Name: Ep. 102 "Singing With An Open Throat" - Voice Lessons To The World
Uploaded: 2020-03-24T04:22:41.000Z
Duration: 11 min 5 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Hey singers, I think today's episode is going to be a real eye-opener, or at

Transition words & phrases

least a real throat opener, because today we're exploring the classic vocal topic

Hi singers! I'm Justin Stoney the founder of New York Vocal Coaching here in

Welcome to episode 102 of Voice Lessons To The World.

Today's question comes from  Rodrigo F. in Formosa, Argentina.

Rodrigo writes, "Dear Justin, my  voice teacher says I must keep an

open throat when I sing, but what does that even mean?"

Singing with an "open throat"  is one of those vague vocal

buzzwords that often plague singers,  sort of like bringing the sound "forward"

Or, "singing from the diaphragm",  we looked at that in episode 83.

So I don't want you to be  confused by yet another one.

The issue with concepts like these is that they mean different things

What do you mean I should  sing with an open throat?

What about my mouth? Would  you like me to open it wider?

How about the tongue? Tall? Retracted?  Flat? How can one be sure?

Seems to me that the pharyngeal constrictors deserve a thought.

And don't get me started on the soft palate, that's like opening Pandora's box

and finding it's not a box at all,  but a giant can of worms

and each worm disagrees  about vocal pedagogy.

It's tough to pinpoint exactly what to do.

We're going to look at all the specific ways that you can sing

Quick question first though, what's a throat?

I know it sounds like an easy one, but did you ever really stop to think about it?

The throat is the space at  the back of your mouth.

It includes your pharynx, larynx, soft palate, epiglottis, and vocal folds.

You know, all the stuff  that makes singing work.

But does it really need to be open all the time?

I think the primary thing that vocal people mean when they ask singers to

Lowering the larynx literally  opens the throat.

Like, it actually increases the size of the resonance tube.

So should we lower the larynx in order to sing with an open throat?

Lower larynxes accommodate volume  and projecting the voice, rather well.

This is why classical instructors  might suggest lowering the larynx.

Contemporary singers though, sing  with neutral larynxes and high larynxes

So we certainly don't want too deep of a  larynx if we're singing a more modern style.

But, regardless of style, lowering  the larynx is probably the most

important element in  singing with an open throat.

The larynx loves to fancy itself a pitch changer.

It likes to raise up for high notes and drop down for low notes.

We need to develop a downward sensation  with the larynx as pitches go up.

This skill flat out helps us to sing better in any musical style.

Opening the jaw doesn't  necessarily open the throat.

A vast variety of vocal varmints like the geniohyoids, mylohyoids, and digastrics-

-think that they can spoil the vocal party.

Well guess what fellas, y'all ain't invited.

We need to find a jaw position that's not clenched and not open too big and wide.

When we establish this neutral jaw position we maximize our

The soft palate is the soft spot at the back of the top of your mouth.

It raises whenever you say any of your vowels.

So you don't really have to stress about raising it.

The real consideration actually,  is when do I drop it?

We drop it anytime we recruit a little bit of nasal resonance.

This helps open the throat by taking the pressure off of the vocal folds.

Nasal resonance adds an element of freedom and flexibility to our sound.

But, all styles of music can really benefit from a little splash of nasal resonance.

If you listen closely, you'll hear it  used by contemporary singers

but also many classical  singers as well.

The tongue is really the innocent bystander in all this because what

happens is singers like you, Rodrigo, have been told to open their throats.

And they've tried dropping their larynx as far down as it will go and lifting their

soft palate as high as it will raise but if it's still not working the poor

tongue is the only thing left so the tongue starts to pull back and retract

Subtitles ListPlay Video

Ep. 102 "Singing With An Open Throat" - Voice Lessons To The World

episode

technique

vague

sensation