SING LIKE A STAR BLOG

The Intercostal Muscles

The term intercostal means between the ribs.

The external intercostals (the outer layer of muscle) expand the ribcage during inspiration (inhaling). The internal intercostals (the inner layer of muscle) are more active during exhalation when the ribcage slowly goes inward.

These two sets of muscles work like a bellows, drawing air in and then expelling it. The intercostals play a role in appoggio (support) by delaying the collapse of the ribcage.

During expiration for singing the internal and external intercostals are slightly antagonistically engaged, one against the other.

The oppositional action of the inner and outer intercostal muscles delays the return of the ribcage to its original pre-inspiratory position and thus the ascent of the diaphragm to its original position, providing the slow and steady stream of air needed for extended phonation.

The Abdominal Muscles

During the inhalation phase, the abdominals should be completely relaxed...

With active respiration, we affect or control both inhalation and exhalation. During inhalation for singing, the abdominal muscles should relax; there will be an expansion around the middle of the torso, including the epigastrium, waistline, bottom ribs, and lower back.

As the diaphragm lowers, it displaces the internal viscera slightly, causing slight outward expansion of the epigastrium (the area of the abdomen between the navel and the sternum) and torso.

Focus mainly on the sideways or lateral expansion of the lower ribcage during inhalation. Simply expand the lower ribcage outward while relaxing the abdominal muscles during inhalation; everything else will follow.

When the ribs open, a vacuum is created due to differences in air pressure and air naturally flows in. (See Air Pressure and Thoracic Volume above). The expansion of the lower ribcage, epigastrium, waistline, abdomen, and back is known as the 360 Degree Singer’s Breath.

Exhalation

During phonation...

Respiration for singing is called active respiration. Passive respiration is used in most of our daily activities, where breathing is automatic.

Breathing and support are often hotly debated topics among voice teachers and singers. Some teachers feel that it is the most important aspect of singing; they have their students do weeks or months of breathing exercises before they allow them to sing.

At the other extreme are those who don’t teach breathing and support at all because of the possibility of overloading the vocal folds with too much air pressure.

Breath management is another case where our motto just enough and not too much should be the guiding tenet.

Some singers need more breath support to fuel their particular vocal genre and voice type; others need less. This can be style-driven or based on the development and physiognomy of the individual singer.

The objective is always to find a balance between breath pressure and vocal fold adduction. If the vocal sound is...

Have you ever heard someone say sing from your diaphragm or put your hand on your diaphragm?

While many people use this phrase, they never seem to follow up with an explanation about what singing from the diaphragm actually entails.

When we ask new students what they have been told about breathing, they almost always mention singing from the diaphragm. This phrase is bandied about by choir directors and voice teachers alike, usually without much explanation about what singing from the diaphragm actually entails.

First of all, it is impossible to sing from your diaphragm; the diaphragm is incapable of creating sound. The basic voiced sound is created by the opening and closing of the vocal folds. This basic sound is subsequently filtered in the vocal tract.

You might have been told that we create support with the diaphragm. That is not exactly true either. The diaphragm has no volition or independent ability to create support or sound. It simply goes down and up automatically when we...

When we breathe for singing, air is inhaled through abducted (open) vocal folds, traveling down the trachea to the lungs.

The muscles involved in respiration include:

• The neck muscles (sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles) that elevate the sternum and the first two ribs.
• The external intercostal muscles that move the ribcage up and out during inhalation.
• The pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscles that pull the ribcage outward during inhalation.
• The oblique, transversus abdominis, and rectus abdominis muscles that pull the ribcage back down during exhalation.

Other muscles used in respiration include the sternocleidomastoid, scalenes, serratus, pectoralis major & minor, upper trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, iliocostalis lumborum, quadratus lumborum, levatores costarum, transversus thoracic, and subclavius muscles.

In the image below, notice that the vocal folds are abducted (open) for inhalation, forming a “V” shape. The space between the...

Anatomy is the study of the body and physiology is the study of how the systems in the body function. An understanding of how the cooperative components of our amazing vocal system work together will give you a solid fact-based foundation on which to build good vocal technique and train great singers.

Some singers are sensation based; they are mostly concerned with what feels right. However, others may be interested in knowing some of the science behind this marvelously designed system. An understanding of how the voice works will make the vocal training process much more meaningful and effective for you.

Think of the singing voice as a system. Systems are made up of various components or smaller systems that must all work cooperatively together.

The system of the voice consists of three components: respiration (air, or energy source), phonation (the vibrator or oscillator) and resonation (a filtering and selective reinforcement/damping system).

Respiration for singing is...

Every human being is born with two vocal registers; we all have a lower register and an upper register.

The lower register is often referred to (imprecisely) as the chest voice. It's the voice most of us speak with (unless you talk like Julia Child or Michael Jackson).

The lower register is where we sing lower pitches.

We are using the chest voice or lower register when we loudly call out to our neighbor across the street. If you place your hand on your chest and call HEY! you will feel vibrations in the chest cavity. 

That is why the lower register historically has been known as the chest voice. In later chapters, we will discover that these vibrations do not actually originate in the chest; they are known as sympathetic resonance.

We also have an upper register, which has traditionally been called the head voice or falsetto. 

This is the voice we use to sing higher pitches.

The term head voice evolved because when people sing higher pitches they experience...

Take, for example, Sing Like A Star vocal student Angelica Hale.

Born in 2007, this talented youngster took what she learned via Sing Like A Star and made a name for herself on the TV show America’s Got Talent.

She competed in the 12th season of the show, and became runner-up to that season’s winner, Darci Lynne Farmer.

Then, she competed on the first season of America’s Got Talent: The Champions where she was the only singer in history to receive two Golden Buzzers!

How cool is that?

She may be small in stature, and so young, but Angelica Hale has a big voice. She also has a drive to win-- she’s a true competitor. Whether she sings Alicia Keys’ “This Girl is on Fire” or Andra Day’s stirring “Rise Up,” she wows people with her voice and engaging stage performance.

Furthermore, people know a...