The Nasal Cavities & Sinuses

The nasal passages are resonating chambers that help colour the sound of your voice both in speech and in singing and permit you to articulate nasal consonants such as m, n, and ng, written as [ŋ] in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Ng is similar to the french gn [ɲ]. French also has nasalized vowels, which we do not have in English, namely [ɑ̃, ɔ̃, ɛ̃, œ̃].

The sinuses are spaces in the bone of the skull that are mainly full of air. There are four pairs of sinuses, making eight all together, and all are attached to the nasal cavity by small openings. The sinuses are also chambers that resonate to a lesser degree than the nose. There are professional singers who are missing a sinus, and it does not diminish the beauty of their voice in any way.

The lining of the nose and sinuses produces a clear fluid called mucus, which constantly cleans them of unwanted material. This fluid passes through the nose, where it is expelled either by sneezing, blowing your nose, or draining into the throat, where it can enter the mouth and be coughed out or swallowed. This drainage to the throat happens continually, although we are usually unaware of it. When excess fluid is produced, it is often known as phlegm, or catarrh. It can produce a chronic irritation in the throat known as post-nasal drip, which may irritate your vocal cords and even cause mild swelling. The two main causes of inflammation are allergies and infection.

The nasal cavities & sinuses are empty spaces in the head that may contribute to resonance. Since they are made of bone and cartilage, their contribution to resonance cannot be effectively tested. Since they are not soft tissue, they cannot be manipulated in any way. They are simply present and balance the voice in both speech and singing.

Some teachers believe that focus in the voice comes from a balancing airflow through the nose and mouth simultaneously. Manipulating the soft palate is how they claim this is done. It is a mistake to think that air passes through the nose on anything but the three nasal consonants in English (m, n, and ng). There are exceptions to this in French, which has nasalized vowels, but not in English. Singing is elevated speech. While some additional techniques are needed for high notes, this is not one of them and a complete waste of time. The soft palate automatically closes off the nasal cavity for most vowels and consonants and should not be interfered with. Any attempts to change your sound along these lines will add tension to your voice. I recommend avoiding it (see Soft Palate).

The only thing you can do to promote healthy singing is to keep the nasal cavities and sinuses from becoming blocked. This will also avoid any related postnasal drip. Allergies and infections are not always avoidable. However, medications that dry up excess phlegm and/or catarrh also dry the epithelial lining of the vocal cords. Your cords need to stay well hydrated for singing. Dry cords quickly become painful, so allergy medications and nasal sprays should be avoided where possible. There are various natural remedies for unblocking the nasal cavity, which are always preferable to over-the-counter medications.

For more information or to book a private lesson, please go to the contact page.