Vocal Chords. Help me out!

Neoni · 2 Jan 2007 at 02:05

is it true all humans have two sets of vocal chords? or is this just complete dogs testis?

I did see it on a film, something to do with we have two sets of vocal chords and the other set over time and practice, can be used, so we can speak to things at once, or make two completey different noises at once?

any one know about this?

-Cheers Neon.

Booner! · 2 Jan 2007 at 02:07

yeh i guess thats how beatboxers make their "tunes"

130 · 2 Jan 2007 at 02:13

maybe what you saw was related to throat singing?

Zefan · 2 Jan 2007 at 02:14

Booner! said:
yeh i guess thats how beatboxers make their "tunes"

Nah they just do the beat and then the melody/words very fast.

Naffa · 2 Jan 2007 at 03:56

I think that some people have two sets of vocal chords but I don't think it's apparent with everyone. I remember listening to radio show about different types of singing and some people could harmonise with themselves. You can't say two different things at the same time though because of the shape of your mouth when you say different words and make different sounds.

Not sure how you develop it if you do have two sets though, I'm having enough trouble developing one.

cleanbluesky · 2 Jan 2007 at 12:54

We posess two sets of vocal cords - regular and 'false' vocal cords.

One set can be used for making sounds, the other is just to protect parts of the throat IIRC

A person can sing 'falsetto' (tranlation from Italian as 'little false voice') but this is merely a technique for the regular cords rather than the false ones.

Tuvan Throat singing or 'overtone singing' is a method of singing two notes at the same time - although its usage is restricted and it's easy to accuse the technique of sounding crap. It is basically yet another technique that uses the regular vocal cords IIRC. The second, lighter, note in overtone singing MUST be an overtone of the main note being sung and will also be a natural overtone rather than a note in tune with twelve tone equal temprement - meaning that any instrumental accompanyment by Western instruments would likely be out of tune with the singing.