Emily C., Malde, Ch. 3

Emily C., Malde, Ch. 3

• How many breaths does the average person take each day?
• 17,000-23,000
• What are some properties of air?
• It’s a gas and has a tendency to maintain equal pressure. It’ll flow from areas of high to low pressure. 
• What happens when muscles contract?
• The fibers become shorter.
•  What happens when a muscle stops contracting?
• They naturally release to their resting state.
• What is elastic recoil?
• When a stretched muscle returns to the state it was in before it was stretched. 
• What is dynamic equalibrium?
• When opposing muscles work together, one releasing as the other contracts/recoils. 
• What is muscle antagonism.
• When opposing muscles work at the same time against each other. 
• How do the ribs attach to the spine?
• 24 ribs (12 pairs) attach with costovertebral joints. 
•  How do the ribs attach to the sternum?
• At the front, the rib bones become cartilage and connect to the breastbone. 
• Describe the stereo-costal joints.
• They are ribs 7-10 that join into one cartilage before connecting to the sternum with a single joint. They are gliding joints that allow some movement up and down. 
• Describe in further details the size and course of the ribs.
• At the top, the ribs are the smallest and become larger as you go down. The costal cartilage also go from horizontal to a steep diagonal. 
• How does the arm structure connect to the body?
• It connects directly to the sternum with a joint to the clavicle/collarbone. It doesn’t connect to the ribs or spine. 
•  What are the primary muscles of breathing?
• The diaphragm, the muscles that elevate the ribs, the abdominals, and the pelvic floor muscles. 
• Describe the shape, location and attachments of the diaphragm.
• IT’s a dome-shaped muscle that arches up into the ribs, dividing the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. The lungs connect to the top, and the viscera are nestled inside the dome. The center of the dome is made up of a central tendon, connected to the heart. 
• Describe the location and function of the openings you see when looking at the diaphragm from below.
• The opening in the back of the central tendon is for the esophagus/food tube, and there’s a round hold in the central tendon for the vena cava to carry deoxygenated blood to the heart. The aorta passes through behind the diaphragm along the spine carrying oxygenated blood from the heart to the lower body. 
• What are the multiple effects of the contraction of the diaphragm?
• It pulls the central tendon down. It puts pressure on the viscera, pushes lower ribs up and out, pulls down the lungs and massages the heart. 
• What is needed in addition to diaphragmatic contraction for a singing breath?
• rib movement (up and out) upon inhalation. 
• Describe the location and function of the external intercostal muscles.
• Intercostals are between the ribs. The external ones are the outermost layer that start at the spine and their fibers slope down and away from the upper rib to the rib below and wrap around to the front, near the costal cartilage. 
• What happens when people think that the ribs are horizontal?
• Their breathing is limited and strained because they’re trying to expand horizontally instead of up and out. (I used to do this all the time.) 
• Describe the abdominal muscles (as a group).
• They enclose the viscera in three thin/strong/flexible layers on front/back/sides. 
• What must the abdominal muscles do in order for the diaphragm to FULLY contract?
• They must release in all directions for the diaphragm to contract on inhalation. They must be passive. 
• Why else must the abdominal muscles release?
• To make room for the visceral displacement made by the pushing of the diaphragm muscle downward. 
• Explain in detail the interaction of the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles for inhalation.
• The diaphragm contracts, and it pushes out the viscera. The muscles that elevate the ribs contract to raise them, and the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor release to allow the full movement of the diaphragm and ribs. 
• Why are tense abs bad for breathing but toned abs good for singing?
• Tense abs interfere with efficient breathing because they don’t release to allow the diaphragm to move and do its job, while toned muscles are elastic and spring back to their original shape during exhalation.
• When might one activate abs during singing?
• they’re subtly available for accents, aspirate consonants, and staccato notes.
• What is forced exhalation?
• When we speed up the process of expelling air by activating the abdominal muscles rather than allowing for elastic recoil to do its job. 
• Why is forced exhalation usually not useful for singing?
• Because it takes a longer time to recover and get the muscles to release before allowing more air back into the lungs. 
• Describe the location and shape of pelvic floor and it's function during breathing.
• It is the muscle that connects to the lower inside edges of the pelvis, in a shallow bowl shape. When inhaling, the pelvic floor must release. Elastic recoil allows for exhalation. 
• Summarize the activity of the breathing muscles.
• The diaphragm contracts for inhalation, pushing viscera down and out with the lower ribs. The ribs are elevated with muscles while the abs and pelvic floor release. The elastic recoil of the abs and pelvic floor exerts upward pressure on the viscera, and the ribs descend. 
• Describe the location and shape of the lungs.
• They conform to the shape of the ribs/spine/heart and diaphragm. They’re attached to the ribs/diaphragm by the pleural sac and extend slightly above the collarbone down to the 7-10th ribs in the back. They’re wider at the top than the bottom. 
• What is the role of the muscles of the neck for breathing?
• The scaliness and sternocleidomastoids have automatic work and shouldn’t be engaged. 
• What is the role of the vocal tract for breathing?
• It’s to provide sensory info about the air we inhale. 
• What is the role of the tongue for breathing?
• To be out of the way. 
• What is the role of the vocal folds for breathing?
• To be open. 
• Where are the places of constriction that can cause an audible breath?
• The lips, nostrils, front of tongue, back of tongue, velum, throat, or glottis. 
• Describe the location, shape, and size of the trachea.
• It’s 4-5 inches long, the width of a quarter and branches out into the bronchial tubes above the heart. 
• What is the trachea’s function for breathing?
• It does nothing. 
• Explain the concept of gathering and lengthening of the spine as it relates to breathing.
• While inhaling, the spine gathers in the cervical region, and a slight compression of the spine is due to the scalenes. It raises the ribs and brings the vertebrae closer together. When the air is released, the compression of the discs of cartilage spring back to their full height. 
• What are the problems caused by taking in too much air?
• You have to expel it before taking in a new breath. You also waste energy. 
• Define and describe the two types of support.
• Structural: This is when the spine bears the weight of our body using a balance body position. The muscles are free to move for singing.
• Breath: If you allow the abs/pelvic floor to release/stretch on inhalation, elastic recoil supports the flow of breath on exhalation. If the ribs rise on inhalation, the costal cartilage springiness will support the expiratory breath flow. 
• IF YOU ___________________, YOUR EXHALATION WILL ENJOY CONSTANT SUPPORT FROM THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES, THE PELVIC FLOOR AND THE COSTAL CARTILAGE
• INHALE WELL
• Describe how we regulate exhalation.
• Regulating the rate of release of the muscles of inhalation. 
• What does the author recommend instead of asking for more support?
• Ask if you need to allow the breath to flow more freely or if yo unwed to resist that release. 
• What are the five common breathing errors listed in this chapter?
• Tanking up, keeping your ribs out during exhalation, diaphragm is perpendicular to the floor, ribs are immovable, pushing out with the abs will bring about inhalation. 
• What is the problem with using imagery in teaching breathing?
• The images that go against the laws of anatomy and physiology can produce movements that defies nature and induces injury. 
• Name the other muscles that move the ribs.
• the intercostals, levatores costarum,  serratus posterior superior, pectoralis muscles (major/minor), serratus anterior, and scalenes.  
• Name the 4 muscles that form the abdominal wall.
• They include the external obliques, the internal obliques, the transverses and rectus abdominis.
• What is the epigastrium?
• The upper region of the abdominal region.