Introduction:
Voice is a blessing to mankind. Voice is a medium of communication, the power of expression. The voice connects the head with the heart. It lies between them. It connects the intellect with emotions. It expresses the understanding and thoughts of the head with words. It connects our inner self with the outer world. It is a bridge between them. A developed voice means better expression and communication skills. Good voice leads to better expressional ability. A flexible voice makes us capable of communicating in any given circumstance. An ideal voice helps us to master any situation by our expression skills.
Though basically used for speaking, voice is also used artistically for singing, i.e. to produce music. When the phonation is in a definite frequency, or a series of musical, sweet sounds it is a termed as singing. The primary aim of ‘voice’ is communication and expression. But, the subtler qualities of voice are creativity, understanding and expressing the depths and details of sound and music.
The process of enriching the voice is known as voice culture. It involves training the voice to sing or speak in a particular desired way. It is a procedure where one learns to master one’s voice. This study includes traditional and scientific methods to improve the quality of voice.
Our speaking and singing voices are created from the same, exact anatomical structures. The whole of the respiratory system and the entire structure from the abdomen to the brain play some role in the production of speech sounds.
The speaking voice needs extra support of articulators for better pronunciation skills. Singing involves the utilization of more of the supraglottic spaces i.e. the cavity just above the voice box, for resonance and for prolonged vowel sounds. Otherwise, singing and speaking are almost identical.
Voice should be trained and cultured for better communication, speaking and singing skills. Effective control of breath, enhancing breathing capacity and sound perception, flexible speech organs, adjustments of resonators, wider range, mental perception, etc. are the common features wherein the voice can be trained. The subtler features where this training is necessary are our anxieties, stresses, beliefs and fears which hinder good expression, communication, singing and creativity.
The technique of skillful voice production for singing or speaking requires a more delicate control over the muscles and a more complex pattern of their coordination with the brain.
Voice production consists of many fields for training such as the shape of the mouth, effective pronunciation of the words, adjusting the voice to different tempos or speeds, controlling of volume or amplitude, vowel pronunciation, a very important feature of developing imaginative power to improvise and above all a better analytical hearing capacity of all the above factors.
According to Indian Philosophy the anatomy and physiology of Voice (vaak) is explained with a different perspective. Voice is the basic motor organ (karmendriya). Its governing element is ether (aakash tattwa). It gathers knowledge mainly from the ‘ear’, its sense organ. In other words its respective jnanendriya (organ providing knowledge) is the ear. The coordination of the ear and voice is done by the mind, its physical centre being the brain. A combination of all the other four elements – vayuh (air), agni (fire), aapa (water) and pritvi (earth) is used for the physical final output of voice.
Voice is a blessing to mankind. Voice is a medium of communication, the power of expression. The voice connects the head with the heart. It lies between them. It connects the intellect with emotions. It expresses the understanding and thoughts of the head with words. It connects our inner self with the outer world. It is a bridge between them. A developed voice means better expression and communication skills. Good voice leads to better expressional ability. A flexible voice makes us capable of communicating in any given circumstance. An ideal voice helps us to master any situation by our expression skills.
Though basically used for speaking, voice is also used artistically for singing, i.e. to produce music. When the phonation is in a definite frequency, or a series of musical, sweet sounds it is a termed as singing. The primary aim of ‘voice’ is communication and expression. But, the subtler qualities of voice are creativity, understanding and expressing the depths and details of sound and music.
The process of enriching the voice is known as voice culture. It involves training the voice to sing or speak in a particular desired way. It is a procedure where one learns to master one’s voice. This study includes traditional and scientific methods to improve the quality of voice.
Our speaking and singing voices are created from the same, exact anatomical structures. The whole of the respiratory system and the entire structure from the abdomen to the brain play some role in the production of speech sounds.
| Role of | Voice Organs | Role in Voice Productions |
| Air Pressure System | Diaphragm, Chest walls and muscles, ribs, abdominal muscles, Trachea,Lungs | Provides and regulates air pressure to cause vocal cords to vibrate |
| Vibratory System | Voice box (larynx) | Vocal cords vibrate, changing air pressure to sound waves producing "voiced sound," frequently described as a "buzzy sound" |
| Vocal cords | Varies pitch of sound | |
| Resonating System -Resonators | Vocal tract, throat (pharynx), oral cavity, nasal passages, sinuses, digestive tract, air cavities of lungs and heart | Changes the "buzzy sound" into a person's recognizable voice | Modifying System -Articulators | Oral Cavity (teeth, gums, cheeks, hard palate,), lips, tongue, soft palate, pharynx | Changes the phonated vowels to consonants. They modify the voiced sound. The articulators produce recognizable words. |
The speaking voice needs extra support of articulators for better pronunciation skills. Singing involves the utilization of more of the supraglottic spaces i.e. the cavity just above the voice box, for resonance and for prolonged vowel sounds. Otherwise, singing and speaking are almost identical.
Voice should be trained and cultured for better communication, speaking and singing skills. Effective control of breath, enhancing breathing capacity and sound perception, flexible speech organs, adjustments of resonators, wider range, mental perception, etc. are the common features wherein the voice can be trained. The subtler features where this training is necessary are our anxieties, stresses, beliefs and fears which hinder good expression, communication, singing and creativity.
The technique of skillful voice production for singing or speaking requires a more delicate control over the muscles and a more complex pattern of their coordination with the brain.
Voice production consists of many fields for training such as the shape of the mouth, effective pronunciation of the words, adjusting the voice to different tempos or speeds, controlling of volume or amplitude, vowel pronunciation, a very important feature of developing imaginative power to improvise and above all a better analytical hearing capacity of all the above factors.
According to Indian Philosophy the anatomy and physiology of Voice (vaak) is explained with a different perspective. Voice is the basic motor organ (karmendriya). Its governing element is ether (aakash tattwa). It gathers knowledge mainly from the ‘ear’, its sense organ. In other words its respective jnanendriya (organ providing knowledge) is the ear. The coordination of the ear and voice is done by the mind, its physical centre being the brain. A combination of all the other four elements – vayuh (air), agni (fire), aapa (water) and pritvi (earth) is used for the physical final output of voice.
