Do people really have two sets of vocal chords? Is it really possible to speak with dual voices?

Question

In "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" the attorney brings up the fact that Buddhist monks, through training, are able to chant using both sets of vocal chords (explaining the recording of emily rose's exorcism in which she speaks in dual voice)

Answer 1

It is not 2 sets of vocal cords. See the 1st link for Wiki's info on that. As for the dual voices, it can be done with singing. Here is what Scientific American has to say (excerpted):

"In the local languages, the general term for this singing is khöömeior khoomii, from the Mongolian word for "throat." In English it is commonly referred to as throat-singing. Some contemporary Western musicians also have mastered the practice and call it overtone singing, harmonic singing or harmonic chant. Such music is at once a part of an expressive culture and an artifact of the acoustics of the human voice. Trying to understand both these aspects has been a challenge for Western students of music, and each of us--one a musical ethnographer (Levin), the other a composer with an interest in extended vocal techniques (Edgerton)--has had to traverse the unfamiliar territory of the other."

See the 2nd link below for the full article. There are many articles on the web about this. Also, there are wonderful CD's available -- I can't find the one I own, just now, but try the 3rd link below for a sample. Be forewarned, though, it *is* an acquired taste, and it does take a trained ear the first few times -- otherwise it just sounds like two people warbling like cats or something!!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

No. Not unless they have some kind of serious anomaly. I've never heard of it. The vocal folds (that's what we call it in the biz) are thick flaps of muscle that vibrate against each other. "Throat singing", as done by Tuvalu and Inuit groups (maybe others), is just a singing technique that uses the vocal folds in a different way. As children are growing up, they make pretty much all the noises heard in every world language. You call it "babbling." I call it practice. As children hear the language/s around them, they narrow their focus to just the sounds of their language. They practice that and get good at speaking their native language. Anybody could conceivably do throat singing. We're all capable of learning any language (as long as we learn it early enough or have a lot of motivation), so singing techniques could possibly be learned by anybody in the world. Practice enough, you get good, you sing two notes at once. It's amazing, but not because of structural differences. Just practice and musical talent. (Singing in tune is not innate and not everybody can do it. Just a disclaimer.)

Answer 4

Actually, when I was a Deaf Education major and had a course called 'The Physical Basis of Speech', we were taught that what are called vocal chords are not ACTUALLY chords at all, but folds of membrane that move in and out and vibrate to create the sounds that we use in speech. If I recall correctly there, are more than one set of them, though most of us do not use but one.

Answer 5

I've heard recordings of Xhosa (a tribe in South Africa) singers doing dual tone singing as well. They seem to be using the back of their throat to create one of the intonations, while simultaneously using the vocal chords to create the other.

I don't think that there are actually two separate sets of vocal chords. I think that with training, it might be possible to learn to use different parts of one's vocal aparatus to generate two different sounds at the same time.

Answer 6

While polyphonic singing is very real, It is NOT possible to speak with two voices. Singing two separate notes is not at all the same as producing two speaking voices at once. The background or overtone produced by the membranes, is not nearly as complex as speech, nor are the harmonic notes that accompany it in this kind of singing. You will search in vain for anyone demonstrating this. The prosecutor is a liar.

Answer 7

Singing is something that everybody can learn and improve. Of course, some are more naturally skilled than others, but even a poor voice can be overcome by dedication, practice, and more practice. Even if you're content to sing in the shower, there are some things you can do to improve your voice. This is probably the best online course to improve your singing skills https://tr.im/0bdt8
Your golden voice will be ringing out in no time!

Answer 8

Monk Throat Singing

Answer 9

Yes, it's true. Not Buddhist, Tibetan.

Answer 10

Yes, I've heard it on several occasions. Adele is a popular example.