Jaw and throat hurts when I sing?
You're probably doing two things: a- locking your jaw, and b- not singing utilizing your diaphragm. It hurts your throat because you're forcing your vocal cords to do things that happen naturally when you use breath properly. I've found a great link for proper breathing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXoHdl_ei... As for the jaw, you'll need to relax your facial muscles as well as your neck and shoulder ones. Try rubbing your cheeks in circles, rubbing along the jawline, massaging your neck and shoulders, moving your mouth around (all this while not singing!). THEN, try lightly turning your head left and right while singing; don't try to turn it with the music, just turn it. It should loosen up the neck, which might help the jaw. If that fails, try swinging your arms forwards and backwards while singing. At the very least, try putting your hands on your upper cheekbones when you're singing; you should be able to FEEL it when your jaw lowers because it creates space in your mouth, and you'll feel that space with your hands. If the jaw thing continues, even if you feel relaxed, go to a doctor and tell them about the jaw tension. You may have a jaw issue of some sort. Probably not, but you never know, and it's best to have that knowledge! Anyways, other ways to loosen your jaw (among other facial things) can be found here: http://www.singwise.com/cgi-bin/main.pl?... Hope this helps! ^^
Why do singers move their jaw when singing riffs and runs?
Riffs and runs don't always require vibrato, but the jaw will move naturally, but slightly, when singing, if it is properly relaxed. I'll explain this as it relates to vibrato, but it's really about jaw tension for you.The jaw should be relaxed and loose, so that when singing with correct tension-free technique, it will engage lightly, and go slightly up and down when the vibrato is produced.So, if your jaw is not moving slightly up and down, most likely it was not relaxed in the first place. Jaw tension is common. You may be creating the vibrato instead of using a natural one. Without voice training, it may be hard for you to tell the difference. In order to find your natural vibrato, you'll have to learn first how to remove tension from your throat, neck, jaw, tongue, etc, while you sing, and then the vibrato will naturally engage when everything is relaxed. You can also choose to sing with a straight tone, this would not engage the jaw if the vibrato is omitted on purpose. A straight tone is usually one of two things - you haven't found your vibrato yet, or you are choosing to suppress it for stylistic purposes.If you have what seems like a vibrato but your jaw isn't naturally moving, it is a forced vibrato, not a natural one, and you probably have jaw tension and need some voice training if you want to resolve it.It is also possible to move the jaw due to tension, in a very noticeable jaw vibrato. This is also a source of tension and not ideal, although in some cases the jaw movement can be in addition to a natural vibrato. It is common with gospel singers, but again, more than a very slight movement of the jaw during vibrato is a sign of unneeded tension.
How do I "open my throat" when singing?
Part-time vocal coach and singer here.“Opening your throat” when singing has a purpose, and I bet you know this by now: it’s to make your voice more resonant. In singing, a full-sounding voice is much more pleasant to the ears.Now, what I teach my students is not just one concept, but a collection of three:a. Raised larynxb. Neutral larynxc. Lowered larynxYour throat is “open” when your larynx is lowered or in neutral position. Let me explain. A lowered larynx is like you deliberately trying to make your voice sound deeper or more booming.When you yawn, it also lowers your larynx. This is what most vocal coaches mean when they tell you “you should practice opening your throat like you’re yawning.” Try this exercise now: mimic a yawning action and you will feel the back of your throat open up. If you feel your larynx (the Adam’s Apple for my male brethren), it also goes down. This is what I call the lowered larynx, and is the most profound of the throat opening exercises, if you will. But lowering your larynx too much can make you sound like a dumbass. Know the limits.A neutral larynx is where your voice box lies when you speak on a normal day. Using your normal speaking voice means your larynx is in a neutral position. It’s not too open, yet it’s not closed up either. And lastly, a raised larynx is where you’re squeezing your vocal cords tightly to reach a higher pitch. It’s what you unconsciously do when you’re trying to sound like a kid, a woman, or a chipmunk, for example. Singing too much with a raised larynx is NOT good for your vocal cords as this puts too much tension, damaging them in the long run.Now, onto the how side of things. You open your throat while singing through PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Practice imitating a yawning action to loosen up the back of your throat, then sing scales to get yourself used to the feeling. I normally recommend that my students practice singing scales in a neutral or lowered larynx just to get them used to singing with an open throat. Therefore, when they do get used to it, they have resonant, full-sounding voices that are a joy to hear.Hope this helps.
My throat and jaw feel very tight when I sing?
Oxygen deprivation is a new one on me for the reason that your jaw and throat are tight. While free and easy breathing will always work to your benefit, I'm not convinced they're the culprits here. But without seeing you sing or hearing you, it's hard to tell. What is most typical is that your holding too much tension in your jaw when you sing, and because of the way muscles are interconnected throughout your larnyx, tightness in one becomes tightness in another. So, try some basic exercises to loosen up your jaw: Yawn - One of the best thing singers can do when the warm up is forcing themselves to yawn. Yawning stretches the soft palate and gets you one of the best full breathes without trying. Feeling that space open up, in the back of your though, don't be afraid to let out a great big sigh all the way down the bottom of your register. It's a great and easy warm up. Jaw release - Take your hands, and put the nail side of your fingers to both sides of your face, so they're lightly touching your cheeks. Again, this should all feel very relaxed. Sing down a five note scale, sol fa mi re do, on yaw for each note, then maw, then, law, and other such syllables that are glides. Avoid hard onset syllables like k, t, p, and so forth. The trick is to let this relax your jaw which will loosen everything below. The hands are a physical reminder for you to keep your jaw loose. You should always always ALWAYS warm up before you sing. I make all of my students repeat a mantra to me. SINGING IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. You wouldn't run a race without stretching out your leg muscles, so why would you sing a performance without stretching out your vocal muscles?
How do i warm up my voice before singing?
I have my warm ups recorded on a CD in my car. So, I do them every morning religiously. As far as the warm ups, there are a few things you want to accomplish. First, warm the vocal chords by doing the scale. Second, alternate high and low (a yodel effect). Lastly, you want to loosen the jaw and lips. To do this, make an "oo" sound then an "ah" sound while smiling. Alternate opening your mouth as wide as it will go and close it again.
Tingling sensation in face while singing?
it sounds like everyone here is right on track. Especially Kim, who advises some whiny noises. Add a puppy's whimper to the mix- that funny little sound that can only come out feeling like it's at the bridge of your nose. check with your teacher as well for advice on things we like to call "the inside smile" which also helps engage the zygomatic muscles ( part of the "smile" family of muscles without making a full smile) that run from the notch in your cheek bones at the lowest part under your eyes ( you're not old enough to have circles under your eyes yet, but if you look at someone who does, then you can find the lowest part of that circle) to a little bit inside the corners of your mouth. They are very subtle muscles to find, but are quite useful in getting the sound "into the mask" and out of your throat. Other ways to engage these muscles: think of your favorite meal cooking, and snuffing up all that delicious smell. Do you feel that little lift? Or smelling your favorite flowers- take in a whole lungful of scent. Or trying to not sneer at someone ( even though you'd really like to). your nose might wrinkle at bit with this one, but pay attention to the cheeks instead. Or, if you wear glasses, then help them back up the bridge of your nose without using your hands, just cheek and nose muscles. Once you are aware of the sensations in your face, then you can start adding them into the sound mix. this may help focus your sound further forward. Best wishes and keep on singing
Does chewing gum really make you lose your singing voice?
This is not true at all. Also, anything you may hear about sugary or creamy foods before singing are not necessarily true either. Everyone's body, including voice reacts differently to differnt substances. I am an accomplished singer and music teacher and I love to eat Ice Cream before I sing. Many may say I'm crazy but it helps me! This is certainly not true for everyone, but just stay in tune with how certain foods react to your voice and stay away from those that seem to effect it the most. I would not recommend chewing gum often however, because it can lead to jaw problems (TMJ) in the future. This is painful and yet very common in singers since we use our jaws more than most people. Just dont make a habit out of it, especially if you start to feel any discomfort. One universal tip for singers....drink lots of water EVERY day! This will keep you hydrated and keep the vocal chords lubricated for optimal vocal production!
Why does yawning make your singing/speaking voice so good?
When you yawn, the larynx (a.k.a. voice box) lowers. Lowering the larynx a bit creates a larger resonating space above it. (Lowering it too far doesn't help the sound, and actually can cause strain, so we often aim for "letting the larynx sit comfortably low"; its position at the beginning of a yawn is more appropriate than its position during a yawn.)When you yawn, your soft palate rises to close off the nasal passage. The nose, being full of hair and mucus, is a terrible resonator, and closing it off lets us make better use of the pharyngeal resonating space (i.e., the back of the mouth).When you yawn, the muscles at the sides of your mouth are relaxed.In spite of all that, we can't exactly sing well while yawning, becausethe tongue and some other muscles of the neck tighten up to bring the jaw down,we can't form most consonants (or vowels, for that matter) while yawning, andbringing the jaw farther down also tends to bunch up the tongue in a way that constricts the pharyngeal resonating space.So, even though we don't aim to sing while yawning (or yawn while singing), yawn-related vocal exercises can be useful for getting singers to relax and lower the larynx, raise the soft palate, and sing lightly.
I want to improve my singing skill, how can I reach lower or higher notes without straining my voice?
Never think up and down to notes. Only think forward through the phrase. Before you sing loosen your jaw muscles by stretching your mouth open as far as possible. Do this a number of times, or get a wine cork and hold it between your teeth for 3 minutes or so (cut down if too big). By loosening the jaw you will be able to open the space way in back so you will be able to lower your larynx and raise your soft pallet. To do that, sing everything through “oo” lips with pure vowels. All of this in combination will extend your range so you can sing with ease instead of working so hard. Oh, I forgot. You have to take lessons with a knowledgable voice teacher and not just learn singing over the internet. You need that immediate feed back or you'll take much longer, if ever, to sing with good technique.
What helps to relax your throat when you sing?
Tension in the throat when singing is common. To remove it, you have to relax the parts of your body that produce your voice, except perhaps your overall body posture being straight, as slouching or leaning backwards will compress your chest cavity, reducing your ability to take in good air. So, stand, sit, or lie down, but keep your back, head and neck appropriately positioned, as much as possible. The head is slightly forward, with normal posture - don't pull it back and create tension, or jut your face and jaw forward."Open throat" singing really just refers to singing without anything blocking the sound. Not blocking the sound when singing is part of having great technique. Besides things like your posture, you should know how to relax your jaw, keep your larynx in a neutral position, keep your tongue from lifting, keep your soft palate from lowering unnecessarily, and using your lips to shape the sound and lengthen the vocal tract. Add good breath support to make the sound stable and even, and your sound will improve and have a more resonant quality, which is what you want.There are a number of ways a teacher can help you to get you to produce better sound. If you have a teacher that is truly knowledgeable about the science behind the voice and uses the correct vocal pedagogy, they will explain to you what the connection is behind pursing your lips or not, how you shape your vowels, how the mix works, what's blocking your sound and creating tension in your voice, etc.This site has accurate information as far as I have read of the many, many detailed articles explaning all of the above - all the information matches what I have been told by my teacher. Singwise: Singing With An 'Open Throat': Vocal Tract Shaping