MAIN TOPICS
MISC.
Our Blog
Joy's Interviews & Articles
Puccini Effect
Neuroscience Links
Joy's Impropera
Joy's Alaskan Story
What Others Say
Voice Anatomy
"How wonderful is the human voice! It is indeed the organ of the soul. The intellect of man sits enthroned visibly, on his forehead and in his eye, and the heart of man is written on his countenance, but the soul reveals itself in the voice only." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
General Anatomy
If you want to sing with beauty, power and long-lasting control for the rest of your life, this article is a must! I've included all sorts of pictures of the important muscles surrounding your larynx and why it's so important to get a visual and kinesthetic understanding of them.
You're tongue is either going to make or break you so you REALLY NEED TO KNOW how it works to insure an open throat and well-rounded sound or cause a constricted throat that muffles the sound.
A great site from Lion's Voice Clinic in Minnesota, with detailed but user-friendly information, photos, diagrams and explanations about how the voice works.
Drawings & explanations of 3 subsections.
University of Sheffield Voice Project with diagrams and explanations.
Vocal Cords & Larynx
Moving image of real vocal cords from UCLA...ewwwooey-gooey!
Wikipedia's definitions and diagram of the vocal cords (or vocal folds).
Colorful diagrams and simple definitions from the University of Pittsburgh.
Basically medical descriptions and drawings from Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Lungs
Basic lung anatomy with cool picture of "breathing" lungs at bottom their page.
Lots of information on respiration and how we breath.
A great introduction to the lungs for kids, with a fun section, "Time to Talk", for experimenting with your breath while making sounds.
Diaphragm
Best image I've seen that shows what happens to our diaphragm when we breath in and out. Be sure to see it in "action" at the bottom of their page
Tongue
Your tongue can either make you or break you. It's either your best friend or your worst enemy. Find out how a tense tongue can muffle your sound.
