1 What is the Voice?

The voice originates from the vocal folds, which are inside the larynx (the “adam’s apple”). Vocal folds are often called vocal cords. When air passes through the trachea (also known as the windpipe), the air makes these vocal folds vibrate together. These vibrations create the voice! The speed of these vibrations affect the pitch of the voice – slower vibrations result in a lower voice, and faster vibrations result in a higher voice. These vibrations also make other parts of head vibrate, such as the oral cavity (mouth) and nasal cavity (nose and sinuses). The shape of the mouth and nasal cavity affect the voice’s quality, and this quality of a sound is called timbre.

In addition to the vocal folds, mouth and nasal cavity vibrating when the voice is activated, a singer’s entire body is affected. Therefore, it is appropriate to say that a singer’s instrument is their entire body.