Vocology, Vocal Ped History, Breathing, The Body Flashcards
Opposing muscles
AGONIST vs. ANTAGONIST
3 types of muscle fibers
Slow response, high fatigue resistance
Fast response, low fatigue resistance
Fast response, high fatigue resistance (larynx)
How muscles are named
Origin precedes Insertion
Origin: least movable attachment (generally fixed)
Insertion: more movable attachment (unit being acted on)
Examples of agonist-antagonist muscles used in singing
(1) Diaphragm vs. abdominals
(2) Crico- thyroid (fold stretcher–pitch control) vs. thyro- arytenoid (vocalis) (main muscle of the vocal fold, only part of the vocal fold)
(3) Lateral crico- arytenoid (brings vocal cords together (adductor) vs. posterior crico- arytenoid (pulls vocal cords apart (abductor)
(4) External strap muscles (extrinsic laryngeal musculature) (depressors and elevators)
Isometric contraction
muscle tension increases or decreases without muscle changing shape (e.g. Thyro-vocalis muscle)
Describe 4 major types of body tissue
- Bone: Densest connective tissue: held together by ligament or tendon
- Ligaments: sheets of tough, fibrous tissue connecting bone to cartilage’ bone to bone, cartilage to cartilage
- Tendon: tough bundles similar to ligaments, less stretch ability, generally attach muscle to bone
- Cartilage: firm, gristly consistency with considerable elasticity
(Skeletal framework of larynx & trachea composed entirely of cartilage)
Muscle efficiency measured by (3)
Mobility
Speed of action
Balance with other muscles
Properties of muscle
40% body weight
Used in all voluntary and most involuntary actions
When relaxed, long and thin
When contracted, shorter and fatter (some can shorten up to 50%)
Most muscles are voluntary or striated, have a mirror image, can only contract, pull, not push
Original purpose of vocalis
Sphincteric safety valve
4 components of Functional unity of singing
- Lungs (air/force)
- Larynx (vibrator)
- Resonance cavities (selective sound filter)
- Aperture (mouth/emission linkage)
Vertebrae: # and division
24 total.
7 cervical
12 thoracic
5 lumbar
Locational terms
(1) Anterior: toward the front
(2) Posterior: toward the back
(3) Transverse: horizontal
(4) Superior: upper
(5) Inferior: lower
(6) External: toward the outer surface
(7) Internal: toward the inner surface
(8) Medial: at the mid- line
(9) Process: a bony prominence or point
Ilium
Means flank
Largest area of the hip bone
Form the superior region of the coxal
Consists of 2 large plates to support internal organs
Ischium
Attaches to gluteal loin
Bone we sit on
Consists of 2 broad curves
Lies below the ilium
Attached to pubis in front and ilium in back
Functions as place for muscle attachment which provides support and protection
Pubis
Located at ventral and anterior side (front-most portion of the coxae bone)
Attaches to ilium and on sides of the ischium at the bottom
Provides structural support as well as allowing for muscles to attach to the inner thigh
Covered by layer of fat (covered by mons pubis) which protects the pubic bone
The left and right hip bones join at pubic symphasis
Trachea
20 horseshoe shaped cartilages, open in the back
Directly below the larynx
Closed at back by muscle fibers
Divides into bronchi which divide into air sacs (600 million tiny air sacs)
2 lobes of left lung and 3 lobes of right lung
delicate membraneous sac, makes lung tissue reactive to outside pressure (adheres to diaphragm and rib cage)
Parietal pleura
Inside lung, attached to lung tissue
visceral pleura
Vital Capacity
VITAL CAPACITY = total lung capacity (TLC) minus residual volume (RV)
Male & Female lung volume
Male 6660 mL (6.6 liter)
Female 4600 mL (4.6 liter)
Tidal Volume
TV=amount of air breathed in and out
At rest 10% of TLC
Heightened Activity 50% of TLC
Ribs
12 pairs of ribs
7 connect to sternum (true)
5 false ribs (not connected to sternum)
(3 connect to other ribs, 2 are floating)
3 fibers of diaphragm
- Sternal Fibers (shortest)
- Costal Fibers
- Vertebral Fibers (longest)
Diaphragm info
Double-dome shaped (flattens out on inspiration (contracted))
Involuntary
2nd largest muscle after gluteus maximus
Viscera must be displaced for downward excursion
PRIMARY MUSCLE OF INSPIRATION
Separates thorax from abdomen
At rest as high as 5th rib
Lowers 1.5cm for breathing at rest, but 6-7cm for singing (heightened activity)
Esophagus, aorta, & vena cava run through the diaphragm
3 expansions of thoracic capacity
- Antero-posterior (sternum up and forward)
- Vertical (Diaphragm moves down)
3 Transverse (Ribs move up and out)
Intercostals
Breathing muscles
External Intercostals: lift ribs & expand rib cage
Internal Intercostals: squeeze rib cage
4 types of Abdominal muscles
- Rectus abdominals - extend up and down the middle of the abdomen from the fifth, sixth, and seventh ribs to the pubic bone. The fibers run vertically ||||.
- External oblique abdominals - originate from ribs seven through twelve, run along the sides of the belly downward and forward ////, and insert in the pelvis and the sides of the abdominal sheath.
- Internal oblique abdominals - run opposite to the external obliques. They arise from the pelvis, course upward and forward \\, and insert in ribs eight through twelve. They are the thickest muscles of the four sets.
- Transverse abdominals, whose fibers are horizontal . They originate from the front of the pelvis and from the inner surface of ribs six through twelve, and insert in the deepest layer of the abdominal sheath; they are the thinnest of these four sets of muscles. The fibers coming from the ribs interlock with the costal fibers of the diaphragm.
Thinnest abs
Transverse abdominals
Thickest abs
Internal obliques
Abs listed from interior to exterior
T. I. E. R.
Transverse abdominals
Internal obliques
External obliques
Rectus abdominals
Strongest abs
External obliques
6 Auxiliary Muscles, primarily postural
PECTORALIS MAJOR PECTORALIS MINOR SERRATUS ANTERIOR TRAPEZIUS LATISSIMUS DORSI TRANSVERSUS THORACIS
3 Factors for breathing method:
- Lung volume (affected by age, sex, height)
- Overall size and shape of person
- Muscular development
Inspiration
abdominal muscles and internal Intercostals release - external Intercostals contract - diaphragm contracts
3 phases of expiration
Phase 1: rib cage and lung tissue want to return to point of equilibrium (elastic recoil) aka (relaxation pressure)
(3 Equilibrium: Neutral, Unstable, and Stable)
The pressure from recoil is sufficient to start the airflow; with a deep breath, the pressure from the recoil will be greater than desired, and the air pressure needs to be restrained somewhat by continued contraction of the diaphragm and or activation of external Intercostals
Phase 2: continues until no more elastic recoil - internal Intercostals activate (to shrink the rib cage)
Phase 3: abdominal muscles kick in (to help raise the diaphragm and raise thoracic pressure and expel air)
Appoggio Technique
SINGING ON THE GESTURE OF INSPIRATION
born of the era of the castrati***
Checking=using this technique in speech
REL
REL=Resting Expiratory Level
Uncomfortable To speak or sing below REL (encourages more adduction)
Unknown music will force a student below REL
Boyle’s Law
BOYLE’S LAW
In a soft-walled enclosure, at a constant temperature, Pressure and Volume are inversely related
When VOLUME increases, PRESSURE decreases
When VOLUME decreases, PRESSURE increases
Appelman (IU)
Independent control of each muscle of expiration is impossible
Controlled expiration in singing is conceptual
The singer fares best who has a firm grasp upon the physical sensation of a completely unified act that combines expiration and phonation
Appoggio technique
Sing or speak on gesture of inhalation
Keep ribs and abdomen expanded (work against natural collapse of rib cage and abdominal wall which occur during normal expiration)
Purpose: reduction of thoracic pressure helps avoid excess sub glottal pressure during phonation *especially during the initial phase of expiration
Vernard W. Singing, the mechanism and technic. New York: Fischer, 1967
Imagine yourself a marionette hanging from strings, one attached to top of head, one to top of sternum. This keeps head erect and lifts the chest, allowing the pelvis to hang in position. Swing the arms circularly, as if they were wings, rising on your toes with each swing to add to the psychological effect. This both relaxes the shoulders and expands the thorax.
Paola Novikova on breathing
Sit with shoulders rounded (preferably straddling a chair backwards), elbows on knees, hands hanging down in relaxation. Take in breath by expanding lower ribs but without allowing chest to rise dramatically. Sing in this position, keeping rib expansion intact as long as possible.
Jean McLelland (Alexander Technique)
Breath is fundamental to every aspect of life. We are born with an ability to breathe deeply and fully but as we go through life, stress and tension can cause our breathing to become shallow and constricted and our voices strained and weak. Inefficient breathing can lead to fatigue, anxiety, muscular tension, and even digestive problems. Getting back to the way nature designed us to breathe is a tonic that revitalizes body and mind.
Accelerated breathing (Erickson, 2009)
During daily activities, such as exercise, individuals may engage in accelerated breathing for prolonged durations. This study demonstrates that even extremely short durations of accelerated breathing may affect phonation
Short term accelerated breathing challenges significantly affected PTP
PTP=Phonation Threshold Pressure (lowest amount of pressure required to make phonation), changes on day and properties at vocal fold level (like thickness)
Mouth Breathing During Loud Reading and Exercise (Sivansankar and Erikson-Levendoski, 2012)
Mouth breathing negatively affected PTP
Resting breathing Versus Submaximal Exercise (Sandage, Connor, and Pascoe, 2013)
Significantly increased PTP and PPE (perception of effort) and significantly decreased pharyngeal temp were found
Findings from this investigation support the widely held belief that voice use associated with physical activity requires additional laryngeal effort and closure forces
Tracheal Pull (Sundberg & Iwarsson, 1998)
High lung volume clearly associated with a lower larynx position as compared with low lung volume
Vertical larynx position was strongly correlated with pitch
Suggest that lung volume is a factor highly relevant to larynx height in untrained subjects
Zenker (1964) found that tracheal pull causes abduction
Subglottic Pressure AKA “Psub”
Pressure that builds up at the vocal fold level
Glottis-opening between the vocal folds
Very soft Phonation-3cm H2O Normal Speech 4-9 cm H2O should not vary more than 1 cm during a breath group (Netsell, 1973) Loud sounds - 20-70 cm Heavy lifting - 150 cm
4 Indications of an improper amount of Subglottic pressure
- Decreased flexibility/stability
- Voice cracking/excess noise in the sound
- Breathy sound/lack of clarity in the sound (not enough)
- Outward signs of strain (perhaps this goes without saying)
Gauffin & Sundberg (1989) “Flow Phonation”
Highest possible air flow with complete glottal closure
Generous air flow is advantageous for vocal fold function
Gill definition of support
Providing best pressure/flow/resistance combination to keep the vocal folds vibrating easily and evenly
Brodnitz on support
Support has a connotation that something is being lifted from below by a supporting force (Brodnitz, 1967)
3 consequences of over-adduction of the folds
- Causes Potential tissue damage and fatigues intrinsic and extrinsic musculature
- Suppresses natural modes of vibration, diminishing their effectiveness as an acoustic power source
- Cause constrictive tensions that can diminish the efficacy of good resonances
Mancini
one of the first books to discuss register in depth
chest and head (falsetto)
Smiling position does what?
Smiling position: raises the formant
Manuel Garcia 1
Posture Touching elbows behind back. Raises sternum (once voice is brought out, remove)
“Take a breath slowly and without noise” –fast breaths make noise
“Open throat”–ease that air is leaving body // freedom of flow
Emphasized messa di voce (crescendo & decrescendo on same note)
Garcia 2
Invented first laryngoscope in 1854
In armed forces, looked at larynx when people died
Called middle register “falsetto” (in order to produce the middle voice, you do need to lighten up. Calling it falsetto might lead the singer in the correct direction
Discussed bright/ open vs. covered/dark
Marchesi
MARCHESI
“The attitude of the singer should be natural and as easy as possible”
Overthinking: Thinking about the wrong things (give them something to think about that will make them successful)
Substitute MINDFULNESS
Lilli Lehmann
Pedagogue singer
Desire to clarify terminology she felt was confusing
Abandon [A] because tongue is usually pressed down
Head voice is greatest importance: highest flow, less resistance
First to discuss registers in depth
Mancini
Francesco Lamperti
3 female registers: chest, head, mix
NO humming
Son was also teacher,
William Shakespeare was his student, wrote about his teachings
Vocology
Vocology: science and practice of voice habilitation (and if necessary, rehabilitation)
Who are the clients of vocology?
Professional Vocalists
Rely on their voice as a primary tool of trade
Would probably seek alternate employment if vocally impaired
1/5 of working population in developed countries
25% working population in US
Teachers (4.2% US workforce) #1 group seeking vocal rehab
Phone workers, receptionists, counselors, actors, broadcasters, etc
Objectives of vocologists
F. L. I. C. A.
FEEL. Teach clients how to feel good making vocal sounds (vibration is healing)
LONGEVITY. Maximize longevity of vocal production
IDEAL. Find ideal voice for given anatomy of individual (flowy, resonant, sustainable, connected correctly)
CONTROL. Allow vocalists to achieve max control over their voice production
ASSESS. Provide reliable, cost-effective tools of assessment of vocal disorders
Body language of vocal fatigue (6)
- Lip licking (dehydration)
- Attempts to relieve tension in face, neck and shoulders
- Perspiration
- Compromise in posture
- More frequent or unplanned breaths
- Excessive throat clearing and swallowing (swallowing is a trench and reset)
5 signs of Vocal Fatigue in singers
Lack of ability to sustain long phrases Loss of tone "focus" Irregularity in vibrato Loss of high notes Loss of low notes and soft notes
M & F Tidal Volume
M 660
F 590
M & F IRV (Inspiratory Reserve Level)
M 3100
F 1900
M & F ERV (Expiratory Reserve Volume)
M 1400
F 950
M & F Residual Volume
M 2100
F 1500
Vital Capacity
Total Lung Capacity - Residual Volume
Xiphoid process
cartilage process at end of sternum
