Alisha Reeve MUSED 258 Citation Teaching Kids to Sing 1992 Chapter 8: Phonation Kenneth H.

Phillips Summary Develop speaking to produce good phonation techniques o Poor speaking habits translate into poor singing habits o Speaking activities can act as a forerunner to speaking activities when students resist Phonation o Centered around the larynx o Larynx Located on top of the trachea Passageway for respiration and source of sound vibrations Raised larynx while singing can cause injuries o Pitch is the rate of vibrations, or Hz, caused by the vocal folds Vocal folds produce not only the fundamental pitch, but also an overtone series Vocal Registers o Vocal folds vibrate on only the thin inner edges for a higher pitch, and across the whole for a lower pitch o When used in conjunction produces a middle register o Francis Howard Believed children shouldnt sing in the lower register American Academy of Teachers of Singing tried to change this belief Systematic training Primary school children should sing only in a middle register o Betty Atterbury Young children should explore their voice, especially the lower register o Adolescents, changed and changing Utilize lower and upper to better navigate their voice Can help with the break o John Dawson Warned against singing only in the upper register during puberty They should sing in all registers o Falsetto-thin sounded, cannot crescendo, lacks resonance o Pure-upper voice-full and vibrant Laryngeal Physiology

o The Cartilages Thyroid Largest Protects the larynx Cricoid Surrounded by the thyroid cartilage Ring that sits on the trachea Arytenoid Pyramid shaped Located on the back top of the cricoid Epiglottis Closes of the larynx when swallowing o The Hyoid Bone Only bone Upper end of the larynx o The Intrinsic Muscles of the larynx Cricothyroid muscles Vertical and oblique Extend up from the base of the cricoid cartilage to the thyroid cartilage Thyroarytenoid muscles Within the vocal folds Lateral cricoarytenoid muscles Attached from the cricoid to the arytenoid cartilages Interarytenoid muscles Attached to the arytenoid cartilages and draw the vocal folds together Posterior cricoarytenoid muscles Attached to the back of the cricoid cartilage to the arytenoid cartilages o The Extrinsic Muscles of the Larynx Infrahyoid Muscles Strap muscles Attach to the sternum and the hyoid bone Sternothyroid muscles Attach to the sternum and the thyroid cartilage Omothyroid muscles Attach to the hyoid bone and the shoulder blades Thyrohyoid muscles Attach to the thyroid cartilage and the hyoid bone Suprahyoid muscles Digastric muscles o To the side of the lower jaw, attaches the jaw to the hyoid bone Stylohyoid muscles

o To the sides of the neck, attach the styloid process to the hyoid bone Mylohyoid muscles o Triangular o Muscular floor of the mouth cavity Geniohyoid muscles o Above the mylohyoid muscles and attach the front of the jaw to the hyoid o The Open Throat Open throat is needed for speaking and singing Three muscles that form the pharynx Upper constrictor Middle constrictor Lower constrictor When swallowing they make the throat as small as possible Shouldnt be used in singing o Vocal Folds Two folds, vibrate to create sound Epithelium Outermost layer of the vocal folds Lamina propia Below the epithelium Divided into superficial, intermediate, and deep layers Thyroarytenoid muscle Deepest layer of the vocal fold Two parts o Thyrovocalis Thinner o Thyromuscularis Thicker Changes pitch by shortening and lengthening Vocal ligament Band of elastic fibers Runs the length of the inner portion of the vocal folds Ventricular bands false vocal folds Above the true vocal folds Should not contract when singing Phonation Training o Lower Adjustment Do not force Discover proper speaking voice Exercises 1. Animal Farm

 2. Voice Placement 3. Energized Voice 4. Lower Wheelie 5. Accented Pulse 6. Choric Speech o Upper Adjustment Full use, capable of crescendo Only uses the inner edges of the vocal folds Males must learn to navigate this during puberty Exercises 1. Animal Farm 2. Marcato Thrust 3. Staccato Bump 4. Upper Wheelie 5. Sustained Howl 6. Soundscape o Adjustment Coordination Women Break between upper and lower Help identify and bridge this gap Exercises 1. Animal Farm 2. Woofers and Tweeters 3. Voice Inflectors 4. Spiral Wheelie 5. Sustained Bleat 6. Vocal Glissando Reflection Phonation is the very roots of singing and as such it is very important that we understand how it happens, and how to properly exercise our voices. The anatomy portion of this chapter is a great tool to teach students what parts of the body are involved in the production of sound and where they are located. It is also important to keep students singing through adolescence and the voice changes associated with it as this physiology changes slightly and navigating it can be difficult. As an educator I will strive to make my students as knowledgeable as possible in the phonation process and the anatomy of the voice.