Those amazing vocal cords! I won't go deeply into the anatomy and physiology of the vocal cords -- there is a ton of information available if you just google Vocal Cords.They are comprised of muscle and tissue and are very small, considering the amazing amount of sound they are capable of creating. Women, in general, have shorter and thinner vocal cords (1.25 cm--1.75 cm) while men have longer and thicker vocal cords (1.75 cm -- 2.5 cm). That accounts for the (generally) deeper, chestier voices of men.
Vocal cords are very affected by hormones. As people age and hormone levels drop, the vocal cords become slightly thicker and the vocal range may diminish in an untrained voice. However, with the right vocal training and care for the vocal cords, one can maintain, and possibly even develop more range (even after those hormonal changes take place in our 50s.)
Care of the Vocal Cords
1. If you watch the video (link at the bottom of this article) of the actual vocal cords as the person makes sound and breathes, you'll see that they are very moist. Drinking lots of water is especially important. Vocal cords need to be well hydrated for good health and functioning.
2.You will also see, in the illustration above, and in the video below, that the position of the vocal cords is very different for breathing and for speaking or singing. The vocal cords open up wide when we take in a full breath. To speak or sing in a way that is healthy, the vocal cords need to be mostly closed and then they vibrate together to create the sound. That means only a very small amount of air should be coming through with the sound. If we push a lot of air through the vocal cords as we are speaking or singing (as in whispering or singing in a "breathy" style) we will, over time, weaken the vocal cords.
The good news is -- the body knows how to adjust the air flow if we make sounds in a strong and connected way. For example, many of us like to hum along to songs but too often we do it in a quiet, breathy way which is not so good. If we hum or make that MMMMMM sound and we make it a little stronger and more definite, then we are allowing the vocal cords to stay closed and vibrate properly. (In making that MMMMMM sound, make sure the jaw is relaxed even though the mouth is closed. Even with the mouth closed, you can still drop the jaw to some extent.)
Sometimes, with shy people, there is a tendency to speak in a hesitant, quiet, uncertain, breathy way. Or if we are in a position to have to sing with a group, I know my former favourite trick was to kind of sing "under my breath" so no one would hear me! To take the best possible care of our vocal cords, it is really important for our sound to be connected and definite. So I still recommend (as I did in Part 1 -- the previous blog post) that we learn to breathe deeply into the deepest part of the lungs and then we concentrate on making the sound correctly and allow the body to adjust the breathing to support the sound. When you are using only a small amount of air, you may find that you can hold the note much longer than you previously could.
3. Caffeine and alcohol are very dehydrating to the vocal cords, so be sure to follow those substances with extra water.Or, even better, eliminate them if you can. Dairy products can create a lot of mucous in the vocal apparatus. If you try vocalizing or singing the day after you have ingested dairy, you may feel quite "phlegmy" and needing to clear your throat a lot. By the way, constantly clearing your throat can also be hard on the vocal cords. Notice when you need to do it. If it is mostly a nervous habit, see if you can just take some deep breaths instead. Or try decreasing (or eliminating) your dairy intake.
4. All general rules of good health -- adequate rest, good diet, hydration, exercise, also help the vocal cords function at their best ability. Whether we love to sing, sound, vocalize, tell stories, offer our voices in sound healing or we want and need to be able to speak our truth in a definite and strong way, it all starts with healthy vocal cords.
A GRAPHIC View of the Vocal Cords
Sooooo -- Love your voice, Love your vocal cords!!
These are amazing and awesome gifts we have been given.
Barbara
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