How Singing Works

Plain and simple, singing is the production of musical sounds using one’s voice, going beyond speaking by utilizing specific tones and rhythms.

Anatomically, there are five components that allow singing to occur:
1) Air supply coming from the lungs
2) The larynx (or voicebox) where the vocal folds/cords are located and vibrate, creating sounds
3) The head and chest cavities that amplify the sounds
4) The tongue and other parts of the mouth that put consonants and vowels with the sound created
5) The abdominal muscular structure, especially the diaphragm

These five parts work together to help a person sing. Here’s basically how it works:
- Air is taken in by the lungs
- That air is then compressed and has force put behind it by the diaphragm and other muscles
- The air travels through the larynx and causes the vocal cords to vibrate
- These vibrations are amplified and resonate in various cavities and tubes in the body (see the picture below) and exit the body, creating a musical sound