The voice is a musical instrument.

Anything that produces sound and can in some way be controlled can serve as a musical instrument. The voice is an instrument which consists of four parts: the vibrator, the resonator, the motor and the articulator. There are many musical instruments which have the first three parts in some form but the articulator is one of the main characteristics of the human voice. The voice is the most articulate instrument. Other instruments only play the tune, while the voice plays the tune and makes words.

In India the tradition of chant, a form of vocal meditation, is revered as the highest form of devotion. Those who practise this tradition believe that profound spiritual transformation can be achieved and that, through prayer sung from the heart, the voice can reach the divine. Over thousands of years the master musicians and sants (saint singers) have taken the tradition ever deeper although it is also practised by “common people”. They sang their devotional hymns as a part of the formalised music of India which has all helped to develop and progress this tradition. The rishi-singers believed that “Swaras” of Indian music were not merely a collection of notes but they were founded on microtones known as “Shrutis” which could bring the human-mind to meditation leading to the attainment of god-consciousness.

Divine Singing is an Indian tradition of using the voice to reach a realm where you and the divine sound are one. The word “divine” in this instance relates to something which has unlimited or universal power. I agree with those who believe that the voice can serve as a direct bridge to the divine or something bigger than just the individual. I’m aware of this because this is something I have experienced for myself when for example my ego is not present and I feel myself flowing along, singing with ease. I feel I’m being elevated with a sense of deep serenity and it’s like not thinking but observing yourself while doing something. There’s no worry or concern about singing the wrong note, or whether I’m making the right impression on my audience. It feels free of any thought or want and ‘feels like heaven’.

Take a look at the diagram below and check out this link for more information on how the voice works as a musical instrument.