The question that recurs among singers is: what does this hyoid do and what is it for?
First of all, it must be clarified that the hyoid bone, as a bone, also being a "suspended bone", does nothing. Its being a flywheel means that the positions in which it finds itself thanks to the muscles that connect it to the skull, sternum, larynx, pharynx, scapula and jaw allow it to facilitate some functions including the mandibular opening and the its positioning in advancement, swallowing especially in its third phase, phonation for its anchoring and laryngeal direction and breathing for maintaining airway patency.
From the point of view of the voice, and even more so of the artistic voice, its positioning relative to the various body segments allows the raising of the frequencies through its placement high up compared to the neutral position, and their lowering with its positioning low compared to the neutral position. Its advancement contributes to giving space and range of mobility to the arytenoids in order to regulate a more or less powerful, more or less intense emission.
Valentina Carlile - Osteopath expert in Osteopathy applied to voice and speech disorders since 2002. For information and reservations visit the page Contacts