Monday, March 31, 2014

Sarah Boucher Malde Ch. 5 Part 1


What is the key to success in resonance?
AWARENESS
 
What are the 9 moveable structures that affect the shape of your resonator?
-The balance of the head over the spine
-the pharyngeal constrictors
-velum or soft palate
-mandible
-tongue
-lips
-buccinator muscles
-larynx
-aryepiglottic sphincter
 
Describe the vocal tract at rest.
lips are closed or slightly open, the jaw is slightly open so that there is a space between the upper and lower teeth, the tongue lies in the cradle of the jaw, the cheeks are free and long, the soft palate is suspended, the muscles of the pharynx are neither stretched nor tense, the larynx is midway between its highest and lowest point
 
Which movements of the vocal tract are essential to all styles of good singing?
the jaw moves freely for articulation, the tongue with lie easily in the cradle of the jaw but moves to form different vowels and consonants, the pharyngeal muscles will be released, the head will be free to move but remains balanced at the A-O Joint
 
Which movements are specific to classical style?
lips released and forward, the cheeks are long and free, the jaw will vary in its opening, the larynx will be lower and the soft palate higher
 
Which movements do non-classical singers make?
wider lateral opening of the mouth allowing the cheeks to pull back on the lips, movement of larynx soft palate and jaw will be closer to those of speech.
 
Keeping the head in balance does not mean keeping it IMMOBILE.

What are the two effects of resonance by the balance of the head?
It can move the larynx and change the curve of the throat
 
What happens if you allow the back of the head to pull back and down (Chin up)?
raises the larynx and shortens the vocal tract
 
Describe the pharyngeal constrictors, as a whole.
three thin sheets of muscle that nestle against the front of the spine at the back of the throat and curve forward sloping down at the sides.
 
Describe the location of the SPC.
SPC is connected to the base of the skull right behind the opening to the nose, its sides connect to the muscles of the inner cheek.
 
Describe the location of the MPC.
connects to the hyoid bone at the base of the tongue, at the level of the corner of the jaw
 
Describe the location of the IPC.
continuous with the esophagus on the bottom and connects to the cricoid cartilage at the sides
 
What is the survival function of the pharyngeal constrictors?
assist in swallowing and regurgitation
 
What is the job of the pharyngeal muscles for singing?
stay out of the way!
 
What is the one muscles that can open the throat slightly? How does it do this? Where is it located?
the stylopharyngeus muscle, stretches the middle of the pharynx, it originates at the styloid process on the bottom side of the skull right behind the ear and extends obliquely down and forward along the outside of the upper pharyngeal constrictor, inserting between the upper and middle pharyngeal constrictors
 
What should we avoid doing to try to get louder?  Why?
tensing the sides of the vocal tract, the chamber of air is the resonator NOT the hardness of the vocal tract
 
What are our choices if we want more volume?
faster air flow or change the shape of the chamber of air
 
Describe the velum (location and function)
valve that opens and closes the passages to the nose, located at the top of the throat above the opening of the pharynx into the mouth
 
Describe the movements of the soft palate.
Neutral: allows air to flow freely through the mouth and nose
Highest: closes off the nasal cavity so that air can only move through the mouth
Lowest: closes off the mouth so that air can only move through the nose

How many muscle pairs control the movement of the soft palate?  To what are they all attached?
There are four muscles pairs that control the movement of the soft palate: two that lift and stretch it and two that pull it down. They are all attached to the uvular muscle.

What are the muscles called that lift the soft palate?  Describe their location.
levator veli palatini muscles, base of the skull behind the nose passing through the upper pharyngeal constrictor and insert into the top of the uvular muscle
 
Which muscles stretch the soft palate from side to side?  Describe their location.
tensor veli palatini muscles, originate slightly farther forward than the base of the skull and descend to the pterygoid hamulus and turn a corner to attach to the sides of the uvular muscle
 
What is the secondary effect of tensing the two muscles listed above?
increase the vertical space in the pharynx
 
What are the muscles that lower the soft palate? What is the effect of engaging these muscles?
palatopharyngeus and palatoglossus muscles, your tone becomes nasal
 
Describe the location of these muscles.
palatopharyngeus: connects the sides of the uvular muscle to the lower pharyngeal constrictor
palatoglossus: connect the uvular muscle to the sides of the tongue at the back. 

Describe the mandible.
the jaw is horseshoe shaped when viewed from above, it is taller at the back than the front,  on the posterior portion there are two condyles that connect the jaw to the skull
 
Describe the location of the temporal mandibular joint.
the point where the jaw connects to the skull, right in front of your ears
 
What are the three most important muscles that move the jaw? What are their functions?
Masseter and temporalis muscles: close the jaw
digastric muscles: open the jaw
 
Describe the location of the masseter muscles.
originate on the underside of the cheekbones and insert into the sides of the jaw along the back
 
Describe the location of the temporalis muscles.
originate in a fan shape from the sides of the skull above the ears, run obliquely inside the cheekbones and insert into the coronoid processes of the jaw
 
Describe the location and function of the muscles that open the jaw.
the digastric muscles: originate at the inside of the mastoid process and run obliquely down under the tongue attaching to the front of the jaw behind the chin
geniohyoid muscles: originate at the front of the jaw behind the center of the chin, run under the tongue and insert into the front of the hyoid
mylohyoid muscles: originate from the inside of the manible, forms the floor of the mouth
 
How do these three pairs of muscles move the jaw?
pulling the chin back and down toward the hyoid bone

Which are the consonants that require the masseter and temporalis to contract slightly?
[s] [z] [f] [v]
 
Do any consonants require the teeth to be closed?
no
 
What is the jaw position for most consonants?
neutral 
 
Which muscles moves the jaw forward and from side to side? Describe their location & function.
lateral and medial ptergoids: arise at eh base of the skull behind the nose, attach to the condyles of the mandible right in front of the TMJ's

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