Vocal Sound Production
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Index Voice concepts Musical instruments | ||
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The Vocal FoldsPositioned at the base of the larynx in the vocal tract, these twin infoldings of mucous membrane act as the vibrator or "reed" during phonation. Open during breathing, the folds are closed by the pivoting of the arytenoid cartilages for speech or singing.
In an adult male, the vocal folds are usually 17-23 mm long, and12.5 -17 mm in an adult female (Kaplan). They may be stretched 3 or 4 mm by action of the muscles in the larynx. The male speaking voice averages about 125 Hz, while the female voice averages about 210 Hz. Children's voices average over 300 Hz. The illustration below shows approximate pitches for speaking voices related to an equal tempered piano keyboard based on A4 = 440 Hz. The front end of the vocal folds is attached to the thyroid cartilage, the "Adam's apple". The back end is attached to the arytenoid cartilages, which move to separate the folds for breathing. |
Index Voice concepts Musical instruments Reference Sundberg Scientific American, March 77 | ||
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Vocal Folds in PhonationThe process of converting the air pressure from the lungs into audible vibrations is called phonation. When the air passes through the elastic vocal folds and causes them to vibrate, the type of phonation is called voicing. The vocal folds give the singer a wide range of control over the pitch of the sound produced. While "vocal folds" is more descriptive than "vocal cords", there is some similarity to a vibrating string in that the pitch produced depends upon the length, mass and tension of the vocal folds.
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Index Voice concepts Musical instruments Reference Kaplan | ||
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Vocal Fold Excitation
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