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| This is copyrighted material. Please do not copy in any way, except for brief quotes in reviews. The Larynx
from VOCAL VIBRANCE by Suzann Kale
What is it? Remember people talking about a "voice box" when you were a kid? They were referring to the larynx. In fact, though, it's not one box, it's an intricate set of muscles, nerves, and cartilages located in your neck. This moveable "web" is attached from above to the tongue and the lower jaw, and attached from below to the chest. (The "Adam's apple" is a part of this system.) What does it do? - It surrounds the vocal cords and aids in their movement. - It's also a valve. When it's shut, it blocks the lungs off from the mouth. Thus you can eat without having your tofu end up in your lungs. What do I do with it? If you treat it right in a general way, it will take care of producing your sound without you having to worry about it. How do you treat it right? 1) Keep your posture erect (conjure up that string that's attached to the middle of your solar plexus and pulls you up from there), but not stiff. Slouching will impede the ability of your instrument to produce its best sound. 2) Keep your head in alignment with the rest of your body. Don't take this for granted - check in a mirror occasionally as you vocalize or sing. Habits are funny things, because we don't always know we're doing them. Don't jut your jaw forward during any part of the singing process. Look up and out, not down. Many singers don't know it, but they look down when they sing. This obstructs the activity of the larynx. Be careful that your head (or neck) is not extended forward in an "eager" position. 3) This can't be said too many time: your body/instrument must be relaxed. You can't be so relaxed as to be in a coma, but stress points (bulging neck veins on the inhale, gridlocked elbows and knees, shoulders churned up to the ears, a panicked facial expression, stiff lips) must be consciously eliminated. For many of us, this is a lifelong challenge - again, the mirror is your best monitor. (A stiff upper lip is not a good thing.) 4) Some singers unknowingly move the head as they change pitch. This nodding action adds continual blocking and tension in the larynx. Check your mirror and break this habit. The "Low Larynx" Sensation (aka "Open Throat") Many singers speak of keeping their larynx low. This is a good thing. It's akin to the feeling of an "open throat." Basically we're talking about a feeling of relaxation or openness in what feels like the very back of the throat - the tongue-root, if you will. For example: yawn with your mouth closed; as if you're bored stiff but polite. What movement do you feel in the back of your throat? If you feel a kind of lowering of the mechanism, and an open sensation in the throat, this is what is meant by these terms. A "high" or tight larynx is generally undesirable. A "low" larynx with an open throat usually produces the most resonant sound with the least amount of physical tension. Some singers also use the image of the raised soft palate, to open the throat. If this helps you, go for it. Try inhaling with the low larynx, but also adding a feeling of slight surprise - raising the eyebrows and almost looking up from under the eyelids. This is very subtle - remember, we don't look down or ruin our posture. You can "feel" the soft palate rise. If this doesn't work for you, the stifled yawn, which lowers the larynx, might also give you the feeling of the raised soft palate. (I personally work with the "low larynx" sensation, and not with the soft palate at all. But each singer is different. I offer these ideas to you to experiment with - find what works for you and discard what doesn't.) Don't get too bogged down with this. The general feeling is one of an unobstructed breathing mechanism. If you have that, you've got the other elements without even trying. The "Low Larynx" and Breathing Here's how it all wraps up. When you inhale, keep the larynx down. This is why we try to inhale through the nose instead of the mouth - it's easier to keep the larynx down, and the throat open. (Why, you are wondering, need we worry about yet this other thing? The answer is basically one of relaxation. If the larynx goes up unnaturally, as happens if we are tense or slouching, we get a higher, more pinched, less resonant sound.) There is some natural raising of the larynx in certain situations, for instance in singing high notes. But you don't consciously raise the larynx. All you need to consciously do is relax, and trust your instrument. (c) 2010 Suzann Kale. All rights reserved. Do not copy in any form, except to use short clips for reviews. International copyrights apply. |
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