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How to sing - 4. Relaxing the jaw and throat

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True vocal power comes from relaxing the throat and keeping the neck muscles soft and not tensed (and, of course, excellent breath technique!). Alexander Massey of www.OxfordSingi... is an international singer and singing teacher, based in Oxford, UK.

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28 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 111

@PapagenoHannover 8 лет назад

Your lessons are really wonderful and helpful. And you have got such a beautiful voice. Thanks, Alexander.

@voicewisdom 8 лет назад

+PapagenoHannover Thank you!

@voicewisdom 14 лет назад

Glad you liked the video. Some teachers / singers talk about 'placing', usually referring to 'placing the sound or sensation'. Both these unfortunately lead to singers a) tightening their tongue and jaw or interfering with the soft palate or back wall of the mouth, and as a result, b) not keeping the larynx low enough, and reducing abdominal support. You shouldn't feel ANYTHING in your throat at ANY pitch, so if 'the breath gets stuck', you have probably done a combination of (a) and (b).

@Elvenboadicea 4 месяца назад

I am absolutely blown away by your talent and technique. What a blessing to have found your channel.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

Thanks. Like you, I sang professionally for a number of years before I learned some of the detail of this, and it made an enormous difference to my vocal freedom and health, and therefore my happiness as a busy singing professional!

@abhijit2614 5 лет назад

Holy mackerel, are these videos helpful! I found your channel after practicing on for months, reading hundreds of blog posts online and trying to sing my favourite songs that were outside my range. Something from somewhere, a little of this, a little of that and a million times breaking into falsetto. I have come a long way. And that's only because of generous people like you. Thank you for your videos, Alexander. I really appreciate your time and effort! As such mainstream vocal pedagogy isn't the most straightforward one of all the things that can be learnt and done, sketchy at best, and controversial at worst. That's because singing involves coordinating the physical, mental, emotional - all whilst maintaining good technique without the baggage of bad habits. For an untrained musician, these videos are a goldmine.

@voicewisdom 5 лет назад

Thanks.

@CrAzzyWak 11 лет назад

I'm going to watch all of this series, I just want to thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for these videos. You are clearly a professional that knows what he's talking about and the videos are beautifully made. Thank you very much again.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

Thank you. I think that part of our learning is to develop our discernment about when we are receiving good information. Learners must not hand themselves over to teachers, and stop thinking for themselves.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

'Warm up' is a metaphor. The vocal folds do not need to get 'warmer' at all. But it is helpful to get them well coordinated with breath flow, and with the supra-glottic pressure (back pressure) that comes from good resonance.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

What lovely words - thank you! I'm glad you find them helpful.

@deshonmarcelous7729 11 лет назад

You are absolutely amazing! Sing for more than a decade with a professional opera chorus and now dealing with tension in the neck, opening the mouth extremely wide for breath and singing and tremolo. Thank you for assisting me!

@chorister88 13 лет назад

Thank you, this video helped me understand a lot...i just dont understand, why so many singers are talking about putting 2 fingers into the mouth, or such a thing...this way you are doing it, makes you use more breath support.

@raynardi7243 3 года назад

It depends also on what you are singing....

@LankeyLukey89 11 лет назад

So there's no need for all these singers to do all the warm ups and warm downs that they do? You learn something new everyday. Your knowledge of music is very impressive. Best vocal teacher I've seen so far.

@leonidesdelfindidulo53 10 лет назад

From the bottom of my heart I thank you so much for your generosity of sharing the videos on vocal lessons in detail. More power to yoy sir.

@voicewisdom 10 лет назад

Thanks - it's also worth signing up to my blog at www.oxfordsinginglessons.co.uk

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

Thanks. That's helpful feedback for me as a teacher and video maker. Glad it helped.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

This kind of tongue tension is usually a symptom of not aligning the body well not using efficient breathing methods, and not finding the 'ping' of a well resonated sound. All those are learned by developing precision skill and awareness on our middle notes. High notes should be sung only when we have solid technique in our middle voice.

@andreewallace3645 12 лет назад

thank you so much i kept hearing what people said but the fact that you gave a side view instantly helped my voice

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

Sorry I haven't posted more videos yet that will give a more rounded picture of what is involved in singing. We have to understand clean onset (starting a note), and working with resonance, all with minimum effort. As a quick tip, trying singing with tongue rolls/trills, or with an 'ng'.

@voicewisdom 13 лет назад

@chorister88 Parting the teeth by the distance of two fingers (middle and index) pointing into the mouth is to help singers with stiff jaws from locking their teeth together - but this is inefficient. 1) Drop the BACK of the jaw down, and slightly backwards. This loosens a muscle connecting jaw to larynx, so vocal cord vibration is made easier. 2) Free the side-muscle in the face by GENTLY pulling the bottom teeth down with your fingers. These exercises should also improve mouth resonance.

@Hettdizzle 12 лет назад

Ok fantastic, thank you again very very much. The most wonderful day to you kind sir!!

@rickysword3945 5 лет назад

Great lessons! Im excited to start with your videos. Great voice too!

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

There are lots of reasons for tension. Movement will certainly help. But not all movements will be useful. You need to learn about Aligning. But you probably also need to learn about the thought processes that are subtly operating to contribute to your tension. This is not a quick problem to solve. Ideally, you need a teacher to help you investigate this question.

@DenisMorissetteJFK 3 года назад

I was convinced you would burst in laughter at any point in the video. 😂

@voicewisdom 3 года назад

@nadavj 12 лет назад

Good video!

@fivesix3868 5 лет назад

Incredible voice!

@Snackay 13 лет назад

@voicewisdom Yes, you are correct. I heard the baritone quality also, but of course I noticed you seemed to be at ease in the tenor range.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

The movement that you see is not 'heaving'. Look closely, and you will see that the singer's movements are a feeling response to the flow of the music. The scalenes attach down through the neck to the clavicle (shoulder girdle) and upper two ribs - they lift and drop these bones as part of the natural cycle of breath. Nothing should be 'still' in singing. This creates lock-down. Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis etc clearly demonstrate that dynamic flow are part of breathing, singing and artistry

@mishmash6570 3 года назад

this guys fkn RESONANCE IS IUDHECNYUFBRD INCREDIBLE

@IamBriaJhane 8 лет назад

Thanks very much for the great lesson!

@voicewisdom 13 лет назад

@Snackay Yes - it's perhaps worth noting that a tenor who sings with a relaxed, low larynx tends to sound weightier, bigger and sometimes 'baritonal' compared to music theatre tenors who use more 'twang' (brightness in mouth resonance), higher larynx and tighter neck muscles; or 'pop' tenors who have muh higher larynx and sometimes sing semi-falsetto.

@xEloiseKerryx 13 лет назад

@voicewisdom Thankyou, i will try this out :)

@radugrgro999 10 лет назад

Thx so much from button of my heart

@Manzie1000 9 лет назад

This was quite helpful, thank you muchly

@darkautumnstories5834 7 лет назад

Singing in the nude.... THAT' where I've been going wrong for all of these years...

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

Yes. If the back of the neck is long, you can rotate left and right without the muscles pulling on the larynx at all. However, tilting the head to left or right will pull on the larynx and threaten to distort the sound.

@NotesBags 10 лет назад

Common sense teaching. Brilliant.

@voicewisdom 10 лет назад

thanks!

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

Might come eventually. Now trying to plan the video sequence logically. I don't think in categories like head voice. High notes (if that is what you mean), must have well regulated breath management, aligning yourself well so that neck muscles don't lock, and neck constrictor muscles are free. Then we must also sort out working harmonics in the sound, balancing lower and higher in how we shape the mouth resonators. Hard to explain in a short RU-vid reply!

@khiofficial2900 7 лет назад

Omg this helped me soooooooo much. Thank you.

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

For a full vocal tone without microphone enhancement, yes, absolutely the larynx must be down. And if the larynx rises involuntarily when you sing high, then you still need to learn how to release tongue, jaw and neck muscles, and support with low diaphragm and abdominal engagement. But keeping your mouth very close to a microphone will 'fatten' the sound, and make it bass-heavy, called proximity effect, which will help give the illusion of a fuller vocal sound.

@MW2multikillSNIPA87 11 лет назад

I'm trying to practice how much air comes out when I sing, I think I'm going to take a break from the high things for awhile, thanks!

@gemos7777 4 года назад

Wonderful technique never new the tricks.. now i cam sing most of the songs with ease less effort though its hobby only

@voicewisdom 4 года назад

excellent!

@liulawrence8578 11 лет назад

alright, thanks for the response

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

Thanks!

@byheavenlyhosts 11 лет назад

Thank you...very helpful!

@voicewisdom 13 лет назад

@xEloiseKerryx The videos on your channel suggest that you keep the back of your neck too short and tight (see my neck videos). You also could do with a) getting the back of your tongue lower in your mouth, and b) creating much more significant breath support - sitting with your guitar or keyboard, you are not using your abdominal muscles much, and it is these that provide significant breath support. You could also experiment keeping your rib cage wider when singing.

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

Which muscle? There are several muscles underneath and around the jaw that can influence the freedom of the larynx - the digastric, mylo-hyoid and genio-hyoid, as well as the stylo-hyoid, around the back of the jaw. Look at diagrams on the web, and let me know which muscle you are interested in.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

The larynx is automatically low when jaw, neck constrictors and deepest tongue muscles are free. These muscles tend to work too hard if the breath flow is not managed from the abdominals. 'Open throat' is a phrase used to describe the subjective sensations felt when the singer uses the setup described in my 1st sentence. All throats are ALWAYS open - otherwise the person would die from suffocation. There is no one exercises to fix your problem. You need successful coordination of many muscles.

@MrGuillermoOrozco 7 лет назад

Bravo!!!,

@voicewisdom 7 лет назад

thanks!

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

I would prefer to suggest the 'beginning' of a yawn, not a full yawn. A full yawn exaggerates the pharyngeal space (at the back of the mouth). This can add too much 'darkness' or 'fogginess' to the sound, as well as locking the muscles around the larynx.

@juanpablopinoarauz 10 лет назад

another great video from Mr. Massey ,I'm just wonder when you go high on this song its get a bit nasal ,is this because your singing some how of meza voce and you still need double of the support of forte ? or your voice is richer on middle frequencies or was the aperture of your jaw(not open throat for the vowel "i")also can be the the compression of the video camera is never fair to the actual sound ..like a said before great video can't wait for the new ones .thanks so much for share with us.

@voicewisdom 10 лет назад

Not sure how to answer this. I think the camera microphone may be a factor. There may be variation in how I sing the phrase. One has to allow for interpretative variation in a singer's choice of phrasing and tonal quality.

@alibabacci 11 лет назад

My teacher says I need to open my mouth more. But I have it as open as I can, and any further brings discomfort and tension, and makes the words harder to articulate. You don't seem to have yours open so far but seem to get the job done. This is an opera singer who is training me, so I'm not sure if that's something to consider ... but apparently it always looks like I have a tight jaw even when I'm relaxed, so I don't know what to do.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

It is useful to do some preparatory exercises before singing a full song or performing. Vocal sound is made by the body. The first step is to warm up the BODY, without making any sounds - establish Alignment, good Breath flow; loosen jaw and tongue. Then gentle vocal sounds, with what's called 'clean' onset (ie no glottal stop). Medium pitches, nothing too high or low, nothing too loud. Establish good resonance on middle notes. Get good se sensory awareness of muscles.

@LankeyLukey89 11 лет назад

Is actually necessary to warm up the vocal chords or do they not actually need to be warmed up in order to sing well?

@cgonzt5636 6 месяцев назад

Can you apply this to modern/contemporary pop style? I’m able to hit good high notes & happy with it, but I don’t like the way my face looks like showing big efforts & big head movements when singing those high notes (I’m moving away from mic too much).

@tonato17 11 лет назад

this is great, as some others said.. you are a real professional and really knows what talking about. I have one question. I suffer from post nasal drip and my vocal cords are always with phlegm and I have always the feeling that some mucus is there that can't take out. I feel this affects considerably my singing and technique. Do you think this could be a real issue (I think it is) and would it be possible to solve it? Thank you so much, Toni Fernandez

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

Hi - there are many reasons why your throat might be hurting, and it may even be that you have a medical condition that needs checking. If the discomfort comes from the singing, then a teacher would need to watch and hear you to find the problem I can do a Skype lesson with you. Contact me via email from my Oxford Singing Lessons website, and we can set something up.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

I'd like to say I'm flattered, but the sad reality is that the quality of teaching and knowledge of singing on RU-vid videos is very low. There are some very good teachers around - they just aren't posting their knowledge on RU-vid!

@languagelover9170 4 года назад

You, Templin, singwise, Mark Baxter etc are AWESOME ♥

@salimsusa729 4 года назад

Just want to find out...which part is a soft jaw🙈

@voicewisdom 4 года назад

@@salimsusa729 Ha! When describing singing technique, I believe in giving clear information about muscles, anatomy and acoustics. Singing is also a proprioceptive and subjective experience for the singer, who has to use her/his imagination and emotion to run the voice well. So sometimes it is helpful to describe something more poetically or in sensory or imaginative terms, to help the singer perform the actions needed. Some singers find the idea of a 'soft' jaw useful - it helps them remember to relax their jaw muscles and keep their neck muscles from tightening.

@salimsusa729 4 года назад

@@voicewisdom Thank you so much.

@Hettdizzle 12 лет назад

With this, can you turn your head side to side like looking at an audience?

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

A doctor may be able to help give you medication to reduce the post-nasal drip. I suppose some may be going into your windpipe and contacting your folds, but we are designed to automatically prevent the airways becoming blocked. If you have catarrh, check for underlying respiratory problems. Also check diet (eg dairy, wheat, gluten), or even for reflux.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

If the jaw opens too wide, or too 'forward', a) muscles behind and underneath the jaw become too tense and compromise both laryngeal freedom (for making the note), and flexibility of the mouth resonators, and b) it becomes difficult to create the 'standing wave' that makes for 'clean' and easy vocal sound. Also, men must keep mouth more closed than women around the second passaggio. Look these things up or challenge your teacher on their knowledge of these things.

@andreewallace3645 12 лет назад

can you make a video on how to strengthen head voice

@SteAndKel 11 лет назад

But HOW can you sing a high note without moving your vocal chords/throat?! It's just impossible for me! I've been trying for years and just cannot sing from my diaphragm because my vocal chords are in my throat :(

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

Absolutely. Email me on alexander@oxfordsinginglessons.co.uk and we can sort something out.

@shabaduba7959 2 года назад

Great tips it helps :) I am little bit confused identifying voices. Are you considered as a Baritone or Tenor?

@voicewisdom 2 года назад

I'm a tenor.

@samisacoustic 12 лет назад

Is lowering the larynx for a full tone vital or is just in operatic/classical singing styles? Because I find it impossible to not pull it up at high notes

@cacacrumbs4341 9 лет назад

The Voice Kids winner Alexa Curtis sings high notes and sometimes pulls up her head.

@voicewisdom 9 лет назад

Raising the chin or shortening the back of neck doesn't prevent reaching high notes. But it makes them much tighter and thinner. A microphone close to the mouth produces 'bass proximity effect' (look it up on Google), which makes the voice seem as though it has more 'weight' and oomph than it actually does (ie than it would without sound engineering). Many of Curtis' notes (especially her lower ones) are not in tune, because she is 'pushing' - the vocal folds are being pressured together, creating a driven sound that a lot of people find exciting (it is the industry 'norm'). But as she gets older this will create significant vocal problems for her; her sound will lose quality, and she will have less and less flexibility. She will have to rely more and more on microphones and sound engineers, and lower the pitch of her songs.

@njbhcolio 12 лет назад

mister messey ur teachings r amazing but i have something which is bothering me for a long time is that wen i sing my throat hurts and i dont why this happens i hv seen lots of lessons on youtube for this but still my throat hurts,if it possible may i have a skype chat with you sometimes,, thank u najeeb

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

Perhaps as a starting point, look at your breathing technique. Notice in my videos that when I breathe silently, the neck muscles don't show at all. The muscles activating the vocal cords themselves are so small, we should see no movement in the neck for making a note. Most likely, you are tensing shoulder-neck, jaw and/or tongue when you sing. All of these can be disengaged. My guess is you need a teacher to help. We could also set up a skype lesson. Cheers. Alexander

@xEloiseKerryx 13 лет назад

can you help me, i have a problem with singing recently. When i sing sometime my voice randomly vibrates, not ina nice way, like if you made an 'ahh' noise and the car you were in went over a very bumpy road, any help?

@mistaNBAstar 12 лет назад

hi i was wondering what are some things you can do to relax the muscle right underneath your chin?? would the freeing tongue exercises suffice?

@Laazyeyedbimbo 11 лет назад

Hi! Just in the past couple of weeks i have started to have horrible time singing. My throat, neck, and jaw all get very tight and sore like never before; even when i sing songs that i have been singing for years and never have had any issues. It takes a few hours for myself to get relaxed again and I've honestly stopped singing due to the pain. I was wondering what you think the issue may be? Thanks!

@paulpaulo1143 Год назад

1 thing im not happy about is the noisy breathing between breaths it should be silent

@MW2multikillSNIPA87 11 лет назад

I have ALOT and I mean ALOT of trouble keeping the back of my tounge down when I sing higher things it comes up and I keep straining. And when I sing high notes they lose volume.

@voicewisdom 12 лет назад

@kizzieee This needs exploring with a teacher who can watch you as you sing. I would like to think that a good teacher would be reluctant to give you a diagnosis over a message board ...

@BenTaggart 12 лет назад

Hello :) when I sing the vains in my neck very noticeably pop out but only when I try to sing with power. I tried doing the same thing that I do when I sing with out power and incorporate it into what I do with power but still the veins pop out :( I know this is dangerous :( any tips mate? Thanks

@liulawrence8578 11 лет назад

Hi, i was wondering how to release tension in the swallowing muscles while singing. When i try to lower my larynx while keeping an open throat, the swallowing muscles seem to tighten. is there any exercise to fix this?

@bluestarlove8 11 лет назад

Hi, everytime I sing my jaw and the back and sides of my neck tense up. Also the bottom of my jaw tense up. When I sing I have to move my head and neck to help the sound come out the way I want it. Any advice on what I can do to take the tension away?

@borlad1drifting 9 лет назад

The thing that i notice when im singing, well when im trying is that my jaw,throat, and tongue ate tense. Also when im singing my every note sounds course and a bit rough, I'm not sure if my vocal cords are damaged or not :c

@voicewisdom 9 лет назад

Wizardly Sanchez If you want to check for damaged vocal folds, you need to ask your doctor to refer you to an ENT specialist. If you are serious about developing vocal skills, then you need to work with a knowledgeable teacher - don't try and do it by yourself. You can't learn singing from the internet, I'm afraid ...

@Snackay 13 лет назад

Are you a tenor?

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

You're probably not pushing from your diaphragm, but squeezing your ribs in when you exhale, and also hardening your solar plexus. The lower ribs should stay out, keeping the diaphragm DOWN. Take a careful look at my series of breathing videos.

@IntuitionIsClear 11 лет назад

That's a dope whiteboy giving you game [understanding] rite there

@noelamat8364 6 лет назад

How do you get vibrato?

@dominichughes2888 11 лет назад

Do you do skype lessons and how much?

@janaykasey8129 10 лет назад

how the hell do you do that? it seems impossible.

@voicewisdom 10 лет назад

Watch a video of any well trained classical singer, and you will see the same economy of effort for a big return.

@DJSMaa 11 лет назад

Too much chest and shoulder heaving. Chest and shoulders should be still. Movement should only be at the diaphragm area from inhalation and exhalation.

@generalinfo5686 8 лет назад

I can't sing when I have a cold

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

It is not helpful to say 'sing from your diaphragm'. The instruction is too vague and general. Much more detailed understanding is needed to sing well. The vocal folds DO move, ie change in length, tension and thickness for each pitch, and therefore change in speed of vibration. Throat muscles will start to do less when you breath correctly for singing; they also do less when we release tongue, lip and jaw tension. High notes come from FINE motor control and balance of air pressures.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

Sounds like a psychological issue possibly. It would need a proper conversation and consultation to address your question.

@voicewisdom 11 лет назад

It's not always a good idea to try and diagnose someone's vocal problems without talking with them properly, and hearing and seeing them sing. Such a dramatic change in your voice in this short period needs careful investigation to sort out what the cause might be. I would suggest that you go to a good singing teacher; it might even be valuable to go to a doctor to check if there are any medical issues. We could do a skype lesson if you would like.