| Break: |
Also known as a "crack". This always happens at or just above the "bridge". A sudden change in tone caused when excessive airflow overcomes vocal-cord tension which causes you to lose the continuity (connection) of tone production. This can be avoided if your cords are allowed to gradually thin and shorten their vibrating length with a corresponding gradual decrease in airflow, so excessive air pressure or muscle tension never gets a chance to build up. |
| Bridge: |
An area where there is a register break in the hertz. |
| Diaphragm: |
The dome shaped muscle attached to the bottom of the lungs that separates your chest and stomach cavities. Its main function is to initiate inhalation. |
| Falsetto: |
A type of vocal production, similar to head voice, that lets you experience the freedom of singing in the higher part of your range without strain. But, unlike head voice, falsetto cannot blend (connect) with your chest voice because when produced the cords do not actually connect. |
| Larynx: |
The organ at the top of your trachea (windpipe) made up of Cartilage, ligaments, and muscles. Inside the larynx (voice box), attached from front to back, are the vocal cords. |
| Pitch: |
The frequency of completed vibration cycles in a given tone; measured in hertz (cycles per second). The human ear has a range of 20 to 20,000 hertz. |
| Resonance: |
Occurs naturally when the voice is free to travel through the spaces above your vocal cords (your resonators) where it is modified by words and amplified before leaving your mouth; determines the final quality of your tone and makes your voice sound different from anyone else's. |
Speech-
Level-Singing™: |
Generally, when you speak in a quiet, comfortable manner, the outer muscles (those anywhere outside of the voice box) do not interfere with the functioning of your larynx. That's because tone is not your main concern. Communication is. Therefore, your larynx is allowed to rest in a relatively stable, or what we call a "speech-level" position. This is the ideal vocal condition or posture with which to sing. |
| Tone: |
Distinguishing musical tones from mere noises. A tone is sustained and equal pitch, and caused by regular and constant vibrations of air, set in motion by similar vibrations in the body producing the tone, while a noise is caused by irregular and unequal vibrations. |
| Vibrato: |
A natural oscillation of the vocal cords. A slight regular fluctuation in your tone. This is caused by the natural, normal relaxation and contraction of the vocal muscles. Vibrato gives "energy" or "life" to a tone during the vibration process. It is not the same thing as a tremolo or a wobble, which are caused by the instability of one's outer muscles when trying to use those muscles to control tone. |
| Vocal-cords: |
The main muscles of your larynx (pronounced lar:rinks); located inside the larynx (voice-box), attached from front to back in your larynx; vocal-cord vibration determines the initial quality of your voice. These two opposed ligaments are made up of muscle tissue, set in the larynx, whose vibration, caused by expelling air from the lungs, produces vocal tones. |
