With all of the progress you can make through more well-known techniques, such as breath work, tension release or postural changes, it may surprise you that the larynx is quite possibly the most important of all the "five systems" of your voice.
If you've never paid much attention to your larynx before, you can think of it as a basket made of cartilage. It hangs, suspended by a complex web of tendons and membranes, in your throat. You can feel the larynx or yourself with your fingertips, especially if you're a man with a well-defined "Adam's apple." Your vocal cords sit inside the larynx, so this basket contains some really precious cargo, as far as your voice goes.
The main issue that singers have with their larynx is that it bounces up and down, automatically, asthey hit higher and lower notes. If you find that this happens, it means that you're engaging your swallowing muscles as you sing, which will restrict the freedom of your singing and can damage your vocal cords.When the larynx bobs up and down, a singer's head voice usually sounds breathy and airy. The vocal cords tend to produce a lot of excessive mucous to deal with the added stress. Instead of vibrating rapidly and lightly, the vocal cords "slam" against one another. As a secondary side effect, singers typically require huge amounts of air, and a vicious cycle of poor vocal health ensues. As a result, learning to stabilize the larynx is one of the major skills I teach my voice students. Once you can change pitch independently of the position of your larynx, you'll find infinitely more ease in blending from chest to head voice. You'll also find that your powerful swallowing muscles no longer interfere with your singing, and your vocal cords are rarely scratchy or mucousy.Visit jdsvoice [http://www.jdsvoice.com/sign-up] for information and videos about the larynx.
One technique I recommend is to start your practice by yawning and feeling where your larynx settles. You can quickly drop the old habit of compulsively lifting up your larynx just by getting more familiar with what a lowered larynx feels like.Another handy exercise is to pucker up to form "duck lips," which usually brings the larynx down. From there, try singing up a scale while feeling where your larynx is, all the way through. Check whether you can raise your pitch without automatically raising the larynx. Of course, key to the whole operation is sufficient breath support in the form of diaphragmatic breathing. If you prefer to get a visual check on the situation, try singing in front of a mirror.
As with each of the physiological "systems" of a healthy voice, your larynx doesn't work alone. You can help free it up by practicing diaphragmatic breathing and making sure that your tongue, jaw, and neck muscles are relaxed. As you improve your breath support and drop muscular tension from the "outer muscles", you'll find it easier to free up your pharynx. For most of my singing students, completely freeing up the larynx is a long process that continues to improve throughout their vocal training. However, that doesn't mean you can't make meaningful changes in just a session or two. The more you can bring your awareness to how you're using your larynx, the faster you'll develop control over its movements.
To enhance how you use your larynx, you can sample additional videos and blog posts I've created on jdsvoice.com. Plus, the website is the best place to get in touch with me with any questions. I'm always glad to offer up personalized suggestions. Should you wish for more one-on-one help, send me a line requested a free introductory online class. Either myself or another JDS School of Voice instructor will assess your current situation and point you in the right direction for ongoing development. Finally, if you like the materials you find on the site, you can always sign up for lessons, either online or in person.
If you've never paid much attention to your larynx before, you can think of it as a basket made of cartilage. It hangs, suspended by a complex web of tendons and membranes, in your throat. You can feel the larynx or yourself with your fingertips, especially if you're a man with a well-defined "Adam's apple." Your vocal cords sit inside the larynx, so this basket contains some really precious cargo, as far as your voice goes.
The main issue that singers have with their larynx is that it bounces up and down, automatically, asthey hit higher and lower notes. If you find that this happens, it means that you're engaging your swallowing muscles as you sing, which will restrict the freedom of your singing and can damage your vocal cords.When the larynx bobs up and down, a singer's head voice usually sounds breathy and airy. The vocal cords tend to produce a lot of excessive mucous to deal with the added stress. Instead of vibrating rapidly and lightly, the vocal cords "slam" against one another. As a secondary side effect, singers typically require huge amounts of air, and a vicious cycle of poor vocal health ensues. As a result, learning to stabilize the larynx is one of the major skills I teach my voice students. Once you can change pitch independently of the position of your larynx, you'll find infinitely more ease in blending from chest to head voice. You'll also find that your powerful swallowing muscles no longer interfere with your singing, and your vocal cords are rarely scratchy or mucousy.Visit jdsvoice [http://www.jdsvoice.com/sign-up] for information and videos about the larynx.
One technique I recommend is to start your practice by yawning and feeling where your larynx settles. You can quickly drop the old habit of compulsively lifting up your larynx just by getting more familiar with what a lowered larynx feels like.Another handy exercise is to pucker up to form "duck lips," which usually brings the larynx down. From there, try singing up a scale while feeling where your larynx is, all the way through. Check whether you can raise your pitch without automatically raising the larynx. Of course, key to the whole operation is sufficient breath support in the form of diaphragmatic breathing. If you prefer to get a visual check on the situation, try singing in front of a mirror.
As with each of the physiological "systems" of a healthy voice, your larynx doesn't work alone. You can help free it up by practicing diaphragmatic breathing and making sure that your tongue, jaw, and neck muscles are relaxed. As you improve your breath support and drop muscular tension from the "outer muscles", you'll find it easier to free up your pharynx. For most of my singing students, completely freeing up the larynx is a long process that continues to improve throughout their vocal training. However, that doesn't mean you can't make meaningful changes in just a session or two. The more you can bring your awareness to how you're using your larynx, the faster you'll develop control over its movements.
To enhance how you use your larynx, you can sample additional videos and blog posts I've created on jdsvoice.com. Plus, the website is the best place to get in touch with me with any questions. I'm always glad to offer up personalized suggestions. Should you wish for more one-on-one help, send me a line requested a free introductory online class. Either myself or another JDS School of Voice instructor will assess your current situation and point you in the right direction for ongoing development. Finally, if you like the materials you find on the site, you can always sign up for lessons, either online or in person.
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