Phonatory Process

Question 1

How do we stop VF vibration?

Answer 1

• ABduct the VFs
• cease respiration
• strong medial compression of VFs
• equalize supra- and sub-glottal air pressure

Question 2

Parameters of Phonation:

What are the perceptual products of phonation

Answer 2

Pitch, Loudness, and Quality

Question 3

Parameters of Phonation:

What are the acoustic products of phonation

Answer 3

Frequency, Intensity, and Periodicity

Question 4

What are the acoustic correlates to pitch, loudness, and quality

Answer 4

frequency, intensity, and periodicity

Question 5

What is Frequency?

Answer 5

the rate of displacement of the VFs from midline

Question 6

What is intensity?

Answer 6

The amplitude of displacement of the VFs from midline

Question 7

What is periodicity?

Answer 7

The symmetry of displacement of the VFs to and from midline

Question 8

What are the 2 parameters of phonation and what are the two ways in which they are broken down?

Answer 8

Product (perceptual and acoustic)

Process (physical and physiological)

Question 9

What is the typical fundamental frequency for males?

Answer 9

100-125 Hz

Question 10

What is the typical fundamental frequency for females?

Answer 10

190/200-220/225 Hz

Question 11

What are physiological changes that can help determine pitch?

Answer 11

1. mass/unit length
2. tension of VF tissue
3. rate of air flow

Question 12

What happens to fundamental frequency as mass/unit length increases?

Answer 12

Fundamental frequency decreases

Question 13

What happens to fundamental frequency as VF tension increases

Answer 13

Fundamental frequency increases

Question 14

How can a change in air flow affect pitch?

Answer 14

It can increase the rate of air flow, which can alter the glottal cycle and lead to increased subglottal air pressure.

Question 15

What are 2 ways to get into falsetto

Answer 15

1. Significantly increase tension in VF edge:
   
   • let TA relax and CT contract fairly maximally=elongated VF with thin edge=stiff
2. Shorten vibrating cord length.
   
   • Membranous glottis is involved in glottal cycle. Compress part of membranous glottis by compressing near A commisure=vibrating part of VFs is shorter=less opening/closing of VFs=increased F0

Question 16

What is register

Answer 16

A difference in voice quality that can be sustained over some range of pitch and loudness

Question 17

What is pulse/glottal fry?

What is the frequency of vibration?

Answer 17

A rate of VF vibration that is low enough that you can hear the individual pulse.

-60-80Hz

Question 18

What ways can you create pulse/glottal fry?

Answer 18

1. With a relaxed VF cover
   
   • TA contracts and shortens VFs, and the outer layers get really lax (think Shar Pei)
   • this is more relaxed, low energy glottal fry
2. With high glottal resistance through medial compression
   
   • use TA to push VFs tightly together
   • increases air resistance, more subglottal air pressure needed
   • this is more tense, higher effort

Question 19

Pulse register:

Muscles used

Parts of VF in vibration

Quality produced

Pitch

Answer 19

Muscles used: TA only

Parts of VF in vibration: most

Quality produced: vocal fry; pulsating

pitch: lowest, below singing pitch

Question 20

Chest register:

Muscles used

Parts of VF in vibration

Quality produced

Pitch

Answer 20

Muscles used: mostly TA, some CT

Parts of VF in vibration: most, both cover and body

Quality produced: heavier, fuller tone

Pitch: lower part of singing range

Question 21

Head register:

Muscles used

Parts of VF in vibration

Quality produced

Pitch

Answer 21

Muscles used: mostly CT, some TA

Parts of VF in vibration: cover only

Quality produced: lighter, thinner tone

Pitch: upper part of singing range

Question 22

Falsetto register:

Muscles used

Parts of VF in vibration

Quality produced

Pitch

Answer 22

Muscles used: CT only, TA is completely lax

Parts of VF in vibration: very little, only outer layers

Quality produced: lightest possible

Pitch: highest sung pitches, above normal range

Question 23

Loudness: what is the acoustic and glottal correlates?

Answer 23

acoustic=intensity

glottal: relative close time

Question 24

What physiological factors help to control loudness?

Answer 24

1. Glottal resistance: increased resistance to air flow=increased need for subglottal air pressure. Done by changing mass/unit of length, VF tension, medial compression of VFs, equalizing pressure of glottis
2. change rate of airflow: push with greater force=increased magnitude of subglottal air pressure
3. Supraglottal voice tract shape: “tune” vocal tract to enhance certain frequencies

Question 25

What are the acoustic, physical, and physiological correlates of quality?

Answer 25

acoustic=periodocity physical=synchrony of vibration physiological=balance (both between the chords and along the cords)

Question 26

What needs to happen to start phonation? What is the function of air in? What does it create? What needs to happen next? What muscles are involved? What is the outcome?

Answer 26

* Air in is a function of changing volume of thoracic cavity through muscular efforts (mainly diaphragm), reduce air pressure in lungs, draw air in Creates buildup of relaxation pressures Need obstruction of air stream: ADDuction of VFs through LCA (primary, TA (particularly thryoidmuscularis portion), IA Outcome: causes increase in subglottal air pressure

Question 27

Explain the Aerodynamic-Myoelastic Theory of VF Vibration

Answer 27

* aero=air pressures and flows (Bernoulli effect) * dynamic=movement and change * myo=muscle * elastic=elasticity of the muscles Aerodynamic part: * after closing off the glottis, subglottal air pressure builds until there's enough pressure to push the air through the VFs and they get blown apart * the air rushes through with increased velocity, which creates lower air pressure underneath the glottis * then, the myoelastic effect: the VFs continue to blow open and away from midline until the elastic properties of the VFs take over and the VFs move back to original closed position * cycle begins again

Question 28

What muscles are used to put to VFs together? Which is the prime mover? How does each muscle to it?

Answer 28

LCA (prime): turns arytenoids towards each other Thyromuscularis portion of the TA: pulls arytenoids towards midline (also can pull them A and shorten) IAs: pulls arytenoids together

Question 29

How do we start phonation?

Answer 29

1. Get air in and out: * See respiratory cards 2. Initiate/sustain VF vibration 1. VF approximate 2. Increase in subglottal air pressure 3. Subglottal air pressure becomes enough that is can part VFs * lower edge leads, upper edge drags 4. VFs push apart, then come back together because of: 1. tissue elasticity 2. drop in subglottal air pressure 3. Bernoulli effect 5. VF re-approximate and sub-glottal air pressure builds again

Question 30

What are the reasons the VFs come back together again?

Answer 30

1. elasticity 2. drop in subglottal air pressure relavant to this pressure above the glottis 3. Bernoulli effect

Question 31

What is the glottal waveform and what is the acoustic waveform?

Answer 31

Glottal waveform=wavelike vibration of the VFs Acoustic waveform=vibration of air molecules

Question 32

What happens if CT contracts unopposed by TA?

Answer 32

increased length –decreased mass per unit length ---increased rate of vibration AND outer layer of vf becomes stiffer which increases F0

Question 33

TA contracts unopposed by CT?

Answer 33

shortens vf –looser vf cover and ligament---increased mass per unit length ---decreased rate of vibration.

Question 34

What is the most typical situation when talking in which the laryngeal muscles create VF tension?

Answer 34

* CT sets the VF with some length * speaker adjusts TA contraction for finer adjustments in tension to finely control frequency

Question 35

What does an increase in rate of airflow result in?

Answer 35

* increased subglottal air pressure= * increased force separating VFs= * more rapid movement of VF edge away from midline * also: faster movement back to midline because of stronger Bernoulli effect

Question 36

What is the typical frequency for modal speaking range for males and females?

Answer 36

Males: 75-450 Hz Females: 130-520 Hz

Question 37

How much of the vocal fold is used in the following registers: Pulse/glottal Modal Loft/falsetto

Answer 37

Pulse/glottal: relaxed=cover and body Modal: edge, intermediate, maybe even deep layers Loft/falsetto: only edge

Question 38

What do the glottal cycles look like for: Pulse/glottal vs. Loft/falsetto Loudness?

Answer 38

Pulse/glottal: significant increase in closed cycle Loft/falsetto: Little or no glottal closed cycle Loudness: relative closed time

Question 39

How does glottal resistance increase loudness?

Answer 39

* increased resistence=increased sugblottal air pressure * when it can finally overcome laryngeal resistance, the air pulse hits the supraglottal air molecules with increased velocity and displaces them even farther out of the vocal tract and hits the listener's tempranic membrane with greater force

Question 40

How can you increase/decrease glottal resistance?

Answer 40

1. Change the mass per unit length (TA, CT) 2. Change VF tension (longitudinally via CT, or with medial compression via LCA, TA, IA) 3. Change pharyngeal pressure to manipulate pressure differntial at the glottis (hum, plug nose)