The Parts Of The Human Anatomy Which Are Used When We Sing

Today's lesson began with a theory lesson, about the parts of The Human Anatomy which are used when we sing. These parts are split into groups:

• The Generators- The parts of your body that create the sound.

-The Diaphragm (a dome-shaped muscular partition separating the thorax from the abdomen in mammals. It plays a major role in breathing, as its contraction increases the volume of the thorax and so inflates the lungs.)

-The Intercostal Muscles (Intercostal muscles are several groups of muscles that run between the ribs, and help form and move the chest wall. The intercostal muscles are mainly involved in the mechanical aspect of breathing. These muscles help expand and shrink the size of the chest cavity when you breathe.)



- The Lungs (either one of a pair of spongy sack like respiratory organs within the thorax of higher vertebrates, which oxygenate the blood and remove its carbon dioxide)

 

• The sound travels up The Trachea (Wind Pipe)- A thin-walled, cartilaginous tube descending from the larynx to the bronchi and carrying air to the lungs.

 

• The Phonators- Where the sounds come from

-The Larynx/ The Voice Box (the hollow, muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs and holding the vocal cords)

 

 

 

-The Vocal Cords/ Vocal Folds (folds of membranous tissue which project inwards from the sides of the larynx to form a slit across the glottis in the throat, and whose edges vibrate in the airstream to produce the voice)

 

 

 

• Vocal Resonators- The process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. The Following web page tells you detailed information about vocal resonance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_resonation

- Head Resonance (It is used primarily for softer singing in either register throughout the range.)

- Mouth Resonance (is used for a conversational vocal colour in singing and, in combination with nasal resonance, it creates forward placement or mask resonance).

- Chest Resonance-  (adds richer, darker, deeper tone colouring for a sense of power, warmth and sensuality. It creates a feeling of depth and drama in the voice.)

- Nasal/ Mask Resonance- (is present at all times in a well-produced tone, except, perhaps, in the instance of the pure head tone or at very soft volume. Nasal resonance is bright and edgy and is used in combination with mouth resonance to create forward placement (mask resonance). In an over-all sense, it adds overtones that give clarity and projection to the voice.)

 

 

- The Sinuses (cavities within a bone or other tissue. Most are commonly found in the bones of the face and connecting with the nasal cavities. Important for voice modulation (most commonly the act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal centre) to another.)

 

-The larynx (Due to its small size, the larynx acts as a resonator only for high frequencies.)
-The Pharynx (The pharynx is the most important resonator by virtue of its position, size, and degree of adjustability. It is the first cavity of any size through which the product of the laryngeal vibrator passes; the other supraglottal cavities have to accept whatever the pharynx passes on to them.)

- The Soft Palate (the fleshy, flexible part towards the back of the roof of the mouth.)
- The Hard Palate (The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth.)

 

 

• Vocal Articulators- C

  larity in the production of successive notes.
  

  
  

- The Cheeks

- The Tongue

- The Teeth

- The lips 

 

We also learnt about the things that are harmful to our voices. These include:

• Shouting/ Screaming
• Vocal Trauma: http://www.drugs.com/health-guide/vocal-cord-disorders.html
• Singing Without warming up
• Clearing Your throat

We were asked to make a circle and sing one word of 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' each, keeping in mind the tempo (the rate or speed of motion or activity; pace), the rhythm (a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound) and pitching (t

he quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone). I 

thought that my pitching was more accurate than usual, though strangely, I thought I sang a little too high. I also cracked a few times, which I could of avoided by having better breath support. We then focused on dynamics (refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic (staccato, legato etc.) or functional (velocity).) and sang quietly and then loudly.

 

We were then asked to find out the vocal range that we were most comfortable singing in. I knew that I had an Alto singing voice but I though I'd try The Soprano part, just to see how much, if at all, my range has increased. I had no problem hitting the lowest note in The Alto range. I hit higher Soprano notes than I thought that I could, but I am definitely more comfortable singing the Alto parts of a song. Later we sang Matilda The Musical's 'When I Grow Up'. This time we worked out harmonies (the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect.). I found that the louder I sang the better I could stay on- pitch.