Highs and Lows

What is the real difference between our low notes and our high notes? 

Cricothyroid-Dominant Production (CDP) is when the cricothyroid muscles inside the larynx work to lengthen and narrow the vocal folds. This makes them long and skinny to create higher pitches. Thyroarytenoid-Dominant Production (TDP) is when the Thyroarytenoid muscles are in charge of making the vocal folds shorter and thicker. This is done to create lower pitches while phonating. Therefore Cricothyroid-Dominant Production is a fancy way of saying high or head voice and Thyroarytenoid-Dominant Production is the clinical term for low or chest voice. When singers move between these two sections of the voice, we call that mixed voice because those two muscle groups are working together and we are at an in-between setting. Having a greater understanding of the anatomical inner workings of the voice can really help singers achieve more with their vocal studies.