3. A Brief Introduction to the anatomy of the voice
and how we breathe
There are people who become so obsessed with all the
mechanics of singing that it can take away the love of singing.
Singing is an art, not a science.
The body parts, and other terms used for and in singing are as follows:
1. The throat. This is the windpipe and that part of the neck that
contains it.
2. The larynx is the hollow organ in the throat that contains the vocal
chords.
3. The vocal chords are the part of the larynx that produces the voice.
It is sometimes called the voice box.
4. The lungs are the pair of respiratory organs. They are the air sacs
reached by bronchial tubes. The lungs are lined with a membrane called
the pleura
5. Respiratory refers to breathing and its workings.
6. The thorax is the name given to the body area between the neck and
the abdomen which includes the breast bone , the closed cage or ribs
and the backbone.
7. The glottis is the opening at the top of the windpipe and between
the vocal chords.
8. The epiglottis is the flap at the top of the windpipe
9. The diaphragm is the muscle that is the partition between the thorax
and the abdomen.
10.The resonators are those parts of the body that reinforce sound.
You probably take 25,000 breaths a day and are probably not conscious
of one. Breathing, or respiration, is essential to life.
When you breathe, the intake of air passes into the
nose along a passage into the pharynx which is the term we give to the
back of the nose and throat. Here the air route overlaps the food route
for a few inches then go their separate ways. The air travels to the
flap at the top of the windpipe, the epiglottis, to the round opening
of the windpipe, the glottis. Down it goes, past the vocal chords, or
voice box, into the trachea or windpipe. The windpipe is a series of
rings of cartilage, one on top of another , rings which are elastic
and made for mobility. About half way down the chest the trachea divides
into two main bronchi. The left bronchus passes under the arch of the
aorta to the left lung. the right bronchus carries on in a straight
line each bronchi divide like branches of a tree into smaller and smaller
twigs which eventually lose all trace of cartilage and become narrow
muscular tubes called bronchioles. These in turn branch into microscopic
ducts which lead to the air sacs proper.
The lungs are filled with air by the movement of the
bony thorax and the diaphragm. Breathing in is called inspiration. With
breathing in the ribs are raised thrusting the breast bone forward and
increasing the distance between it and the backbone. This enlarges the
chest from front to back. But with each take of breath each rib rotates
sideways like an old fashioned bucket handle so that the width of the
chest is increased. These movement of ribs depends on the intercostal
muscles lying between them.
An up and down movement of the chest is achieved by
the movement of the diaphragm which is a sheet of muscle with a large
central tendinous part. It forms a dome separating the chest from the
abdomen under which, on the right is the liver and on the left the stomach
and spleen. It is attached to the backbone to the ribs and to the sternum
in front. Above, near the centre, the pericardium is fixed to it, so
holding the heart in position.
When a breath is taken the muscle fibres contract,
drawing the central tenon of the diaphragm downwards and the bases of
the lungs follow and so expand the space caused by the dropped diaphragm.
Expiration, breathing out, is the opposite. It is almost
entirely a passive recoil. The ribs fall back into position from their
raised position almost entirely by virtue of their own weight.
Breathing may be about 17 times a minute. With exertion
this is increased. Even standing produces a higher rate than lying down.
Many things affect our breathing from illness to elation.
And emotion plays a part. Whether that emotion is happiness,
distress or worry , it plays a part.
The quality of the air we breathe is always a factor.
One of the serious breathing problems for singers are
caused by temperature. If the air is too hot or too cold it can seriously
affect your respiratory functions and singing performance.
1.
Introduction
2. General information
3. A Brief Introduction to the anatomy of the voice
and how we breathe
4. Ranges and register; Diction and
expression
5: Style and interpretation
