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TRAINING THE SINGING VOICE |
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nation is one of the first requirements of the singing voice. [McLean 386] Experimental findings. Ogle describes each vocal cord (lip) as a "delicate prism-shaped muscle/* having an over-all length of about 12 millimeters. It is called the thyro-arytenoid muscle, named after its two points of attachment (i.e., the thyroid cartilage at one end and the arytenoid cartilage at the other). [433] Evetts and Worthington find that this muscle averages 15 millimeters in length (about 3/5 of an inch) in male singers, and 11 millimeters (about 2/5 of an inch) in female singers. [167, p. 30] Negus reports the length of the vocal cords to be about 12.5 to 17 millimeters im the adult female, while in the adult male it varies from 17 to 25 millimeters. [418, p. 457] Farnsworth estimates the length of the vocal cords to be "from one half inch to five eighths inch," when vibrating at about 120 cycles. [168] Neblette roughly describes the position of the glottis in singing as "from 60 to 100 millimeters [2.35 to 3.92 inches] down the throat," a rough approximation at best, considering the variability o£ individual anatomical structures and the mobility of all these parts. [417] Other experimental findings in this area that are pedagogically significant are summarized as follows:
1. "The vocal cords cannot vibrate themselves." Only released
breath can induce the pulsations that cause sound. [Lloyd 351, p. 7]
2. During phonation the vocal cords "move almost entirely in a horizontal plane/* and come into direct contact with each other once in
each vibratory cycle after a maximum displacement of about 4 millimeters. [Curry 124, p. 45]
3. When the glottal closure is ever so slightly delayed in phonation,
an aspirated type of voice results. [Ibid., p. 64]
4. The vibratory action of the vocal cords has the effect of transforming a direct air current into "an alternating air current or sound wave.** [Famsworth 168]
5. The vocal" lips vibrate synchronously, not alternately. [Metzger 395]
6. Positive proof is now furnished that "the vocal cords do vibrate hi segments." This would seem to indicate that the harmonic overtones released by a segmental vibration contribute basic attributes to the tone quality of the voice. [Seashore 505]
In conclusion, Stanley's opinion, that phonation requires a different technique of breathing than is employed for ordinary respiration, is interesting. In respiration the glottis is normally open while in phonation the glottis must be kept closed. Therefore, he claims, it is not possible to |
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