Can anyone explain the zipping up of the vocal chords better to me? I understand the concept, but am having trouble visualizing it happen and would like what to pay attention to as far as how it feels. Any good approach?

Actually the "zipping up" or "dampening" or "flageolet" occurs around male high C

Put an elastic between your index, the next finger and your thumb. Pretend the elastic is your vocal chords. The adam apple would be located where your thumb is. The chords are open in a "V" just like that. As you sing from your lower to your higher register, pull the thumb and the two fingers away from each other. This is more or less how the vocal chords are pulled when the larynx enlarges. The higher the sound, the longer the chords. When you get to the break, it means the vocal chords can't be pulled anymore. To enable more higher pitch sounds to be produced, the vocal chords will start zipping. With your other hand, squeeze both sides of the elastic starting at the thumb. As you sing higher, the chords will continue zipping up in that fashion.

Oiselle

Just wondering....what "break" are you refering to?

The break is before the head voice. That's when the cords start zipping up. Than when the chords are completely zipped up except for a tiny whole to let the air flow through, if you keep pulling on them you will have the whistle voice. This is why the whistle voice is so hard to do; technically, you have already extended the vocal chords as much as you could before starting to zip up and now you're trying to push the limits even more... Good luck!

Well then I would have to disagree with you because the "zipping up" occurs around male high C (for males)! The "zipping up" is a term which i believe Brett Manning uses and he also says that it happens higher in your range! At CVT they say around male high C as well....they just uses the term "flageolet"

Well, as you know it is quite difficult to define where and when each type of voice starts because people refer to them using different terms. Since you challenged my post, I grabbed RYV and read quickly through the zipping section again. The zipping does occur around your break, typically around middle C for males. Jaime calls the voice above the break the middle voice or pharyngeal resonance) but for me, it's the same as the head voice cause I'm a soprano and the tone feels really high up there already but let's call it middle voice instead if it makes you happy! Still according to Jaime, the head voice starts about 5-7 notes above the break.

I did make a mistake however as Jaime mentions the cords actually zip from the back to the front and not the contrary starting from the Adam Apple as I said. That surprises me very much cause it seems that the zipping would be more natural and gradual if it'd start from the area where both vocal cords are close together but anyway...

Than for the whistle voice, the whole becomes "as small as a pinhole" to quote RYV, as the cords are zipped up and tightened some more.

I had personally thought that my vocal chords starting zipping around G4. This was the max I could push my chest voice before I bought RYV. Then I realized that I had to let my voice change gears, at around G4, the from G4 to C5, it sort of took on a different tonal characteristic. Then I changed gears again at C5 to be completely into headvoice...again another tonal characteristic.

I'm not claiming to know exactly whats going on in my throat...because I really dont. But I just thought that when I reached my max chest note...the vocal begin zipping to enable me to go higher...this note for me was G4...but I only go into headvoice at C5.

I think that voice from your G4 to your C5 is your middle voice. The tone changes because the main resonance moves to the pharynx, and then at the C5, the chords zip into head voice.
I could be wrong though, i would say the majority of males would break at a G4 and zip from there, i would nt say the average is a C5 from where a mans voice breaks.... thats a difficult note to hit for alot of men.

There is absolutely no use to agree or disagree because "zipping" is a term of high debate. For the sake of resonance sensations and teaching singers to sing higher, I refer to zipping beginning at the first break, REGARDLESS of what anyone or any other method says. Yes Cathring Sadolin and Brett Manning says it occurs higher, and Thomas Appell agrees with me. But the bottom line is it can occur in different spots for different singers depending on the volume and other things. Film footage of vocal cords have shown it occuring at different pitches and now that the big push is that high speed film is showing it actually starting higher. In RYV II I talk about this more and say not to worry so much about the terminology and just go for the sensation. Me personally, I know my voice and regardless of what Martin oe anyone says, it is happening around my first break. When things slow down with all of these projects, I am in talks with a Doctor to film my cords and I shall prove what is going on. But you know what? Who cares, just sing and have fun ;)

JV

In the debate and if and how high, it appears Ryan's question has gone unanswered. I only mention this because I was interesed in the answer. Regardless of everything else, how does it feel? Is there a particular sensation, or is it so subjective there is no way to describe it?

Did you not read Oiselle's post?

Sorry Lee. I've reread Oiselle's posts, but I still can't see anything related to the physical sensation of zipping. But I might be missing something. I will withdraw my question, rather than offend.

I understand the concept of the rubber band. But is there a physical sensation in your throat where you are like "lightbulb", that is what it feels like!

The sensation is you can't sing higher than that and the voice literally seems to break! I don't know how to describe it better as it seems so obvious to me :) But if you don't feel any sensation, than may be it's a good thing; may be you're already doing the zipping naturally And I wasn't offended by the way!

The reason I feel for me it happens at the low break is before I studied I either oushed really hard and strained and lost my voice past an E above middle C or I flipped into a weak falsetto. Now I have connected the voice into one instrument and I feel a slight "changing of gears" past that point. I literall feel the sensation shoot up out the top of my head and it makes me feel dizzy at times. Alhough I don't ever want a singer to feel "stuck in the throat" when zippin occurs for me, I feel this letting go or "less baggage" type sensation right above that break where I can feel resonance moving from my chest into my throat(still my placment is up in my palate and NOT in my throat). If I don't feel this leass baggage "letting go sensation, the I would end up forcing my voice higher as if I was carrying all of the baggage of the heavy sound of my lower throat. But now i feel this freedom at that point so I know it is zipping. I now have three choices. Either slide into falsetto, carrying my chest sound really high and break, or let go and zip. remember, I have a very low voice, so that may be the reason I zip where I do. Regardless, I don't worry about where it happens, but i DO stand by what I say in my book because it is what has helped me and thousands of RYV readers. Brett Manning called me last night and he agreed that it doesn't really matter where it occurs, just sing ;)

JV

I like what you said about "changing gears". That is very true. When the chords start zipping you can feel something is being engaged in your larynx so the voice moves up smoothly

Ryan, to me the best way to get familiar with how zipping "feels" is to work a lot with the yawning sensation. I think this is the most natural way that zipping occurs, I mean in terms of how our bodies work, not just in singing. Think of how many people just instinctively let out high pitches effortlessly when they let out a massive yawn. I believe that's a natural occurrence of good zipping technique.

-Paul