GENERAL QUESTION

1. What are the two basic functions of your diaphragm? (page 33)

ABOUT AN INHALE
1. Are your vocal folds open and relaxed, or stretched and mostly closed, during an inhale?
(page 29, 33, 38)

2. What body parts, by moving, create an inhale? (page 33)

3. In which two directions does your diaphragm move for an inhale? (page 33)

4. For what purpose does your diaphragm move like that? (page 33)

5. Why does your abdomen move forward during an inhale? (page 34)

6. In what direction do your ribs move during an inhale? (page 33, 34)

7. Why do your ribs need to move in that direction? (page 25, 33)

8. What moves your ribs? (page 21) 40 Introducing Your Instrument

ABOUT AN EXHALE
1. During an exhale, are your vocal folds open and relaxed or stretched and mostly closed?
(page 29, 30, 36)

2. In which direction do your ribs move during an exhale? (page 35, 36) 3. What moves them that way? (page 35)

4. As your ribs move in that direction, what effect do they have on your a) lungs and b) breath? (page 36)

5. As your ribs move in that direction, what effect do they have on the state of your diaphragm muscles? (Refer to the elastic band demonstration if needed.) (page 36)

6. During an exhale, is the condition of your diaphragm active or passive? (page 36, 38)

7. During an exhale, does your diaphragm continue to push down on your lower organs?

(page 36)

8. During an exhale, in which directions does your diaphragm move? (page 25, 35, 36)

9. What causes your diaphragm to move in each of these directions? (page 36, 38) 10. In which direction would your diaphragm have to move first, in order to move in the other direction? (Use an elastic band to help you with this answer.) (page 35, 36, 38)

11. For an exhale, does the air need to be regulated or just flow out? (page 38)

ABOUT VOCAL SOUND

1. For vocal sound, should the air just flow out, or does it need to be regulated? (page 30, 36,
38)

2. Why?

3. What function does your diaphragm play in creating vocal sound? (page 37, 38)

4. Briefly describe how the diaphragm works to provide this func- tion. (page 37, 38)

5. When functioning in this role, is your diaphragm active or passive? (page 37, 38)

6. Is this function automatic or do you need to do something physi- cally to make it happen?
(page 37, 38)

COMPARISON
1. Compare the state of your diaphragm muscles during an exhale, with its function for vocal sound. (Write down your answers, and check them against any of your earlier answers.) EXHALE:

VOCAL SOUND:

2. Are these the same or different? Why?

3. Now double-check your answers with the information in Chapter 5.

4. If you find you need to change your answer to #2 above, do so now.

5. Review the basic actions that occur for an exhale. (Check against your previous answers.) RIBS:

AIR:

DIAPHRAGM:

VOCAL FOLDS: (Stick with me, were almost done!)

6. What two main actions happen during an exhale that you dont need nor want when creating vocal sound? 1) 2)

SELF TEST SECTION

Put your hands on your rib cage about halfway up your sides, so you can feel the curve of your ribs. Take a deep breath through your mouth. Pick a comfortable pitch and observe what your rib cage does as you sustain an Ah for as long as you can. 1. What did your rib cage do as you inhaled?

2. What did your rib cage do while you sustained the sound?

DISCOVERY SECTION
Think back to the basic information we covered regarding the effect that the falling rib cage has on the muscles of the diaphragm as well as your lungs and the air inside your lungs. 1. When your ribs lower, what effect does this have on your lungs? (page 25, 36)

2. When your ribs lower, what effect does this have on the air inside your lungs? (page 36,
38)

3. When you make vocal sound, do you need the air to be pushed out or generated up to the vocal folds in regulated amounts? (page 36, 37, 38)

4. During vocal sound production, what body part is capable of automatically regulating your air? (page 33, 37, 38)

5. While singing, what might happen to your vocal folds, your throat, and your sound, if too much air was pushed out of your lungs at one time? (page 32, 38)

6. What body part pushes air out of your lungs? (page 36)

7. By moving, which body part permits the total relaxation of your diaphragm? (Use the elastic band to help you, if needed.) (page 35, 36)

8. When your diaphragm is relaxed, are its muscles in an active or passive state? (page 36,
38)

9. When you sing, do you need your diaphragm to be active or passive? (page 37, 38)

To help you answer the upcoming last two questions, get an elastic band. Hold it with your hands by both ends, and stretch it. Once again, the elastic band represents your diaphragm, and your hands represent your ribs. (If youre stumped even after working with the elastic band, the next chapter will spell it out for you. But please try to figure this out for yourself first!)

CREATING THE SOLUTION!

1. Physically, what could you do to prevent your rib cage from pushing out your air? 2. Physically, what could you do to prevent your diaphragm from relaxing? (Your answer to #1 and #2 should be basically the same.)