Amber D. - Malde Chapter 4

Amber D. Malde Chapter 4

What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic laryngeal muscles?  What are their functions?
- Intrinsic laryngeal muscles connect the laryngeal cartilage and are responsible for the delicate movements within the larynx...... Extrinsic laryngeal muscles are a network of exterior muscles that suspend the larynx in the neck and move it up and down.

Describe the cartilages of the larynx.  Include information about structure, size, function.
-Criciod; round like a signet ring... Thryoid; (largest), adams apple, sits atop the cricoid looks like a double shield/weird snowplow in front and has both a lower and upper horn in back with the upper ones being larger and curling up slightly in back.... Arytenoid; triangular, sit ans swivel in a mirrored pair at the back of the cricoid and act as hinges or joints to help manipulate the vocal ligaments together or apart in varying degrees ...Epiglottis: larger and flatter, shaped like the head of a thin wooden spoon; slaps shut for swallowing.

What is cartilage?
-Tough elastic tissues with a distinct shape like bone but more flexible.

What is ligament?
-Short flexible tough fibrous type of connective tissue that connects to bone to bone, bone to cartilage, or cartilage to cartilage.

What is muscle origin?
-The point of attachment of a muscle that stays relatively fixed during contraction.

What is muscle insertion?
Point of attachment for a muscle that moves most during contraction.

What is dynamic equilibrium?
Opposing muscles working WITH each other

What is muscle antagonism?
-opposing muscles working against each other

What are opposing muscles?
-Muscles that work in opposite directions

What are paired muscles?
-Muscles on both sides of the body and mirror each other

What is stabilized physiological tremor rate?
The rate of vibration innate to the body that occurs when muscle antagonism is sustained.

Describe the following muscles (location and function)
1.  posterior cricoarytenoid -Fans in and down over the back outside of the cricoid cartilage, swivels the arytenoid cartilage to open the glottis.
2.  lateral cricoarytenoid -fan down and forwarf from the arytenoid/cricoud joint in the opposite direction away from the posterior cricoarytenoid, swivels the arytenoid back together to close the glottis
3.  transverse arytenoid- stretches across the backs of the arytenoid cartilages pull the arytenoids to slide in for a tighter fit when closing the glottis.
4.  oblique arytenoid- run obliquely, or make an “X” over the back of the transverse arytenoid; assists with the action of the transverse arytenoid muscle to slid the back of the arytenoid cartilages together for a tighter fit when closing the glottis.

What are the two parts of the Thyroarytenoid muscle?  What are their functions? - Vocalis muscle increases tension in the focal fold... and the External thyroarytenoid muscle contract to make the vocal folds shorter and thicker.

What are the two parts of the Cricothyroid muscle?  What are their functions?  What are their attachments? - two bellies (superior and inferior), They rock the thyroid cartilage forward when they contract at its joints with the cricoid cartilage. They arise from the sides of the cricoid cartilage at the front, then extend back at an oblique angle to attach to the bottom of the thyroid cartilage at the sides.

How is pitch determined?
-by the rate of vibration on a musical instrument.

What happens as we descend in pitch?
-The vocalis gets longer and the tension gets looser

Summarize the activities of the 3 laryngeal muscles responsible for pitch.
-External thyroarytenoid muscles, vocalis muscles, and the Cricothyroid muscles.

Define register.  (What happens at the laryngeal level?)
-A series of tones that have the same vocal production.

Name and describe the 4 registers of the voice.  (Please include the subdivisions of modal.)
- Chest voice; robust and heavy (speaking voice),.. Middle or Mixed voice; balanced... Head voice; pure/light... Falsetto/flute; ethereal.

How does heavy vs light differ from loud vs soft?
- Heavy vs, light refers to the tone, timbre, or color... Loud Vs soft is a matter of decibels, or intensity of sound wave emanating from the source.

In classical singing, we blend the actions of the TA and CT using __________________.
- Dynamic equilibrium.

What are the 3 possible types of onset/offset.  Describe them.
-Glottal, Aspirate, and balanced.

How do the vocal folds come into vibration?
-Airflow from the lungs meets the glottis just as it is closing.... or... interaction with the expiratory breath flow causes the vibrations of phonation.

What causes a breathy sound?
Vocal folds, too closed, too loose, or a space between arytenoids present.

What causes a strident sound?
-carrying the chest voice up into the range where mixed voice register actions would be more appropriate, thereby forcing the muscles of the vocal fold to increase their tension.

What causes a tight sound?
-Laryngeal muscles working too hard to close the glottis.

What does the larynx have to do with dynamics?
-The intrinsic muscles react to the changing rate of airflow.

How can intonation be fixed?
-By working to find balance and smooth transition int eh registers.

What causes vibrato?
-It occurs whenever the opposing muscles of the larynx are working in balance with enough force to create the stabilized physiological tremor rate innate to the body.

How can vibrato be controlled?
-Muscles and airflow must be in balance.

What are nodules and how can they be prevented?
- Calluses on the epithelium  membrane covering the vocal folds. Pay attention to your larynx in the context of your whole body. If you suspect and injury, shut up and go see a professional immediately.