Understanding How Pitch Works

When you think of the qualities that makes things sound the way they do, what comes to mind?

Resonance? Intonation? Prosody?

Maybe.

But if you’re like most people, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably pitch.

Every sound has a pitch to it.

Everything from crying babies to screaming guitars, from car alarms to squealing tires – it’s all got pitch.

And of course, that includes your voice.

But exactly how pitch works depends on learning how your vocal cords work, which we’ll dive into below.

Challenges with pitch can also be a sign of certain speech disorders.

A speech and language therapist can help improve your pitch control, and identify the cause of your voice disorder.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how pitch works.

What Actually Is Pitch?

Pitch is the measurement of the vibration speed of sound.

Every sound has a pitch, including your voice.

It’s a higher pitch if the sound is vibrating fast.

A slower vibration is a lower pitch.

It’s easy to hear the difference between pitches.

That’s what music is.

But you can also use devices to measure the vibration in hertz.

Hertz measures how many times per second a sound vibrates, and therefore how high (or low) a pitch is.

Barry White’s voice, for example, is notable for its deep rich baritone, which means his notes are vibrating more slowly.

On the other hand, Mariah Carey is known for the high notes she can reach – listen to her song Emotions to see an example of her range.

The sound she’s making is vibrating much faster.

How Do You Make A Pitch With Your Voice?

So, now you know that pitch is the vibrational speed of sound.

Which means that your voice has pitch that can change depending on how you use it.

But how do you do this?

Well, you make sounds with your voice using your vocal cords, which can be found in your larynx.

Your larynx is a complex part of your body and is made up of:

• Cartilage
• Ligaments
• Muscles
• Membranes

Your vocal cords, in particular, are made up of layers of muscle and membrane.

They can cover more than three octaves of range depending on the person, which you can control using two main muscle groups.

In the lower register, with lower tension, you use your thyroarytenoid muscles.

Raising your pitch to the upper register involves the cricothyroid muscles.

These different muscle groups increase and decrease tension in your vocal cords as air is blown through them, which causes them to vibrate and make a sound.

That sound is your voice.

This process happens every time you make a sound, though you’re probably not thinking about it.

Combine that with air passing through them, and you’ve got a voice.

How Do You Control Your Pitch?

You use the different muscle groups in your throat to control the tension of your vocal cords.

The change in tension is what changes the pitch of your voice.

But, these muscle groups work in tandem with each other, especially if you’re trying to sing.

To get into the lower register, make sure you fully engage your thyroarytenoid muscles.

To reach upper registers, you will need to release your thyroarytenoid muscles and focus on your cricothyroid muscles.

Whether you’re speaking or singing, these same principles apply because this is how you control your pitch.

Speech Concerns Related To Pitch

If you’re having difficulty controlling your pitch, or it’s not sounding the way you want, it may be related to a speech concern that requires consultation with a speech and language therapist.

Some symptoms to watch out for include:

• Pain when using your voice
• Unexplained changes in your voice quality
• Chronic laryngitis

Let’s go through three common speech concerns that can impact your pitch below.

1. Voice Disorders

A voice disorder usually involves a challenge with your voice quality, pitch, and loudness.

It can be quite noticeable to the speaker, even if the people around you don’t quite sense it.

If you feel like something isn’t quite right, you should see a speech and language therapist to help.

This is because there is more than one type of voice disorder, and only a professional can figure out the cause in order to help you.

The three main types of voice disorders are:

• Organic voice disorders
• Structural voice disorders
• Neurogenic voice disorders

Remember, abnormal pitch is a symptom of all of these voice disorders, which is why you should see a professional and get help.

2. Laryngeal Cancer

Laryngeal cancer affects your larynx, like the name suggests.

The cancer cells in your larynx multiply and attack both your larynx and the surrounding tissues in your throat.

It can occur in any part of your larynx, but most often affects the supraglottis, which is the area above your vocal cords.

Laryngeal cancer can have a significant impact on your voice and your ability to speak.

It can also make it difficult to swallow, which impacts your ability to eat and drink.

Some signs to keep an eye out for that could indicate laryngeal cancer include:

• Hoarseness
• Difficulty speaking clearly
• Unexplained vocal changes, especially relating to pitch
• Weight loss
• Persistent ear pain
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty eating or drinking due to swallowing
• Persistent cough or sore throat
• Sensation of a lump in your neck or throat

If you are recovering from laryngeal cancer, then you should approach a laryngeal cancer speech therapist to help.

Speech therapists are an integral part of the medical team that will oversee your treatment.

It’s worth mentioning that there are ways to reduce your risk of developing laryngeal cancer.

These include:

• Quitting smoking (or not starting)
• Enjoying alcohol in moderation
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet
• Avoiding HPV
• Avoid exposure to toxic substances

3. Voice Feminization Training For Transgender Women

Finally, pitch is an important part of voice feminization training for transgender women.

That’s because learning to manipulate your speech can help address the gendered elements of speech that you are looking to adjust.

On average, women have higher pitched voices than men.

However, pitch is only a small part of transgender voice feminization training.

Here at Sol Speech And Language Therapy, our trans voice coach Sophie Edwards uses it as more of a catalyst to help you acquire a more feminine voice.

Other elements of speech are more important than pitch, but more on that in another article.

Book Your Appointment With Sol Speech And Language Therapy Today

Pitch is an important part of speaking and singing.

Most of the causes of pitch disorders are not serious and can be resolved with the help of a speech and language therapist.

They can help by first conducting a thorough examination to fully understand your challenges, isolate the cause and create a tailored treatment plan designed to improve your vocal quality.

It’s important to stay consistent with your plan in order to see successful results.

Our goal is to help restore your confidence when it comes to communication so that you can focus on what matters most.

Book your appointment with Sol Speech And Language Therapy today.