Voice Therapy

This article outlines the anatomy and physiology of the voice, vocal health and how to use your voice effectively to exude confidence and clarity.

Voice is generally characterized by pitch, volume and quality. Generally, an average voice often has an appropriate pitch, good quality and an adequate amount of volume. Rapid changes in these often result in an unstable voice. 

I was an actor for many years (and, in fact, I still am from time to time). This means I have many old friends who are still working in the industry and rely on their voices to make a living.

Pitch is a component of voice that determines how high or low it sounds. It is an important feature that determines a voice. Generally, a feminine voice has a higher pitch and a masculine voice has a lower pitch. The pitch of a voice is determined by a number of factors which are: the size of the vocal folds, the size of the larynx, the muscles of the larynx and the number of times vocal folds vibrate while producing voice.

The technique of straw phonation has gained considerable attention for its effectiveness and simplicity. This technique is part of a broader category known as Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract (SOVT) exercises. Both speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and vocal coaches use the technique to help clients improve resonance and vocal health.

Resonance, in very simple terms, is the vibration of a structure when its frequency is being  matched. In the human body, there are different cavities which can contribute to vocal resonance. A change in resonance changes the quality of a voice. 

Breathing is the fundamental part of life as it allows us to live. Not only is it essential to survive but it  also plays a fundamental role in speech production. Breathing while speaking is so important as it is the basis for using our voice. 

Generally, when we speak, our pitch rises and falls. The term used for this rising and falling of pitch is called intonation. Intonation is a very useful feature in speech, and we will further read about the types, uses and the implications of intonation in speaking.

Professional voice users are people whose voice is essential for their jobs. Professional voice users include singers, teachers, speech language pathologists, actors, broadcast personalities, clergy and salespeople. Unlike other professionals who can do certain modifications to not use their voice and function adequately, professional voice users need to use their voice to perform their job requirements

I’ve always found it helpful and interesting to discuss how different parts of speech actually work in the body. This can be helpful for clients to picture in their minds what an SLP is seeing, and for clients to be on the same page about why it may be important to work on areas such as breath support or enunciation. I wanted to take some time today to provide some summaries about the physiology of speech.