How to Sing Better- The Muscles of the Voice

Appoggio vs. Valving

Valving, or vocal fold adduction, is the key to a well-produced vocal tone. You can have all the support in the world, but if the vocal folds are not firmly adducted at the onset of sound, it’s all for naught. Vocal fold closure must be equal to subglottal air pressure. Excessive glottal closure is called hyper-adduction. Insufficient glottal closure is called hypo-adduction.

It’s all about balance. If air pressure and glottal closure are too high (hyper-adduction) the resulting sound is overdriven and raspy. If air pressure and vocal fold adduction are too low (hypo-adduction), the sound will be anemic and breathy. If the balance of air pressure and glottal closure are just right the sound is clear and strong but not forced.

Higher and louder pitches require increased subglottal (below the glottis) breath pressure. Increasing breath pressure is not the same as increasing airflow; increased breath pressure must be balanced with adequate fold adduction. Pushing air, particularly at high dynamic levels, is one sure path to vocal trauma.

“Strong” is a relative term; each voice is unique in what strong is for them.

The Intrinsic Muscles

The intrinsic muscles adduct, shorten, and lengthen the folds and affect closed quotient.  The TA (thyroarytenoid) muscles shorten, thicken, and adduct the folds, the LCA, (lateral cricoarytenoid) muscles and IA (interarytenoid) muscles adduct the folds, and the CT (cricothyroid) muscles lengthen the folds. 

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