Dynamics of the Singing Voice

Abstract

Every discipline tends to develop its own particular language and ways of communicating. This is true also about the various disciplines that talk about and describe the human voice-particularly as it relates to singing. The aim of this book is to bridge any gaps in communication, foster better understanding of the singing voice and encourage collaboration between those involved in performance, teaching, therapy and medicine. Because there is increasing interest in research in all these disciplines, creating a "common ground" for communication about the singing voice is essential for mutual understanding and for effective prevention and treatment of disorders in singers. One object for the artistic and scientific professions is to understand each other better by finding a vocabulary and terminology which they can share and use effectively. Difficulty in communication often arises when a singer or teacher of singing attempts to describe something sensory in nature by use of imagery and sign-language to non-singers, including the health and medical professions; and, in the same way, the use of obscure and sometimes frightening terminology by those in the medical sciences when offering explanations to singers. Teaching and simple language was and is needed from both sides. A number of advances are helping to create rapid change in bridging gaps in communication and in adding new information:

Functional Anatomy of the Human Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscles

“…3a) forms a singular and thin sheet of muscle. Weakness of the arytenoid muscle causes incomplete closure of the glottis, which becomes audible as breathy sound during speech (8). It closes the intercartilaginous part of the rima glottidis by approximating the arytenoid cartilages towards each other (3).…”

“…The first member of this group, the cricothyroid muscle, may be termed the coarse tuner of the vocal ligament. By mainly acting on the cricothyroid joint, the cricothyroid muscles tilt the thyroid cartilage forwards and downwards, thus stretching the vocal ligament much like a rubber band (8). Its anterior straight part is formed by upward-directed fibres that are inserted in the posterior part of the lower border of the thyroid lamina.…”

“…These cartilages derive their name from their form: As they are shaped like a ladle, they were named αρυ .. ταίνα by the medical authors of classical Greece. Furthermore, the arytenoids may approach or recede from one another by gliding along the upper edge of the lamina of the cricoid (3,8,33,41). Independently, their concave bases form synovial joints with the upper border of the lamina of the cricoid.…”

Occupational markers and pathology of the castrato singer Gaspare Pacchierotti (1740–1821)

“…A correct postural alignment of the head and neck, in fact, is a necessary element in the optimization of voice production38. Finally, the great bodily size of Pacchiarotti, in particular of his chest, was positively associated with the power of his voice, described as an “extensive soprano”41.…”

Singing for adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“…Good posture facilitates an efficient breathing pattern and can influence the voice (Bunch 1995; Staes 2011). Trained singers have greater breathing efficiency and greater use of their lung capacity than non-trained singers (Gould 1973; Salomoni 2016).…”