Placido Domingo and Vocal Cords
Have you ever listened to an opera singer and wondered how in the world he can hold loud notes for a lengthy period of time? Has it ever amazed you that singers like Placido Domingo have been performing professionally for over 50 years? The secret is exercising; specifically, exercising the vocal cords, which protects them.
The Larynx and Vocal Cords
Your body mass is made of several muscle groups and tissues that keep your body's numerous systems moving and performing. This includes your vocal system. It isn't simply just air coming out of your lungs in the form of sounds your brain told your mouth to make. It is a system of muscles and ligaments that involve the diaphragm, trachea, jaw muscles and the vocal cords.
Your vocal chords are positioned right at the end of your larynx. They look like little folds of skin. Whenever you speak, your inner larynx muscles close the chords in order to modulate the air that passes through. The more you speak, the more vibrations your vocal chords will make. Singing can involve more work for the vocal chords, especially for high notes. Your larynx muscles have to close them just enough to hit high notes while still allowing air to pass over them. According to Tony Thorton, author of "A Choral Singer's Survival Guide", your vocal chords can open or close over 200,000 times during a three minute solo.
Ligaments, Not Muscles
Since vocal cords are ligaments, they don't receive any blood flow. Therefore, they can become easily damaged if not properly hydrated or exercised. Just like ligaments in the knees, they have to be stretched in order to perform better. A singer who does not warm up his vocal cords can risk tearing them or damaging them, just like a basketball player who does not stretch his knee ligaments before playing a game.
The best way to do this is to perform exercises that involve moving your larynx muscles that gradually train your vocal cords to stay open or closed for lengthier periods of time. Through constant stretching of these ligaments, your vocal cords are able to handle extensive workloads with less damage, or normal workloads with ease. So if you decide to become a famous singer or a motivational speaker, remember to take care of your vocal cords through stretching.
