Download Ch. 6: Breathing and Laryngeal Mechanics

Kimberly Martin
MUSE 258/Voice Tech.
Citation
Teaching Kids to Sing
Ch. 6 Breathing and Laryngeal Mechanics
Kenneth H. Phillips
2014
Summary:
I.
II.
III.
The Breath
a. Breath is the basic foundation upon which good singing is developed.
b. Three major muscle groups are involved in breathing.
i. Abdominal
ii. Diaphragmatic
iii. Costal
c. Deep breathing develops in the child around second grade or age eight.
d. Age eight also involves a broadening vocal range and greater accuracy
of intonation.
Breathing Motion
a. Consists of inhaling and exhaling.
i. Can be done by;
1. Use the intercostal muscles between the ribs to lift and
lower the chest quickly for a fast breathing cycle.
2. Contract and thereby lower the diaphragm upon
inhalation, slowly relaxing it upward upon exhalation.
b. Be sure to use key words “full and deep” instead of “big breath” to
inhale around the abdomen.
c. In inhalation the diaphragm contracts, the lower ribs expand outward,
and the corresponding enlargement of the body around the waistline
permitted by relaxed abdominal muscles.
d. In exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes, lower ribs contract inward, and
the corresponding contraction of the body around the waistline as a
result of contracting abdominal muscles.
Breathing Physiology
a. The lungs are primary for respiration.
i. Lungs depend on surrounding muscles for breathing cycle.
b. Rib cage protects the lungs from damage.
i. The ribs move forward and upward with the sternum during
inhalation.
c. The diaphragm is the major muscle in inhalation.
i. The downward movement gives more room for lung activity.
ii. Increases the circumference of the abdominal cavity around the
waistline.
iii. For proper inhalation, the abdominal muscles must be relaxed.
d. Correct posture elevates the rib cage allowing more room for
compression of the organs within the abdominal area.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
e. External intercostals are muscles that help in the inhalation phase of
the breathing cycle.
i. When contracted, they move the rib cage upward, allowing
expansion.
f. Internal intercostals pull the ribs inward and downward.
Breath Management (Support and Control)
a. Breath support produces an energized air column.
i. The contraction of the abdominal musculature and in the
muscles in the lower back.
b. During inhalation, abdominal muscles must relax, allowing the lungs
to be filled with air.
c. Feeling expansion around the waistline is essential to proper
inhalation.
d. “We expand to breathe; we do not breathe to expand.”
e. The four muscles that are used to exert pressure on the diaphragm are
the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, external oblique, and
internal obliques.
i. Rectus abdominis help maintain proper, upright posture.
ii. The internal and external obliques are used to life the
abdominal muscles that produces breath pressure.
iii. The transverse abdominis uses the necessary compression and
contraction for good breath support.
f. Breath control is the slow emission of the energized air column.
g. There is a balanced resistance between the abdominal muscles and the
slow relaxation of the diaphragm.
h. Maintain an upright posture, make sure the lower in line does not
collapse, this allows for the slow relaxation of the diaphragm and good
breath support. (indirect control)
Appoggio
a. Sternum must find a moderately high position.
b. Shoulders are relaxed while keeping the sternum high.
c. The high sternum, ribs stay expanded, and allows the diaphragm to
descend properly.
d. The best breath management is through abdominal-diaphragmaticcostal interaction.
The Voice
a. The act of phonation centers in the human larynx.
i. Serves as a source of sound vibrations but also a passageway
for respiration.
b. The larynx should remain low while talking or singing. A raised larynx
can be injurious to the vocal folds.
i. Causes throaty sound, blurs diction, diminishes vocal quality
and quantity.
c. The vocal folds can also produce formants, or “overtones” like musical
instruments.
Vocal Registers
VIII.
a. Vocal folds can vibrate on thin inner edges (CT) when using an upper
voice or vibrate on the full width (TA) when singing a lower voice.
b. The head voice, upper voice, is light, clear, and whistlelike. CTdominant register.
c. The chest voice, or speaking voice, is a combination of the upper and
lower registers. TA-dominant register.
d. Children’s chest voice is very difficult to produce and often harsh
sounding.
e. A child who belts when they sing often show a weak upper register,
and children in some types of choirs often display a weak, lower
register. The CT and TA muscles must work jointly too effectively to
regulate the vocal fold length.
f. Adolescents with changing and changed voices are encouraged to
exercise both lower and upper registers separately and together.
g. The falsetto voice is thin in quality and incapable of crescendo.
Laryngeal Physiology
a. The Cartilages
i. Thyriod Cartilage- largest cartilage of the larynx. Protect the
other parts of the larynx from damage.
ii. Laminae- Adam’s apple.
iii. Cricoid Cartilage and Inferior Cornu- surrounding plates.
iv. Arytenoid Cartilages- rotate and slide from side to side or
forward and backward on the cricoid. Closes the vocal folds for
phonation.
v. Epiglottis- cartilage that closes off the larynx during
swallowing.
b. The Hyoid Bone
i. The only bone of the larynx.
ii. Attached to the thyroid cartilage by the thyrohyoid membrane
and superior cornu.
iii. Serves as a positioning regulator of the larynx; allowing it to
move.
c. The Intrinsic Muscles of the Larynx
i. Cricothyroid muscles (vertical and oblique) are primary pitchcontrol muscles. They lengthen, become thinner, and tense the
vocal folds which creates pitch. Responsible for the upper
vocal register (CT).
ii. Thyroarytenoid muscles located in the vocal folds. When
contracted, the vocal folds shorten and thicken, thus lowering
the pitch. This creates the lower register (TA).
iii. Lateral cricoarytenoid muscles, when contracted, brings the
vocal folds together.
iv. Interarytenoid muscles (transverse and oblique) hold the vocal
folds together.
v. Posterior cricoarytenoid muscles when contracted, moves the
vocal folds apart for normal respiration.
1. The opening between the two vocal folds is called the
glottis.
d. The Extrinsic Muscles of the Larynx
i. Infrahyoid Muscles (strap muscles) anchor the larynx from the
hyoid bone. Either help lower or raise the larynx.
ii. Sternohyoid muscles helps lower the hyoid bone and loosens
all the laryngeal tissue.
iii. Sternonthyroid muscles when contracted, helps lower the
thyroid cartilage of the larynx.
iv. Omohyoid muscles when contracted, help lower the hyoid
bone and the larynx.
v. Thyrohyoid muscles when contracted, these muscles raise the
cartilage and lowers the hyoid bone, for swallowing.
vi. Suprahyoid muscles helps raise the larynx when contracted.
vii. Digastric muscles attaches the jaw to the hyoid bone.
viii. Stylohyoid muscles attach the styloid process to the hyoid
bone.
ix. Mylohyoid muscles are attached to the front line of the law and
to the hyoid bone.
x. Geniohyoid muscles are above the mylohyoid muscles which
attach the front line of the jaw to the hyoid bone.
e. The Open Throat
i. Upper constrictor, middle constrictor, and the lower constrictor
are the muscles that form the wall of the pharynx.
ii. Used for swallowing which constricts the throat.
iii. The constrictor muscles should remain relaxed when singing.
f. Vocal Folds
i. The two vocal folds are the source of vibrations for vocal
sound.
ii. As the folds shorten with the contraction of the TA muscles,
the vibrations spread laterally to include more of the fold and
the pitch is lowered.
iii. When the full width of the vocal folds is set into vibration, the
lower, or chest, voice is produced.
iv. Bringing the vocal folds together at the beginning of the
phonation is called stroke of the glottis.
v. Locking the folds together is called shock of the glottis.
vi. The epithelium is the outermost layer of the vocal folds.
vii. Lamina propria- the intermediate to deep layer is also known as
the vocal ligament. Where the strongest vibrations occur.
viii. Thyroarytenoir muscle- deepest layer of the vocal fold.
Shortens the vocal folds and lowers pitch.
ix. Ventricular bands- “false vocal folds.” Protects the true vocal
folds from foreign objects.
Discussion
As an educator, it is important to know the proper singing technique and what is
happening inside the body. I want to make sure I have mastered the techniques for
singing properly before I try to teach it to my students. For respiration, it is very
important to teach the methods of a low and deep breath. This is done through
abdominal-diaphragmatic-intercostal breathing. Breathing low allows the diaphragm to
push aside organs so that the rib cage can expand. Allowing the rib cage to expand lets
the lungs fill with as much air as the singer needs to sing well. The rib cage expands with
help from the intercostal muscles. This method of breathing will prepare the singer to
sing. With the proper posture and intake of breath, the singer just needs the right vocal
mechanism. The lowering of the larynx and relaxation of the muscles inside the throat
create a healthy pitch. Keeping all of these aspect to singing in mind will create a healthy
singing atmosphere for myself and my students.