Singing Anatomy
Abdominal Muscles:
A large muscle in the front of the abdomen that assists in the regular breathing movement and supports the muscles of the spine while lifting and keeping abdominal organs such as the intestines in place.
Arytenoids:
Pertaining to either of two small cartilages at the back of the larynx. They allow the vocal folds to be tensed, relaxed, or approximated (brought together).
Diaphragm:
The diaphragm is a large curved muscle that serves as a demarcation between the chest and the abdomen. This muscle lifts the lungs when you exhale, pressing air out of your chest, and contracts downward to open up your lungs, mouth and nose when you inhale. This is the prime muscle that helps the body create the suction necessary to breathe in. ALSO Diaphragm: “The dome shaped muscle attached to the bottom of the lungs that separates your chest and stomach cavities. Its main function is to initiate inhalation.
The diaphragm is a large curved muscle that serves as a demarcation between the chest and the abdomen. This muscle lifts the lungs when you exhale, pressing air out of your chest, and contracts downward to open up your lungs, mouth and nose when you inhale. This is the prime muscle that helps the body create the suction necessary to breathe in. ALSO Diaphragm: “The dome shaped muscle attached to the bottom of the lungs that separates your chest and stomach cavities. Its main function is to initiate inhalation.
The erect cartilage at the root of the tongue which covers over the ’Glottis’ whilst swallowing in order to prevent food from entering the trachea.
Glottis:
The ‘Glottis’ is an opening situated at the upper part of the windpipe/trachea and between the vocal chords. It affects the modulation of the voice by contracting or dilating.
Glottis: The airspace between the vocal folds.
The ‘Glottis’ is an opening situated at the upper part of the windpipe/trachea and between the vocal chords. It affects the modulation of the voice by contracting or dilating.
Glottis: The airspace between the vocal folds.
Hard Palate:
The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth. It spans the arch formed by the upper teeth and forms the partition between the mouth and nasal passages. It is an important area of resonance for the voice and is also essential in the production and pronunciation of consonants such as ‘d’ and ‘t’. Also a resonator…
The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth. It spans the arch formed by the upper teeth and forms the partition between the mouth and nasal passages. It is an important area of resonance for the voice and is also essential in the production and pronunciation of consonants such as ‘d’ and ‘t’. Also a resonator…
Inter Costal Muscles:
External: The external Inter costal muscles are responsible for expanding the rib cage during inhalation. These are the muscles we use to hold the rib-cage ‘up’ whilst singing.
Internal: The internal Inter costal muscles are responsible for the contraction of the rib-cage, bringing it back down into a ‘resting’ position. It is the acting of the internal Intercoms that we singers try to resist in order to maintain breath control without allowing the rib-cage to drop back down too quickly.
External: The external Inter costal muscles are responsible for expanding the rib cage during inhalation. These are the muscles we use to hold the rib-cage ‘up’ whilst singing.
Internal: The internal Inter costal muscles are responsible for the contraction of the rib-cage, bringing it back down into a ‘resting’ position. It is the acting of the internal Intercoms that we singers try to resist in order to maintain breath control without allowing the rib-cage to drop back down too quickly.
Larynx:
AKA the ‘voice box’. The larynx houses the vocal folds and can be felt at the front of the neck. Try placing your fingers at the front of your neck – about mid-way between your bottom jaw and the place where your collar-bone meets in the middle. Swallow – you will feel the larynx move up and then back down again to a ‘resting’ position. Also a resonator…
AKA the ‘voice box’. The larynx houses the vocal folds and can be felt at the front of the neck. Try placing your fingers at the front of your neck – about mid-way between your bottom jaw and the place where your collar-bone meets in the middle. Swallow – you will feel the larynx move up and then back down again to a ‘resting’ position. Also a resonator…
Lungs:
Well, it’s a formality really, that the Lungs appear in the anatomy section. We’re all aware of their function, however, it’s important to understand that we do not always use our full lung capacity when we sing. This is because we are often so used to only using the upper section of the chest and lungs. To be able to support the voice and learn better breath control whilst singing, we need to focus the breath lower into the ‘bottom’ section of our lungs so that the diaphragm is properly and fully engaged, the lower rib-cage is expanded further and the oblique’s and abdominal muscles can be use more effectively.
Well, it’s a formality really, that the Lungs appear in the anatomy section. We’re all aware of their function, however, it’s important to understand that we do not always use our full lung capacity when we sing. This is because we are often so used to only using the upper section of the chest and lungs. To be able to support the voice and learn better breath control whilst singing, we need to focus the breath lower into the ‘bottom’ section of our lungs so that the diaphragm is properly and fully engaged, the lower rib-cage is expanded further and the oblique’s and abdominal muscles can be use more effectively.
Oblique Muscles:
Found on the sides of your body and extend down in a ‘V’ towards the groin area (*External* Oblique’s described VERY generally). Keeping the oblique muscles contracted during exhalation (singing) helps to keep the diaphragm from relaxing back to it’s neutral, higher position, as is found after full exhalation occurs.
Found on the sides of your body and extend down in a ‘V’ towards the groin area (*External* Oblique’s described VERY generally). Keeping the oblique muscles contracted during exhalation (singing) helps to keep the diaphragm from relaxing back to it’s neutral, higher position, as is found after full exhalation occurs.
Pharynx:
The ‘canal’, that connects the mouth and nasal passages with the larynx …Often simply called ‘The Throat’. Also a resonator…
The ‘canal’, that connects the mouth and nasal passages with the larynx …Often simply called ‘The Throat’. Also a resonator…
Resonators:
Pictured here, some of the resonating cavities by which the sound is amplified. These are the areas to which, (after initial phonation) the sound wave travels to, and causing intense vibration, produces the ‘phenomenon’ we call SOUND! The main resonating cavities in the body are: Chest, Trachea,Larynx, Pharynx, Mouth, Nasal and Sinus cavities.
Pictured here, some of the resonating cavities by which the sound is amplified. These are the areas to which, (after initial phonation) the sound wave travels to, and causing intense vibration, produces the ‘phenomenon’ we call SOUND! The main resonating cavities in the body are: Chest, Trachea,Larynx, Pharynx, Mouth, Nasal and Sinus cavities.
Soft Palate:
The soft palate is movable, consisting of muscle fibers sheathed in mucous membrane. It is responsible for closing off the nasal passages during swallowing, and also for closing off the airway. In Singing, ‘lifting the soft palate’ can enable us to maximize our vocal strength and beauty of tone.
The soft palate is movable, consisting of muscle fibers sheathed in mucous membrane. It is responsible for closing off the nasal passages during swallowing, and also for closing off the airway. In Singing, ‘lifting the soft palate’ can enable us to maximize our vocal strength and beauty of tone.
Trachea:
AKA the windpipe – serving as the main passageway of air to and from the lungs. Also a resonator…
AKA the windpipe – serving as the main passageway of air to and from the lungs. Also a resonator…
| In your lower or chest register, your vocal cords are vibrating along the full length of the cord, thus producing a slower vibration and lower pitch. (See Above) | In your middle or mix register, they are for example, zipped up to about half their length – thus causing the vibration of the cords to become faster – thus producing a slightly higher pitch. (See Above) | In your upper register or head register, the vocal cords are zipped up to about 2/3’s of their length, thus producing and even faster vibration resulting in an even higher pitch. (See Above) |
Also called “vocal cords.” Two ‘folds’ of mucous-secreting membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx which initiate ‘phonation’.
The folds, ideally, should open during inhalation but gently and fully close just prior to phonation. The closing of the vocal folds creates a degree of resistance to the air that is coming up from the lungs, and they begin to buzz in response to the pressure building up beneath them. This buzzing is the basic sound of the voice, before it is shaped by the vocal tract and resonators, into specific sounds/tones.
Uvula:
A small mass of fleshy tissue that hangs from the middle of the soft palate.
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Marionrallen
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xmatt85
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http://Singing-Solutions.com Rae Henry
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Todd Olson
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