Using AI Ethically As A Musician · Rock Singing Success

Using AI Ethically As A Musician

It's quite unfortunate that even though AI could be restricted to doing things that people either hate to do or that would be dangerous for us to do, often we see AI being used for doing things people love to do, such as the arts!

If you can't create art without the help of AI, then perhaps you don't have anything worthwhile to say.

If you could create art without AI, but you use it anyway, maybe you don't enjoy the creative process. Perhaps you lacked the discipline or the drive to do the work to develop the necessary skill to be able to go through the process and end up with something you can be proud of.

What if you decided that you didn't want anything to do with having artificial help to create art and you relegated AI to the role of something you could use as an information source while developing the requisite skill for creating something you'd truly be happy with?

Would that be an ethical use of AI?

I hope so!

I wouldn't trust AI as my sole source of information on how to develop the skills I need to sing well and it sure can't give me feedback on how well I'm doing, but how about using AI as an adjunct to buying lessons and courses?

Would that be reasonable?

I think there's an element of the subjective here, but since it would only be used as a supplement, rather than as a replacement for teachers, I think it would be an ethical use of AI.

How much help would AI be as a supplement to taking lessons and/or buying courses though?

Only one way to find out!

I decided to see how much AI knew about what creates vocal distortion. I wanted to see what level of quality it had to offer in the answers it gave me. I was curious to see if it would offer anything more than very surface level information.

I asked AI two questions. I'm show you both of my questions and the responses I got.

I'll let you be the judge of how well it did in answering my questions.

FIRST QUESTION:

I asked: "What creates the air restriction in singing with distortion"?

AI: "In singing, that feeling of an air "restriction"—often called vocal compression—is the foundational mechanic required to safely create grit, rasp, or heavy distortion.

When you sing with distortion, you are not literally "choking" your throat. Instead, you are narrowing specific muscular valves in your vocal tract to create a pressurized, self-sustaining loop.

The primary physical mechanisms creating that restriction include:

1. Supraglottic Constriction (The "Valves" Above the Cords)

The air restriction is almost entirely created by structures above your true vocal cords.

The False Vocal Folds (Ventricular Folds): These sit just above your true vocal cords. In normal singing, they stay wide open. When finding distortion, you intentionally bring them closer together (adduction). This physically narrows the space the air can pass through, creating an aerodynamic restriction.

The Epiglottic Funnel & Aryepiglottic Folds: Singers will tilt the epiglottis slightly backward and narrow the upper part of the larynx (often using a high-resonance "twang"). This acts exactly like putting your thumb over the end of a garden hose—it restricts the opening, forcing the air to move faster and under higher pressure.

2. Aerodynamic Back-Pressure

When you constrict those upper structures, you create subglottic and supraglottic air pressure balance. Because the exit pathway is narrowed, a portion of the air column literally bounces backward toward the vocal folds. This aerodynamic "back-pressure" pushes back down against the air coming up from your lungs, matching frequencies and stabilizing the throat so your vocal tract can rattle and distort safely without tearing apart your true vocal cords.

3. The "Antagonistic" Breath Support (The Anchor)

The restriction you feel isn't just happening in your neck; it is heavily regulated by your torso.

To overcome the physical resistance in your throat, your abdominal muscles, obliques, and intercostals compress inward to push air out. Simultaneously, your inhalation muscles (like the diaphragm and lower ribs) fight to keep the chest expanded. This muscular tug-of-war acts as a brake system, allowing you to deliver a highly pressurized, steady stream of air without blasting an enormous volume of air that would blow your vocal cords open and cause severe damage.

Summary of the Mechanism

Action. Anatomy Involved. What it feels like

The Resistance: (Anatomy Involved) False vocal folds & Epiglottic funnel narrow.

.....(Feels Like) Holding back breath in the lower neck / a heavy lift.

The Drive: (Anatomy Involved) Abdominal compression against a stable diaphragm.

.....(Feels like) Squeezing a toothpaste tube from the bottom evenly.

The Result: (Anatomy Involved) High-velocity air makes loose tissue rattle violently.

.....(Feels Like) Consistent, sustainable vocal grit or scream.

***SECOND QUESTION***

I asked: "So glottal compression is not part of it"?

AI: "Glottal compression is absolutely part of it, but it plays a highly specific—and dangerous—role if misunderstood.

When vocal coaches emphasize that the restriction shouldn't come from the "cords," they usually mean you shouldn't use your true vocal cords to aggressively choke off the air.

Here is how glottal compression actually fits into the puzzle, and how it interacts with the rest of your throat:

1. True Glottal Compression (The Foundation)The glottis is the space between your true vocal cords. To sing any clear note, your true vocal cords must come together (adduction). For a distorted tone, you need a healthy, firm baseline of glottal compression.

This compression creates a clean, closed "vocal closure."

It ensures that air cannot just leak out wasted, giving you a solid, resonant tone underneath the distortion.

Think of it as the foundation: without strong, clean glottal closure, trying to add distortion will just result in a breathless, airy hiss that dries out your throat instantly.

2. Why Singers Avoid Excessive Glottal Compression

If you try to create the actual distortion effect or the entire feeling of restriction using only your true vocal cords, you will hurt yourself.

The true vocal cords are tiny, delicate muscles covered in a thin mucosal wave.If you slam them together with high pressure to restrict the air, you cause acoustic trauma, swelling, and eventual vocal nodules.

When you feel a "choking" or "strangling" sensation in the middle of your throat that causes you to cough, that is excessive, misplaced glottal compression.

3. The Healthy Chain Reaction

In safe distortion, glottal compression acts as the gatekeeper, while the structures above it act as the distorter. They work in a tight partnership:

[ Lungs / Support ] ---> [ True Glottis ] ---> [ Supraglottic Valves ]

Pushes pressurized Closes firmly for Narrow to create the grit

air upward. the clean note. and safe "back-pressure."

By keeping the true glottis firmly closed but not jammed shut, the air passes through smoothly to hit the false vocal folds and epiglottis. Those upper structures take the brunt of the heavy friction, protecting your true cords from damage.

Summary of Differences

Type of Compression: Anatomy / Role in Distortion / Safe vs. Dangerous

Glottal Compression: True Vocal Cords / Holds the clean pitch; resists baseline air pressure. / Safe when firm and steady; Dangerous if used to squeeze or choke.

Supraglottic Compression: False Cords / Epiglottis. / Creates the actual distortion texture and restricts high-velocity air. / Safe because these tissues are built to tolerate heavy, turbulent vibration."

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Using AI Ethically As A Musician