How many breaths does the average person take each day? between 17,000 and 23,00
What are some properties of air? has a tendency to maintain equal pressure, thus the movement of air in and out of the lungs is just to balance the pressure
What happens when muscles contract? the fibers become shorter, this action being called excursion
What happens when
a muscle stops contracting? it naturally releases to its resting state
What is elastic recoil? the ability of a muscle or cartilage to return to its original state after being stretched
What is dynamic equilibrium? pairs of muscles working in opposition--one muscle contracting while the opposing muscle releases
What is muscle antagonism. when opposing pairs of muscles contract at the same time, prohibiting freedom of movement, also called co-contraction
How do the ribs attach to the spine? with joints; the top rib and bottom three ribs attach directly to the vertebrae
How do the ribs
attach to the sternum? with costal cartilage
Describe the sterno-costal joints. gliding joints connecting costal cartilage with bone, sternum and ribs
Describe in further details the size and course of the
ribs. each of the top 10 ribs are longer than the one above it, and they slope down on the sides, the slope becoming progressively steeper with each rib
How does the arm structure connect to the body? the sternum connects to the collarbone, which attaches the arm structure to the body, but the arms have no connection directly to the spine or ribs
What are the
primary muscles of breathing? diaphragm, muscles that elevate the ribs, abdominal muscles, and pelvic floor muscles
Describe the shape, location and attachments of the
diaphragm. From the central tendon, the fibers of the diaphragm arch downward and outward. In the back, the fibers turn into tendons and connect to the lumbar vertebrae, and the rest of the fibers connect with the bottom of the ribs all the way around.
Describe the location and function of the openings you
see when looking at the diaphragm from below. An elliptical opening near the back of the central tendon is for the esophagus, a round opening in the central tendon is for the vena cava to carry blood back to the heart, and the aorta does not go through the diaphragm, but behind it.
What are the multiple effects of the contraction of the
diaphragm? exerts downward pressure on the viscera, pushes lower ribs up and out, pulls down on lungs and massages the heart
What is needed in addition to diaphragmatic contraction
for a singing breath? rib movement
Describe the location and function of the external
intercostal muscles. the outermost layer of the muscles between the ribs, starting at the spine and sloping down and away from upper rib to rib below, extending around the front almost to the costal cartilage
What happens when people think that the ribs are
horizontal? they try to move or push their ribs outward, instead of letting them be lifted by the muscles
Describe the abdominal muscles (as a group). The abdominal wall is not a rigid structure, but is in constant movement because it is associated with breathing. Abdominal muscles need to release in all directions for inhalation. Toned abdominal muscles are good for breathing because they are more elastic.
What must the abdominal muscles do in order for the
diaphragm to FULLY contract? release in all directions
Why else must the abdominal muscles release? to allow the viscera and ribs to move fully
Explain in detail the interaction of the diaphragm and the
abdominal muscles for inhalation. as the diaphragm contracts on inhalation, it pushes the viscera against the released abdominal muscles, which stretch to make room
Why are tense abs bad for breathing but toned abs good
for singing? tension prevents efficient and full breathing, but toned muscle is elastic and stretches and springs back into place easily
What is forced exhalation? contracting the abdominal muscles or the rib-depressors or both
Why is forced exhalation usually not useful for singing? it requires extra effort and recovery time, making singing harder than it needs to be and takes preparation time away from subsequent breaths and phrases
Describe the location and shape of pelvic floor and it's
function during breathing. The pelvic floor is the bottom of the abdominal cavity, mirroring the diaphragm. It must also release, like the abdominal muscles upon inhalation, for efficient breathing.
Summarize the activity of the breathing muscles. The diaphragm and rib muscles contract to create room for the lungs to breathe in air. The abdominals and pelvic floor must release to allow the viscera to move.
Describe the location and shape of the lungs. the lungs extend from above the collarbone to the 7th rib in front and 10th rib in back, almost filling the rib cage front to back, wider at the bottom
What is the role of the muscles of the neck for
breathing? nothing! it's automatic work
What is the role of the vocal tract for breathing? to provide sensory input about the air we breathe in
What is the role of the tongue for breathing? none! just get out of the way
What is the role of the vocal folds for breathing? to be open, wider for bigger breaths
Where are the places of constriction that can cause an
audible breath? lips, nostrils, front of tongue, back of tongue, velum, throat, or glottis
Describe the location, shape, and size of the trachea. trachea is 4-5 inches long, width of a quarter, in front of esophagus
What is the trachea’s function for breathing? nothing!
Explain the concept of gathering and lengthening of the
spine as it relates to breathing. the spine compresses slightly upon inhalation, and springs back to original shape upon exhalation
What are the problems caused by taking in too much air? then you have to blow out the dead air before inhaling for the next phrase, it's a waste of energy
Define and describe the two types of support. structural support--balancing on the skeleton and leaving the muscles free to sing; breath support--a good inhalation sets up the body for a good flow of air upon exhalation
IF YOU INHALE WELL, YOUR EXHALATION WILL ENJOY
CONSTANT SUPPORT FROM THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES, THE PELVIC FLOOR AND THE COSTAL
CARTILAGE
Describe how we regulate exhalation. We have to shape the exhalation, resisting the ascent of the diaphragm and the descent of the ribs
What does the author recommend instead of asking for more
support? do I need to allow the breath to flow more freely or do I need to resist the release of breath?
What are the five common breathing errors listed in this
chapter? tanking up, keeping ribs out during exhalation, thinking the diaphragm is perpendicular to the floor, thinking that the ribs are immoveable, pushing out with the abs will bring in air
What is the problem with using imagery in teaching
breathing? one image is not universally helpful, and images are sometimes not supported by anatomy and physiology
Describe the connection of the ribs to the spine. Movement
in ribs in breathing causes movement in thoracic spine.
Name the other muscles that move the ribs. intercostals, levatores costarum, serratus posterior superior, pectoralis muscles, serratus anterior, scalenes
Name the 4 muscles that form the abdominal wall. external obliques, internal obliques, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis
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