Compression & Adduction

[johndavis]

Should you close the chords before you sing? So you breathe in, close the chords, and then sing?

What's the difference between compression and adduction and how do you achieve both?

[Steven Fraser]

Should you close the chords before you sing? So you breathe in, close the chords, and then sing?

What's the difference between compression and adduction and how do you achieve both?

Hi, johndavis.

As an exercise, closing the glottis (which is what you mean by 'closing the chords') is useful for assuring that the adduction is complete. However, in actual singing, the timing of the adduction should coincide with the provision of breath, so that the glottis is not 'popped' open from a closed position. In the lit, this is called a 'coordinated onset'. The one starting from the closed position is a 'glottal onset', and the one that starts the breath first is an 'aspirate onset'.

Adduction happens when you act on the desire to make a vocal tone... its unavoidable. You do it all the time when you speak and sing. Compression (better known as 'medial compression' is the amount of force the vocal bands have on each other when adducted. This varies based on the registration (laryngeal muscular adjustment) and the vocal range.

[VideoHere]

seriously great reply.

[johndavis]

So closing the chords isn't something to do while singing?

[Steven Fraser]

So closing the chords isn't something to do while singing?

johndavis: I am not sure I understand your question. Are you asking if one starts singing and then closes the glottis?

There are some kinds of singing that involve phonation that does not fully close the glottis. Tone quality in this is quite light, and even airy. Whether this is done is a stylistic choice, or a limitation of technique.

[johndavis]

Should you breathe in, immediately close the chords, and then sing.

[ronws]

Nope, because you don't do those things in sequence, you do them simultaneously.