What we have here is a positive definition of a negative fact. One could re-label it “Complete Periodic Disappearance of the Glottis” or the “Complete Periodic Vanishing of the Glottis” or the “Complete Periodic Loss, Evaporation, Evasion, Departure, Absence, Lack, Deficiency, Privation, Stonewalling, Avoidance, of the Glottis or the Periodic Death that is soon to be followed by the Resurrection of the Glottis.
The Glottis is just a space between the vocal chords. When the space is eliminated by the vocal chords you have one Complete Glottal Closure “CGC”.
When does this take place?
It happens every time the vocal chords come fully together while phonating. To be precise I should say that when we sing any note, let’s take the pitch we call A440 for example, a binary process takes place. For each one of those 440 hertz two things happen in the larynx. The order of things is important so:
First action: the vocal chords close together.
Second action: the vocal chords open.
The resulting vocal quality is brilliant in character like in a hog calling contest, or like almost every note sung by Ethel Merman in any recording you can find.
If you are blessed with a curiosity equal to a five year old rock eater you would ask why this takes place, and I would tell you that it is only one answer to the greater question: “Why Is There Air?” Garcia gives a much better explanation than I am capable of in his 1855 presentation. Now on the pitch A440 those vocal chords slap together and then open again four hudred and fourty times each second, and for the complete answer to your question “What is Complete Glottal Closure?”:
The 440 times these little folds flap together they completely stop the flow of air.
The singer will also understand that this action takes place at the moment he/she prepares to sing a note if she/he follows the teachings of Garcia. Have a look at the bottom of page 13 in Garcia’s “Hints”. Under “10. THE ATTACK OF VOCAL SOUNDS” you will get the idea that the vocal chords are closed together before starting to sing any note.
