| Breathing
Matters > Speech Breathing well is the foundation of good voice production. The breath striking the voice folds (also called cords) causes the vocal folds to vibrate. This is similar to a reed musical instrument. The soft palate, mouth, throat, lips and tongue then manipulate this vibrating air column to produce voice. The resonance quality of a voice is affected when we have a cold and our sinuses and nose are blocked. It is the control of airflow that assists good voice production. For this to occur good abdominal breathing is important. Laughing, coughing, crying, and the hiccups are void of this control. The other important component to good voice production is to keep the vocal cords moist so that they vibrate well. Simple measures such as avoiding caffeine and alcohol as well as increasing water intake are important. Top opera singers are exhorted to drink water so that they "pee clear." This is a sign of good hydration. Chewing gum also helps lubricate the throat. Commonly people with breathing pattern disorders speak rapidly; their sentences are punctuated by sighs, gasps and audible inhalations. The voice strength and tone fades with increasing pitch towards the end of a sentence. Many of these people have a defective breathing pattern; they seem to talk continuously in a steady stream only to gasp for breath before taking off again. A disturbance of your breathing pattern could lead to or contribute to a voice problem. Abdominal breathing using your diaphragm is one of the most important tools you have in controlling voice. |