of the larynx.
The omohyoid muscles attached to the hyoid bone and to the shoulder blades. Contraction of these muscles helps to LOWER the hyoid bone and the larynx.
The thyroid muscles attached to the thyroid cartilage and to the hyoid bone. Contraction of these muscles RAISES the thyroid cartilage and lowers the highway bone, as in swallowing.
Describe the various actions of the vocal folds in producing pitch in the upper, lower, and middle adjustments.
What is the name given to the opening between the vocal folds when they are open?
When the vocal folds are brought together for phonation, the pressure of the expired air forces the folds apart; almost immediately the mechanical properties of the folds and the air passing between the folds draw the folds together, while the file other mechanical properties and the non uniform contact of vocal folds produce a pressure differential that in turn forces the vocal folds apart again, creating oscillations.
When the inner portions of the vocal folds vibrate, the upper voice is produced. As the folds shorten, the vibration spread laterally to include more of the fold, and the pitch is lowered. When the full with the vocal folds is set into vibration, the lower-adjustment, or chest, voice is produced.
The opening between the vocal folds when they are at rest for quiet breathing is the GLOTTIS.
