Speech Breathing Requirements (EXAM 1) Flashcards
Air-intake Requirements
Quiet Breathing: Nose
Speech Breathing: Mouth and Nose
WHY?
FASTER
Greater volume of air
Mouth is ready for speaking
Automatic switch (not taught)
Tidal Volume Requirements
Quiet Breathing: 10-15% above Resting volume (50-55%)
Conversational Breathing: 20-25% above Resting volume (60-65%)
Loud Speech Breathing: 40%+ above Resting volume (80%+)
Some volume requirements that are above loud speech
85% classical singing
90% vigorous yawning
Pressure Requirements
Quiet Breathing: free flow of air required
Speech Breathing: Flow of air controlled to create pressure required for speech
Loudness requirements: Different levels of alveolar pressure needed for different levels of loudness
What is speech alveolar pressure measured in?
CmH20
Pressure requirements for different types of loudness in speech
Soft speech: 3-6cmH20
Conversational speech: 7-10cmH20
Loud speech: 11-80cmH20
Soft speech is not whispering
Pressure requirement example above loud speech
Playing trumpet
Prosody
Stress/Intonation patterns
Differences in loudness within speech (not monotone)
Changes across syllables in:
-pitch
-duration
-loudness
Speech Prosody Requirements (PITCH)
Changes in phonatory system
Lowering pitch= statement
Raising pitch= question
HTR: That’s a dog. vs. That’s a dog?
Speech Prosody Requirements (DURATION)
Changes in articulatory system
stressed syllable is longer, unstressed syllable is shorter
i.e.
permit vs. permit
Speech Prosody Requirements (LOUDNESS)
Changes in respiratory system
stressed are louder, unstressed softer for a fraction of a second
How do we control brief changes in loudness?
Muscles of exhalation with greatest effect and least effort, aka internal intercostals
Why internal intercostals for speech prosody?
Ribcage contacts 75% of lungs
if you move ribcage, you move the lungs (pleural linkage)
Why not diaphragm for speech prosody?
(think of abdominal compression)
contacts 25% of lungs surface
larger change of diaphragm needed to influence air movement and pressure, NOT FAST
Duration Requirements
Relative time spent in inhalation vs. exhalation
Quiet Breathing:
40% inspiration
60% expiration
Speech Breathing:
10% inspiration
90% expiration
Why is speech inhalation faster (duration)?
Voluntary control (unconscious)
Faster intake through mouth and nose
Why is speech exhalation slower (duration)?
Voluntary control
Air flow rate reduced due to vocal fold vibration impeding air flow
Muscles of exhalation maintain constant alveolar pressure in lungs during speech even after elastic recoil
Breathy speech
Not a whisper
larynx not fully impeding air flow, wider glottis
Faster expiration than normal speech
Running Speech
Conversational continuation of speech
Goals of Running Speech
Maintain alveolar pressure at conversational levels of 7-10cmH20 during running speech in order for prosody and duration requirements!
During speech, lung volume decreases at a constant rate due to passive elastic recoil
but eventually, elastic recoil “runs out”
So how do you continue to decrease lung volume past limits of elastic recoil for speech?
MUSCLES OF EXHALATION!
Muscles of exhalation activity before speech…
During Inspiration, expiratory muscles of abdomen and ribcage gets ready to spring into action
Brain prepares for speech
Muscles of exhalation activity during speech…
At the end of inhalation, muscles of inhalation relax
Elastic recoil and active muscles kick in
Ribcage muscles: Internal intercostals
Abdominal muscles: All of them
Running speech is combo of…
Passive and active forces to maintain alveolar pressure needs for speech!
