1. Vocal pedagogy

2. Contact information
Frances Ascott
ENT Dept
Manchester Royal Infirmary
(voic )

3. Vocal pedagogy The method and practice of teaching
In order that you can effectively teach students in singing you need to understand the mechanism. It is no longer acceptable to teach purely “by ear” although your musical skills, interpretation, tuning and many more shills are also required. The first part of this course is dealing with the physical aspect of voice production. Valuable for you as singers and as a teachers of singing

4. Opportunity for Questions
As we go along
At the end of sessions
Make an appointment/arrangement
At end of course

5. A Functional Approach to Voice Production
Anatomy
Need
2x laryngeal models
?servox
Handouts
VCN video
Normal larynx video

6. Cycle of voice production

7. course
Anatomy and physiology of these systems
Function

8. Aim
To visit the anatomy of the larynx to be able to visualise the 3D image as a basis for understanding the movement.

9. Useful terminology in anatomy

12. Vocal tract
Respiratory system
Larynx
Pharynx
Oral cavity
Nasal cavity

13. Larynx

14. Main functions of the larynx
Respiration
Acts as a valve to regulate airflow
Protection/swallowing
Closes during swallow to prevent aspiration by action of epiglottis and up and forward movement
Thoracic fixation
Closure of upper airway temporarily to increase abdominal pressure

15. Position of larynx

16. Larynx The larynx sits at the top of the windpipe/trachea
It sits in front of the hypopharynx

17. Laryngeal cartilages Cartilages Bone 1 x thyroid 1 x cricoid
2 x arytenoid
1 x epiglottis
2 x corniculate
2 x cuneiform
2 x triticea
Bone
hyoid

18. Larynx from front

20. Thyroid cartilage

21. Thyroid cartilage Thyroid cartilage is the largest cartilage
Made of 2 quadrangular plates called thyroid lamina. Each plate has 2 surfaces :Inner & outer
4 Borders : Upper,Lower,anterior,posterior
Anterior border Anterior borders unites at an angle or approximately 90° in men and 120° in women Thyroid prominence (Adams apple) separated by Thyroid notch

22. Thyroid cartilage
Posterior borders :Prolonged upwards & downwards called Sup. & Inf. Horns or Cornu
Superior horn connects to the hyoid bone Lateral thyrohyoid ligament
Inferior horn is connected to the cricoid cartilage by Cricothyroid joint in a facet at the medial surface for cricoid arch
Ossification or calcification of the thyroid cartilage begins early at around 20 years starting posteriorly and inferiorly

23. Thyroid cartilage
Halfway between the thyroid notch and the inferior border is a slight depression which marks the level of the vocal cords.
The cartilage is covered in perichondrium and on the inner surface this is covered my mucosal membrane

24. Cricoid cartilage

25. Cricoid cartilage This a signet ring in shape
It is the only full ring of cartilage in the airway
The posterior lamina may be up to 30mm in height
The cricoid arch at the front can be as little as a few mm in height. Because it is thin it tens to ossify/calcify later

26. Cricoid cartilage Internal dimension vary a lot
Women average 11.6mm range mm
Men average 15mm range from 11-21mm
The distance between the Cricothyroid joint facets also varies

27. Arytenoid cartilages

28. Arytenoid cartilages
2 Pyramidal cartilages sit on top of the wide, posterior facet of the cricoid cartilage
They begin to ossify around 30 years of age.
They are capable of complex movement coming together in the midline and revolve over the cricoid

29. Corniculate and Cuneiform and Triticea cartilages
Sitting on the top of the apex of the arytenoids are the Corniculate cartilages. These help with the rigidity of the aryepiglottic folds
The cuneiform cartilages in the aryepiglottic folds help with epiglottic movement in swallowing
The Triticeal cartilages are within the thyrohyoid ligament and can be mistaken on x-ray for a foreign body
Classified as minor cartilages

30. Epiglottis

31. Position of the epiglottis

32. Epiglottis
Arises on the inner surface of the thyroid cartilage above the insertion of the vocal cords.
Ligaments attach from the epiglottis to the hyoid bone, the thyroid cartilage, and the base of the tongue.
Attachment via ligaments rather than joints allows the epiglottic to move passively in tandem with these structures
It is quite soft and flexible

33. Intrinsic muscles of the larynx
The muscle within the larynx have three main purposes
Changing the tension of the vocal folds
Opening
Closing the vocal folds
They may be described as abductor, adductor, tensor and relaxer

34. Intrinsic muscles superior and sagittal views

35. Intrinsic muscles anterior and posterior views

36. Abductor muscle (opening)
Posterior cricoarytenoid PCA
Traditionally credited as the only abductor
Paired muscle from the posterior surface of the cricoid cartilage and inserts onto the muscular process of the arytenoids
Pulls back on the muscular process swinging the front ends away from each other so opening the glottis for respiration

37. Posterior Cricoarytenoid

38. Abductors and adductors

39. Adductor muscles
Lateral cricoarytenoid
Interarytenoid muscles

40. Lateral cricoartenoid
Plays the most active role in the protection of the airway through closure
It regulates medial compression
May have some abductory abilities

41. Inter-arytenoid muscles
Transverse muscle is unpaired
Obliques are paired
Transverse pulls arytenoids horizontally together

42. Movement or arytenoids

43. Adductors 1

44. Adductors 2

45. Relaxer Muscle
The thyro-arytenoid is the main pitch lowering muscle. Contraction shortens the muscle lowering the pitch
Also contraction straightens and closes the vocal folds
It forms the bulk of the vocal cord
It has 2 distinct muscle bands
Medial Thyroarytenoid (vocalis)
Lateral Thyroarytenoid (thromuscularis)

46. Thyro-arytenoid muscles
Note when the muscle is contracted and also opposed by other muscles this will result in an increase in tension so it may also be described as a tensor
Check diagram to see muscle bands making up the vocal fold

47. Thyro-arytenoid muscles

48. Thyro-arytenoid muscles

49. Tensor muscles
The paired crico-thyroid muscles which have two distinct parts pulling in slightly different directions
By closing the cricothyroid at the front the vocal folds are elongated and stretched increasing tension and pitch

50. Cricothyroid muscles

51. Action of cricothtroid

52. Cricothyroid muscles

53. Aryepiglottic muscles
Sometimes describes as a sphincter
Not easily fit into one of above categories but still intrinsic laryngeal muscle
These muscle are continuation of oblique arytenoid muscle to epiglottis.
Pulls epiglottis down during swallow.
Control not understood

54. Aryepiglottic muscles

55. Intrinsic membranes and ligaments
Then form important structure to the larynx.
Conus elasticus is cone shaped below the vocal folds.
In the anterior midline it forms the cricothyroid ligament which then divided to form vocal ligament (from the anterior inner surface of the thyroid cartilage back to the arytenoids. This is part of the vocal fold.

56. Membranes and ligament
Posterior/coronal

57. Intrinsic membranes and ligaments
The quadragular membrane form the side walls of the laryngeal vestibule above the vocal folds
The inferior border forms the ventricular ligament in the ventricular folds (or false vocal folds)
The ventricular folds move largely passively. The mechanism is not entirely understood. Ideally they should be retracted to allow maximum freedom for vocal cord vibration

58. Extrinsic muscles Titze 1994

59. Laryngeal Elevators Elevators Digastric Stylohyoid Mylohyoid
Geniohyoid
Thyrohyoid
Hyoglossus
Genioglossus muscles
Listed so that you have heard of them
How named attached to hyoid / tongue
Point to note that there are more of them than the depressors
Palpate mylohyoid +/- swallow

60. Laryngeal depressors Sternohyoid Omohyoid
The laryngeal depressors are the sternohyoid and omohyoid muscles. They pull down the larynx rather than push it down (infra hyoid muscles)
Much lowering of the larynx is by a relaxation of the suprahoid muscles

61. Muscles which raise the larynx are called elevators
Elevation often goes with increase in pitch but the larynx can raise independent of pitch. There will be an acoustic change.
Opera quality require a fairly low position where as belt require a high setting.

62. References
Obert and Chicurel (2005) Geography of the Voice. Pub Estill voice training systems
Perkins and Kent (1986) Textbook of Functional Anatomy of Speech, Language and Hearing. Pub Taylor and Francis
Sataloff (2006) Vocal Health and Pedagogy. Vol 1 Pub. Plural

63. Further viewing
via You Tube