Logan Steele
The human voice is produced by the airflow from the lungs, coordinated by the diaphragm and abdominal and chest muscles. The pitch of the voice is determined by the degree of tension in the vocal folds of the larynx, which is influenced by the laryngeal muscles. The thyroarytenoid muscle, for example, forms the body of the vocal folds and helps regulate their tension. The cricothyroid muscle, meanwhile, lengthens the vocal folds, causing them to vibrate faster and produce a higher pitch. The modulation of vocal pitch is central to communication, creating intonation patterns that convey linguistic meaning.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Vocal pitch is determined by | Degree of tension in the vocal folds of the larynx |
| The larynx is composed of | Three cartilages |
| Voice box muscles are named according to | The cartilages to which they are attached |
| The vocal folds are composed of | The thyroarytenoid muscle |
| The thyroarytenoid muscle | Helps close the glottis and regulate tension of vocal folds |
| Vocal pitch is controlled by | The brain's control over the muscles of the larynx |
| The cricothyroid muscle | Lengthens and tightens the vocal folds, causing them to vibrate faster and raise pitch |
| The thyroarytenoid muscle | Shortens the vocal folds, causing them to vibrate more slowly and lower pitch |
| The posterior cricoarytenoid muscle | Widens the rima glottidis, abducting the vocal folds |
| The lateral cricoarytenoid muscle | Narrows the rima glottidis, modulating the tone and volume of speech |
| Laryngeal elevators | Raise the larynx and pitch |
| Laryngeal depressors | Lower the larynx and pitch |
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What You'll Learn
The thyroarytenoid muscle lowers pitch
The pitch of a person's voice is determined by the degree of tension in the vocal folds of the larynx. The voice box, or larynx, adjusts vocal fold tension to vary pitch. The thyroarytenoid muscle is an intrinsic laryngeal muscle that helps regulate the length and tension of vocal folds. It is a broad, thin muscle that forms the body of the vocal fold and supports the wall of the ventricle and its appendix. It arises in front of the lower half of the angle of the thyroid cartilage and from the middle cricothyroid ligament. Its fibres pass backward and laterally, inserting into the base and anterior surface of the arytenoid cartilage.
The thyroarytenoid muscle is one of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, along with the oblique arytenoid, transverse arytenoid, posterior cricoarytenoid, lateral cricoarytenoid, cricothyroid, aryepiglotticus, thyroepiglottic muscles, and vocalis. These muscles work as a group to regulate the length and tension of the vocal folds. The thyroarytenoid muscle is innervated by the recurrent laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus nerve. It is supplied by the laryngeal branches of the superior and inferior thyroid arteries and is drained by the internal jugular vein via the superior and inferior laryngeal veins.
The interplay of cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscle activation controls not only pitch but also register. While the cricothyroid muscle is maximally contracted, engaging the thyroarytenoid initially has no effect on pitch. Once a threshold level of thyroarytenoid stimulation is reached, a rapid pitch decrease occurs, analogous to the register change from head to chest voice in humans. The thyroarytenoid muscle, therefore, lowers the pitch.
The thyroarytenoid muscle has two parts with different attachments and directions, making its action rather complicated. Its main use is to draw the arytenoid cartilages forward toward the thyroid, thus relaxing and shortening the vocal folds. However, owing to the connection of the deeper portion with the vocal fold, this part, if acting separately, is supposed to modify its elasticity and tension. The lateral portion rotates the arytenoid cartilage inward, bringing the two vocal folds together.
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The cricothyroid muscle raises pitch
The cricothyroid muscle is a muscle in the larynx that plays a role in controlling the tension and, consequently, the pitch of the vocal cords. The vocal cords, also known as the vocal folds, are a part of the vibratory system of the voice mechanism. The pitch of a sound produced by the vocal cords is determined by the degree of tension in the cords, which is influenced by complex and nonlinear interactions among the laryngeal muscles.
The cricothyroid muscle raises the pitch by increasing the distance between the vocal processes and the angle of the thyroid cartilage, thereby elongating and tensing the vocal folds. This results in a higher pitch of sound produced, known as phonation. The cricothyroid muscle works in conjunction with other muscles in the larynx, such as the interarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles, which are the classical adductor muscles that control the degree of glottis closure.
The cricothyroid muscle is innervated by the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve, which is a part of the vagus nerve system. The activity of this muscle is directly correlated with the pitch of vocalization. When the cricothyroid muscle is maximally contracted, it can rapidly decrease the pitch by engaging the thyroarytenoid muscle, resulting in a register change from a head to a chest voice. This transition between registers is a key focus of voice training for singers, as it indicates that voluntary control can modify laryngeal function.
The modulation of vocal pitch is essential for human communication, as it creates intonation patterns that convey linguistic meaning. The ability to modulate pitch is unique to humans among primates. By understanding the role of the cricothyroid muscle in pitch modulation, we can appreciate the complexity of the human voice mechanism and its impact on our expressive capabilities.
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The brain controls pitch
The brain plays a crucial role in controlling pitch, a fundamental aspect of human vocal communication. Pitch is determined by the degree of tension in the vocal folds of the larynx, which is influenced by complex interactions among the laryngeal muscles. The brain, specifically the dorsal laryngeal motor cortex (dLMC), controls these muscle movements, allowing for the modulation of pitch in speech and song.
The dLMC, located in the sensorimotor cortex, activates when speakers emphasize different words in a sentence by varying pitch and volume. This area is responsible for controlling the sounds made by the larynx, while other neurons regulate variations in vocal pitch. The dLMC also plays a role in non-speech singing tasks, demonstrating its involvement in both spoken and sung vocalizations.
Research has shown that the dLMC is activated when individuals listen silently to the sound of their own voices, suggesting an explanation for how people mimic speech patterns, including matching another person's pitch. This has therapeutic implications, particularly for those with aprosodia, a neurological condition characterized by disruptions in pitch, loudness, rate, or rhythm, affecting emotional expression.
The brain's control over pitch extends beyond the dLMC. The primary motor cortex, for example, exhibits activation peaks associated with different pitch levels produced by trained singers. Additionally, the modulation of vocal pitch involves the coordination of multiple subsystems, including the diaphragm, abdominal and chest muscles, and the vocal tract.
In summary, the brain, through regions like the dLMC and primary motor cortex, governs pitch by regulating tension in the vocal folds of the larynx. This control enables humans to convey meaning through intonation patterns and express emotions in speech and song, showcasing the intricate relationship between the brain and vocal pitch production.
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Vocal fold tension changes pitch
The pitch of a person's voice is determined by the degree of tension in the vocal folds of the larynx. The vocal folds, also known as the vocal cords, are a "fold-like" soft tissue that vibrates rapidly to produce sound. The voice box (larynx) and vocal folds comprise the vibratory system of the voice mechanism. The voice box muscles are named according to the cartilages to which they are attached.
The vocal ligament is composed of the vocal fold body, which includes the thyroarytenoid muscle. This muscle helps close the glottis and regulate tension during speaking and/or singing. The medial portion of this muscle is also called the "vocalis muscle." The vocal folds move similar to a car's windshield wipers, which are attached to the middle of the windshield and open outwards.
The cricothyroid (CT) and thyroarytenoid (TA) muscles are the two major intrinsic laryngeal muscles that control the physical parameters of the vocal folds. Contraction of the CT muscle stretches and increases the tension of the vocal folds, causing them to vibrate at a higher frequency and raising the pitch of the voice. The TA muscle lies within the body of the vocal fold and helps regulate vocal fold tension during speech and singing.
Excessive tension in the perilaryngeal muscles acting on the laryngeal cartilages can interfere with the delicate control of vocal fold geometry. This may limit the range of vocal fold posturing and require compensation by increased activity of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles to maintain pitch. Adaptive behaviours to tighten the larynx may also result from laryngeal-respiratory compensation.
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Laryngeal elevators and depressors change pitch
The pitch of a person's voice is determined by the degree of tension in the vocal folds of the larynx. The voice box (or larynx) and vocal folds (or vocal cords) make up the vibratory system of the voice mechanism. The voice box muscles are named according to the cartilages to which they are attached. The vocal ligament is composed of the vocal fold body, which includes the thyroarytenoid muscle. This muscle helps close the glottis and regulate tension in the vocal fold during speaking or singing.
The laryngeal elevators and depressors are extrinsic laryngeal muscles that raise and lower the larynx. The main laryngeal elevators are the digastric (anterior and posterior), stylohyoid, mylohyoid, geniohyoid, genioglossus, hyoglossus, and thyropharyngeus muscles. The laryngeal depressors are the sternohyoid, omohyoid, sternothyroid, and thyrohyoid.
The position of the larynx is important in singing. If the larynx is too high or too low, the singer may experience a choking sensation or an "open throat" sensation, respectively. An elevated larynx is common during certain phases of training, especially when singing in a falsetto voice. In this case, it is not a cause for concern, as the singer is working towards a balanced laryngeal suspension. However, if a singer consistently sings with a high larynx, it may indicate an issue with the balance between the stretcher and closer muscles (crico-thyroid and arytenoid).
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Frequently asked questions
The muscles that change pitch are the cricothyroid, thyroarytenoid, posterior cricoarytenoid, lateral cricoarytenoid, transverse arytenoids, and oblique arytenoids.
The pitch is determined by the degree of tension in the vocal folds of the larynx, which is influenced by the complex and nonlinear interactions among the laryngeal muscles. The cricothyroid muscle, for example, lengthens and tightens the vocal folds, causing them to vibrate faster and resulting in a higher pitch.
The voice box (larynx) and vocal folds (vocal cords) comprise the vibratory system of the voice mechanism. The voice box adjusts vocal fold tension to vary pitch and changes in volume.
The brain controls the muscles of the larynx, which in turn modulates vocal pitch. The bilateral dorsal laryngeal motor cortex (dLMC) controls short pitch accents to express prosodic emphasis on a word in a sentence.
