Elyse Hames
Chorus, Mr. Green
9th Period
“The HUMAN VOICE is
our chief means of
communication,
a fundamental tool for
working and living,
and a rich source of
artistic pleasure.”
- The Voice Foundation
How the Voice is
Created
The mechanism that creates the
human voice contains four parts:
1. GENERATOR – Lungs
2. VIBRATOR - Vocal folds (vocal
cords) within the larynx
3. RESONATORS – Pharynx,
Nasal Cavity, Sinuses
4. ARTICULATORS – Cheeks,
tongue, teeth, lips
The relationships between the
generator, vibrator, resonator and
articulators create the sounds of
our voice.
The GENERATOR:
The LUNGS are like a pump which
provide air flow/pressure.
This vibrates the vocal cords to
produce sounds.
The VIBRATOR:
The Vocal Folds are commonly
known as the Vocal Cords. These
folds are valves that vibrate and
break up the flow of air from the
lungs into pulses that we can hear.
Muscles in the larynx adjust the
tension and length of the vocal
cords to create pitch and tone in
the voice.
Vocal Cords and
Surrounding Area:
Vocal Cord Vibration
•
Air pressure moves up from
the lungs towards vocal cords
•
This opens the vibrating layers
of vocal cords
•
The air pressure continues to
move upward to the top of the
folds opening the top
•
The lower pressure behind the
column of air causes the
bottom to close first and then
the top after it.
•
Once closed this cuts off the
air and then releases a pulse of
air becoming sound.
Effects on Vibration
“To vibrate efficiently vocal folds need to be:
•
At the midline or "closed": Failure to move vocal folds to the midline, or any lesion which
prevents the vocal fold edges from meeting, allows air to escape and results in breathy voice.
•
Pliable: The natural "built-in" elasticity of vocal folds makes them pliable. The top, edge, and
bottom of the vocal folds that meet in the midline and vibrate need to be pliable. Changes in
vocal fold pliability, even if limited to just one region or "spot," can cause voice disorders.
•
"Just right" tension: Inability to adjust tension during singing can cause a failure to reach
high notes or breaks in voice.
•
"Just right" mass: Changes in the soft tissue bulk of the vocal folds – such as decrease or
thinning as in scarring or increase or swelling produce many voice symptoms – Ex:
hoarseness.”
Excerpts from: The Voice
Foundationhttp://www.voicefoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86%3Aunderstandinghow-voice-is-produced&catid=47%3Avoice-problems&Itemid=49
The Articulators:
The articulators are the tongue,
palate, cheek, lips which are part of
the “vocal tract” above the larynx.
They modify the sounds coming
from the larynx.
The articulators and the vocal
cords can produce a wide variety of
sounds.
The RESONATORS:
The Pharynx, Nasal Cavity, Sinuses
Are the resonators.
“Proper breathing involves drawing
air in through the nose. The sinuses
are hollow areas, or cavities, in the
bones of the skull that are lined
with mucous membranes and that
open into the nasal cavity. The
sinuses provide resonance for the
voice.
The pharynx refers to the part of
the respiratory tract behind the
nasal cavity and mouth, in other
words, the throat.”
Quote from:
http://www.naturalhealthschool.c
om/nose_sinuses.html
Each Voice is
Unique
Each person’s voice is unique because it is affected
by many factors:
•
shape and size of vocal cords
•
the size and shape of the rest of that person's
body, especially the vocal tract
•
position of the tongue
•
shape of the chest and neck
•
a person's size and bone structure
•
the way one speaks over time, creates a pattern
unique to that person.
What is in a Human Voice?
Pitch:
Male voices are usually low-pitched because their vocal cords
are larger in size than females, whose vocal cords are smaller
making their voices high-pitched.
Vocal cords for males are between 17 mm and 25 mm and
female vocal folds are between 12.5 mm and 17.5 mm in
length.
The sounds we create are influenced by our sinuses and nasal
cavities.
Photo: Getty Images via Google Search
Frequency
Frequency ranges are 75–150 Hz for
men and 150–300 Hz for women.
The chart a right shows the human
voice compared against the
frequencies of various instruments.
Different Sounds
of Human Speech
Different types of sounds are what makes up human speech.:
1.
VOICED SOUND
This comes from the vibration of the vocal folds which cause interruptions in the air flowing
from the lungs
2.
UNVOICED SOUND
This is the result of some air being stopped or slowed by some form of a blockage.
3.
PLOSIVE SOUND
This is a sudden burst of air. It can result when the mouth is suddenly opened or the vocal tract is
closed.
The Beauty of the Human Voice
The Human Voice
The human voice is an amazing instrument. It
allows us to express ourselves in so many ways.
With our voices we can speak to each other and
express a range of emotions. We create a
multitude of sounds – we can laugh, whisper,
scream, shout and sing…
Singing of all the different sounds is the most far
reaching. It can take us to a different time or
place. It can make us feel happy or sad. Lift us up
and bring us together.
There is such a wide range of singing styles –
from rock to gospel, operatic to folk…all of them
are unique wonderful and different, and remind
us of just how human we all are.
Sources:
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Article on Conscious Lifestyle/part taken from Wikipedia.
http://d4nations.com/webpubl/articles/the-human-voice-and-how-it-is-created-part-2.html
Unified Over IP: http://www.uoverip.com/voice-fundamentals-human-speech-frequency
Wikepedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_voice
The Voice Foundation
http://www.voicefoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86%3Aundersta
nding-how-voice-is-produced&catid=47%3Avoice-problems&Itemid=49
Voice Made Easy
http://voicemadeeasy.in/html/understandingvoice.html
Center for Voice and Swallowing/UC Davis Health System
http://www.ucdvoice.org/voice%20anat.html
AuditoryNeuroscience.com
http://auditoryneuroscience.com/sites/default/files/Laryngoscopy.mov
http://auditoryneuroscience.com/vocalization/articulators
What is in a Human Voice?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MtJdd-BS8MM
Harmonic Voice Mandala:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stMCW6L5GXA
Images:
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Anatomy of the Human Voice:
http://d4nations.com/webpubl/articles/the-human-voice-and-how-it-is-created-part-2.html
Lungs:
http://www.becomesingers.com/exercises/how-to-increase-your-lung-capacity-for-singing
Nasal Cavity & Sinus:
http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/nose_sinuses.html
People Singing:
http://thisfragiletent.com/2011/10/23/worship-music-remix-2-what-is-so-special-about-singinganyway/
Vocal Cords:
http://vocalizeandsing.blogspot.com/
Vocal Cord detail:
http://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/650/flashcards/1289650/jpg/vocal_cords1331057362039.jp
g