Possible to use both vocal cords

[liquid51]

an FYI, if most of you didn't find it already, by two vocal cords they mean two sets. There's actually an inferior set (true vocal cords), and a superior set (false vocal cords).

http://www.gbmc.org/bin/r/f/Larynxtop.jpg

http://www.gbmc.org/bin/r/n/Larynxcutsm.jpg

 

[Paratus]

I am actually able to do three voices at once.

By trapping air in my cheek and squeezing it out around my gums I can sound like donald duck
If I use both cheeks and my normal voice I sound like I'm possed by some sort of demon duck.

I can only say one thing at time however as I have to use my tongue and lips to form the words - I just end up with three tones (1 normal 2 ducks)

 

[DylanHouston]

Is it possible to use both sets of vocal cords to basically make two voices at once come out, and if so, anyone know someone who can do it?

Saw The Exorcism of Emily Rose and it said in there that it was, and I am curious as how someone learns how to do that... be an awesome little trick

I came here looking to see if anyone could do what I can.
And it seems really rare but I can do a demonic voice that has two voices at once.
I can not explain how I do it, I just have been able to since I was young.

 

[William Gaatjes]

When i had a cough, i could make a really low voice but with a lot of overtones with it. When i would twist my voice and say something, it would sounds as if two people at once say it. One with a angry sounding low rumbling voice and one with a high pitched but mean and angry sounding voice.
I guess i had some mucus in my throat that would resonate along and did something to my vocal cords. Could not do it for long. After a few sentences the effect was gone and i had to cough a lot. But fun to hear.

Those throat singer links sure sounds comforting...

I find this very soothing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dIRXiRx_s

 

[wanderica]

Tuvan throat singing produces two notes, but the second, higher pitched notes are overtones. These are produced by a single set of vocal cords vibrating, not both sets. A guitar string will do it too. There's lots of Tuvan Throat Singing on Youtube, but I have trouble hearing the overtones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUMUEoK-AaY

This guy can produce crystal clear overtones. Best I've ever heard.

 

[dcooper150818]

I would guess that the ability to control both vocal chords would take a lot of practice, much like learning to use your non-dominant hand for writing. I have one paralyzed vocal chord and was unable to speak for several months except in a whisper. I can now speak in a mostly normal voice. I don't know for sure if the damaged vocal chord recovered or if the secondary vocal chord took over.

 

[Fallen Kell]

I have heard that there is a type of singing where one person sings two notes at once and generates harmony. I have a friend who was listening to a mongolian group that supposedly did this ancient form of singing. I could ask him for info and let yall know, but he is damn near impossible to reach. I'll have to get back to ya.

It is called polyphonic singing. It isn't created via the vocal cords but by the mouth. The mouth is a resonance chamber, and by using the tongue, lips and jaw, you can shape the chamber to cause a second frequency to be amplified enough to be distinguished by the human ear.

Some more background is really needed on this as what we hear from someone singing/chanting is actually a group of frequencies, not a single frequency. What is being done in the mouth in polyphonic singing is to amplify one of the harmonic frequencies that is already occurring and/or create the space for a standing wave to be generated by all the other frequency waves passing through the mouth.

The person is not controlling both vocal cords to create two pitches from the two cords. The two vocal cords act together to create and control the gap between them. While someone may be able to train and control each individually, that control does not change range of the size of the gap between the two (i.e. think of it like a two louvers over an air vent. You can open them both fully and let the max amount of air flow, or you can close one entirely and leave one open and get half the airflow, or you can close both to 25% and get half the airflow. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you got to half the air flow, as the end result is 1/2 the air flow. The range of motion is still the same whether you have complete independent control of each individually or not; the physical length of the cords themselves will still be the same and the muscle resting position and full contraction position will still be the same).

 

[Fallen Kell]

As for there being two sets of vocal cords, this is actually false. Only the one set is useful in any way because the "false set" only covers a fraction of the space, and as such, air will not pass through them to vibrate them to create a sound because the air flow will move via the path of least resistance, and there is a huge gap at the false set of cords, so air is not forced to move through them to create the vibration.

Best to explain this via pictures:

From left to right, you will see the relaxed vocal cords, the middle you will see them starting to contract, and on the right, you will see them contracted. It is also on the right image that you will see the "false cords" covering the lower part of the image.

As for someone who really shows good examples of polyphonic singing, I would recommend Anna-Maria Hefele and her demonstration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHTF1-IhuC0