The Vocal Mechanism

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Speaking and singing is much more than opening one’s mouth and releasing sound. There are many key components to the vocal mechanism, whether it’s the different systems, cartilages, muscles, nerve s, vocal folds, or even the different ways to manipulate the voice box, each component is an important factor for making sound. Throughout the whole process the three main systems that the other components rely on are Air pressure, Vibratory, and the Resonating Systems. The main purpose of the air pressure system is to provide and regulate air pressure to cause vocal folds to vibrate. The main voice organs that the air pressure system is contained in are the diaphragm, chest muscles, ribs, abdominal muscles. In the Vibratory system, vocal folds vibrate, changing air pressure to sound waves producing "voiced sound," frequently described as a "buzzy sound" the frequency of the vibrations depend on the pitch sang. The vibratory system is contained inside of the voice box also known as the larynx. The resonating system changes the "buzzy sound" into a person's recognizable voice. The resonating system is located in the pharynx, oral cavity, and nasal cavities. The vocal tract is comprised of resonators which give a personal quality to the voice, and the modifiers or articulators which form sound into voiced sounds. There are three different cartilages used in our larynx which are the thyroid, cricoid, and arytenoid. The thyroid cartilage forms the front portion of the larynx; the most forward part comprises the "Adam's apple". The vocal folds attach just below the Adam's apple, and the thyroid cartilage also houses the vocal folds. The cricoid cartilage is below the thyroid cartilage, its “ring-like” from front to back. This cartilage becomes taller in the back of the voice box and it is also a platform for the arytenoid cartilage. The arytenoid cartilage is a pair of small

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