Klarinet Archive - Posting 000324.txt from 1994/02

From: "Jeffrey S. Berman" <JBERMAN@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Michael Favreau's explanation of vibrato
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 1994 09:54:22 -0500

I have finally been pushed into the arena by the recent discussion of
breathing muscles and the diaphragm, that noble muscle.

1. There are two phases of breathing, inspiration and expiration. These
are under both "automatic" and voluntary control. For the latter, an
example would be talking or singing or playing the clarinet. For the
former, an example would be breathing during sleep.

2. The diaphragm is the principal muscle of respiration during quiet
breathing; expiration is totally passive unless you forcibly exhale,
as one would if singing or playing a wind instrument, or if you
exercise.

3. When the diaphragm contracts and shortens, it descends (its arcuate
shape disctates this); the ribs are lifted and as a result of their
"bucket handle" motion lifting them increases the volume of the chest
resulting in airflow into the lungs. The abdomen can be viewed as a
relatively non-compressible platform for the diaphragm to stand on to
lift the ribs, and when the diaphragm does this the pressure in the
belly goes up and the stomach moves outward.

4. While there are numerous muscles which contract during inspiration
(including the nostril or "Valentino" muscles and the muscle which pulls the
tongue forward) there is a totally different set for expiration. These do
_not_ include the diaphragm. They -do- include the abdominal muscles (the
ones you strengthen with situps, for example) and some of the short muscles
between the ribs which we only notice when we eat a plate of barbecued ribs!
I would suggest that it is these muscles which are involved in the pulsing
expiration of oboe vibrato, for example.

5. "Abdominal breathing" is diaphragmatic breathing on inspiration, but
I'll bet this technique focusses attention on the abdominal muscles to
control expiration in singers, etc.

Hope this wasn't too off the beam.

Jeff Berman
Pulmonary Physiologist Extraordinaire who plays clarinet but shouldn't
quit his day job.