Singing and the Voice | OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

The World’s Oldest Instrument

The human voice is often called the world’s oldest musical instrument, because people were singing long before anyone invented drums, flutes, or harps. Singing requires no equipment at all — just your body and your breath. Every culture in the world has its own singing traditions, from gentle lullabies to powerful war chants. Whether you sing in a choir, in the shower, or along with the radio, you are using an instrument that humans have relied on for thousands upon thousands of years.

How the Voice Works

When you sing, air from your lungs passes through your larynx, or voice box, where it causes two small folds of tissue called vocal cords to vibrate rapidly. These vibrations create sound waves, and the pitch of the sound depends on how tightly the vocal cords are stretched — tighter cords vibrate faster and produce higher notes. Your throat, mouth, and nose then shape and amplify the sound, giving your voice its unique quality. Proper singing technique involves controlling your breath, supporting your voice with your diaphragm, and learning to project sound without straining your throat.

Voice Types

Singers are often classified by their vocal range, which is the span from the lowest note to the highest note they can sing comfortably. Women’s voice types include soprano, the highest range, mezzo-soprano in the middle, and contralto, the lowest female voice. Men’s voice types include tenor, the highest male range, baritone in the middle, and bass, the lowest. During puberty, the vocal cords grow thicker and longer, which is why voices — especially boys’ voices — become deeper during the teenage years.

Opera and Choral Singing

An opera singer performing on stage in a flowing white dress

Opera is a dramatic art form that combines singing with acting, orchestra music, and elaborate staging, and it has been performed for over 300 years. Opera singers train for years to develop voices powerful enough to fill a large theater without microphones. Choral singing brings groups of voices together, with different sections — soprano, alto, tenor, and bass — blending their parts to create rich harmonies. A cappella singing, which means singing without any instrumental accompaniment, showcases what the human voice can do on its own and has become popular through groups that create complex arrangements using only their voices.

Singing Traditions Around the World

Different cultures have developed singing techniques that use the voice in surprising ways. Tuvan throat singing, from central Asia, allows a single person to produce two or more pitches at the same time by carefully shaping the mouth and throat. Yodeling, made famous in the Swiss Alps, involves rapidly switching between the normal voice and a higher register called falsetto. Gospel singing in African American churches combines powerful vocals with deep emotion and has influenced popular music worldwide. No matter what style of singing you are drawn to, training and practice can help you discover the full potential of the amazing instrument you already carry with you everywhere.