Tanner Pruett - McCoy - Ch. 4

 Chapter 4: Larynx and Vocal Folds

In this chapter, McCoy discusses the anatomy of the instrument of the singer and gives specific details about the physical action of phonation. He starts with the vocal folds (which were incorrectly understood as "vocal chords" in the past), which is a microscopic structure of layers used for phonation. The body of the vocal folds is comprised of a muscles called the thyroarytenoid (its point of origin is the thyroid cartilage and its point of insertion is the arytenoid cartilage). McCoy makes an important point about this structure when he says, "In healthy vocal folds, oscillation is facilitated through the gentle slippage of the cover over the body." (pg. 41). This helps explain the process of phonation in the vocal folds and also specifies that this is a "gentle" process. Then, McCoy discusses the larynx, which is the structural framework that enclose the vocal folds. An important part of the discussion was this line, "Because the hyoid has no joint connecting it to the skeleton, it enjoys substantial freedom of movement." (pg. 44). Although this is obvious to voice professionals, it is important to remember that the larynx is made to freely move around! In the next part of the chapter, McCoy discusses the physical actions required for phonation. He compares the function of the vocal folds to a rubber band, meaning that when they stretch, they become thinner and tighter, "producing oscillations of higher frequency." (pg. 47). One of the important muscles in this process is the thyroarytenoid muscle, which contracts to shorten and thicken the vocal fold and lower pitch. Alternatively, the cricothyroid muscles have the opposite function of the thyroarytenoid muscles, meaning they elongate and thin the vocal folds and raise pitch. The anatomy of the vocal folds and the larynx are extremely important for us to understand as voice teachers because they help us understand what is happening in our student's voices. If we want to improve the technique of our students, we have to understand what we want from their vocal folds and larynx. Then, we create exercises and warm ups to get their voices to phonate in a more efficient and healthy way.