Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Throat singing
• Method 2 of 2: Improve your sound
• Tips
• Warnings

Throat singing, also known as overtone or harmonic singing, engages your vocal cords to create melody. Famous in many Asian and some Inuit cultures, throat singing creates the illusion that you are singing more than one pitch at a time, even though you are actually only singing one frequency. If you do it successfully, you will produce a whistling sound, or overtone, on top of your singing voice.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Throat singing

1. Relax your lower jaw and lips. Your mouth should hang open slightly with about an inch between your top and bottom teeth.
   • One way to relax your jaw is to record a low, monotonous sound and then sing a full breath cycle in harmony with it.
   • For example, you could play a cello note in D, then take a single syllable like "oe" or "la" and sing a full exhale along with that note.
2. Form an "R" or "L" sound with the tip of your tongue. Your tongue must almost touch the roof of your mouth. Don't worry if it brushes against it every now and then, just try to relax with this pose.
3. Sing an easy low "base note". Sing and hold a note, just one note, with your tongue in place. You play with this note to create your overtones. Sing from your chest as deep as you can.
   • Think of an "u" sound (like the sound in the word "cool") in the deepest voice you can.
4. Move your tongue back and forth. Hold the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Think of it as switching between an "R" and an "L" sound with your tongue.
5. Slowly change the shape of your lips to adjust the sound. Think about moving your mouth from an "ie" sound to an "oo" sound ("as if you were saying" ie oo "). This changes the shape of your lips and the "resonance" of your mouth (how the sound travels back and forth in your mouth).
   • Do this slowly.
6. Combine it all to sing from your throat. Everyone's mouth is a bit different and there is no perfect formula for tongue position, mouth opening, or volume. Start with your basic sound "oo" and then do the following:
   • Place your tongue against the roof of your mouth in an "r" position.
   • Slowly move your lips between the "ie" and "oe" sound.
   • Slowly curl your tongue back, away from your lips.
   • When you hear the overtones, stop moving your mouth and hold the tone.

Method 2 of 2: Improve your sound

1. Practice with some background noise. These will hide your normal vocal tones and make your high "whistles" louder. Try to exercise in the shower, while driving, or with the TV on in the background.
   • Don't worry if you can't hear the overtones at first. It's hard to hear yourself singing overtones in the beginning (even if you shape them properly), because of the resonance in your head.
2. Sing in a loud, clear voice. When they first begin to form, most people don't put enough strength and energy into their voices. To get the "oo" sound right, imagine trying to sing with someone squeezing your throat. Your voice should be loud and strong to make your overtones clearer.
   • After you've mastered the throat singing technique, you can lower the volume and power to something that feels a bit more common.
   • The best way to sing more beautifully and richly is to discover your true voice in the real world, for example by feeling more comfortable with your speaking voice.
3. Focus on singing from the top part of your torso. There is a difference between your "chest voice" and your "head voice". With your head voice you usually sing at a higher pitch, and you can feel the sound coming from your throat. A chest voice feels "resonant" and you can feel it vibrate at the top of your chest.
4. Practice changing notes. Once you can easily sing overtones, you can learn to create melodies by moving your lips and adjusting your base note. Open and close them as if you were going from an "ie" sound to an "oe" sound ("ie & rarr: oo").
5. Listen to real life examples. Throat singing occurs in cultures from Alaska to Mongolia and South Africa. The Smithsonian Museum has an incredible collection of videos from these cultures, as well as some tutorials for aspiring throat singers.

Tips

• If you are sick and have a sore throat or have phlegm in your throat, then you should wait to sing until you are well.
• Clean your throat by coughing or drinking a glass of water before starting.

Warnings

• Don't overload your throat while trying to figure out which muscles to use - otherwise this can be quite painful!