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The Faucets of Singing

Diagram illustrating multiple faucets as analogy for singing
Each faucet can be “turned on” more or less, creating a great variety of sonic events. If the water pressure (in singing, air pressure) is strong, each faucet will have some flow. This is how singers “work” the air through their vocal tracts. We’ll examine each “faucet” and how it affects technique.

Breath and Posture

Head and body diagram showing organs used in singing
When you take a deep breath, soft tissues are displaced downward and the belly may expand. Elevating the sternum expands the ribcage, improves posture, and allows for better inhalation.

After inhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and the abdominal muscles handle exhalation, speech, and singing. If the vocal folds are engaged, the airstream meets the first faucet—vocal fold resistance.

Demonstration Videos

All clips converted to modern .mp4 format for browser playback.

Epiglottis demonstration (2014)
Vocal fold vibration (1984)
Additional demonstration (2014)