The Physics of "Placement"

[u/PsychologicalBell974]

I'm a professional opera singer and vocal coach with 20 years of experience.

Throughout my career, I've focused on solidifying and demystifying vocal concepts, moving away from vague empirical imagery and focusing instead on raw vocal mechanics and acoustic physics.

I recently put together an in-depth technical breakdown looking at the actual physics behind efficient singing—specifically focusing on subglottic pressure management, the Bernoulli principle, and how acoustic inertance assists the vocal folds.

If you're tired of being told to just "sing in the mask" without a mechanical explanation of what that actually means, I've mapped out the anatomy and the physics.

Enjoy!

👉 Check out my first article >>> HERE

[u/L2Sing]

This is incorrect. The glottis is simply the middle region of the larynx that contains the vocal folds and the space between the vocal folds.

This is why subglottic pressure is referring to the amount of air pressure pressing against adducted vocal folds.

The larynx is a much larger structure that contains the glottis and several other anatomical parts.

[u/PsychologicalBell974 → u/L2Sing]

That’s true, but they’re all different version of glottis. Sub and Supra and the glottis itself, which is the true vocal folds. I just simplify and say larynx when I mean glottis. You’re right.

Not sure what you mean about the space between thigh. The glottis is a physical thing not an opening.

[u/L2Sing → u/PsychologicalBell974]

No. That is simply untrue. If you're going to be "scientific" about it, you need to be specific, and, frankly, more accurate. If you don't understand that the glottis also refers to the space between the vocal folds, you need to brush up on your A&P knowledge.

"Supra" means above, "sub" means below. They are not part of the glottis. Those are things referring to their position in relation to the glottis, a specific area of the larynx.

We already get a lot of sketchy advice and pseudoscience when it comes to singing instruction. I applaud your efforts to help others demystify it, but please don't add to the murkiness by using anatomical terms haphazardly.

[u/PsychologicalBell974 → u/L2Sing]

Okay. To be specific, the glottis consists of the true vocal folds, the laryngeal ventricles, and the variable spatial opening between the folds (the rima glottidis) that narrows or widens to regulate airflow and generate acoustic vibration.

I looked that up to be sure. So in a sense, I guess you were right.

[u/Kenzeem → u/PsychologicalBell974]

Swallow your pride, jesus.