Vocal Function Exercises: Voice Articulation And Language

INTRODUCTION:

Voice articulation and language are the major elements of human speech production. When a disorder related to any of these elements is present, the ability to communicate may be impaired. Voice is the elements of the speech that provides the speaker with the vibratory signal upon which speech is carried. Regarded as magical and mystical in ancient times, today the production of voice is viewed as both powerful communication tools and a artistic medium. It serves as the melody of our speech and provides expression, feeling, intent and mood to our daily articulated thoughts. As it is expressed artistically through the many varieties of vocal performance, voice provides great expression and joy for both the listener and the performer.

Vocal function exercises are used to strengthen the normal laryngeal muscle which improves the voice quality and finally improves the efficiency of singing. Thus it could be said that these exercises are used to improve the efficiency of singing voice

Vocal Function Exercises are a series of voice manipulations that were designed to strengthen and balance the normal laryngeal musculature and to balance airflow to muscular effort just like how jogging, weight lifting, aerobics etc are used to enhance normal physiologic function.

If the vocal warm up’s are not done appropriately a person may develop a vocal pathology, vocal function exercise not only improve the strength of the vocal musculature but also help in preventing the vocal pathologies.

Vocal function exercises (VFEs) are known to improve the voice quality of the beginner trainee singers. A beginner trainee singer is the one who has interest in learning singing “one who loves or is fond of," and, “one who cultivates singing not as a pastime, but to prosecute it

Glide from highest note lowest

Glide from your highest note to your lowest note with the word "boom".

Goal:Subject is instructed to feel half yawn in the throat throughout this exercise by keeping the pharynx open and focusing the sympathetic vibrations at the lip, the downward glide encourages a slow systematic engagement of the thyroarytenoid muscles without the presence of back focus growl. This is considered as contacting exercise.

4. Sustain the musical notes (C-D-E-F-G)

Sustain the musical notes (C-D-E-F-G) for as long as possible on the vowel /o/. (Middle (C) females, octave below middle (C) for males).

Goal: The goal remains the same as the first exercise. The vowel /o/ is once again produced with an open pharynx and constricted, sympathetically vibrating lips.

All though the basic range of middle /c/ of musical scale is appropriate for most voices.

The exercise may be customized up or down the musical scale to fit a particular voice type.

EXERCISE REGIME:

1) Full program two times each, two times a day.

2) Full program two times each, one time per day