How do our voices work?

One of the difficult things about being a singer is that we can’t see our instrument. I can see on my guitar how the strings vibrate, what makes them vibrate, which string is larger than others, where the frets are, etc. But I can’t see how to make a certain pitch or even a certain sound with my voice.

So let’s take a look at our vocal instrument. The mechanism of the human voice can be divided into three parts: the lungs and diaphragm, the vocal cords (also called folds) housed within the larynx, and the articulators (palate, tongue, cheeks and lips).

The lungs are the pump for the system. There must be sufficient airflow and air pressure to vibrate the vocal cords.

The larynx is the bump in the middle of the neck, just below the chin. It houses the vocal cords. The vocal cords (also called vocal folds) are a pair of connective tissue and muscular fibers that are joined at the front of the larynx and extend back. When the vocal folds are brought together and there is  balanced air pressure to drive them, they vibrate laterally in opposite directions. The muscles of the larynx adjust the length and tension of the vocal folds to make pitches.

Take a minute to find your larynx. To feel it, gently place your middle and index fingers on your neck about two inches below your chin. Swallow. You’ll feel the larynx rise up when you swallow and then return to a neutral position.

Now watch this video to see the vocal cords in action, but let me warn you first. We singers have a living instrument. It is lots more than wood and strings. Some folks think seeing living tissue in action is gross. I think if you are a singer, you need to know how your fabulous living instrument works: