Learn to Sing: Tongue Tension

Often singers employ muscular pressure, retracting and pressing on the base of the tongue, attempting to make the sound bigger or darker. Trying to create too much throat space by depressing the root of the tongue produces tension, preventing adjustments of the vocal tract for vowel formation.

A depressed and tense tongue often accompanies vibrato issues such as the wobble, an excessively slow oscillation rate, or the tremolo, a fast bleating sheep-like sound. Tongue tension prevents smooth register transitioning and produces breaks in the voice.

The syllable y[i] requires a higher and more forward tongue; y[i] is created with the midsection or constriction of the tongue raised, counteracting the tendency to retract the tongue. We use y[i] in the Step Three exercises of The Eight Steps of Vocal Development to encourage a high, forward tongue. In Step Four, we continue to use the [i] sound in the upper register to encourage a high and forward tongue.

THE MUSCLES OF THE TONGUE

Intrinsic Muscles of the Tongue

Transverse muscle – Lengthens and protrudes the tongue

Vertical muscle – Flattens and widens the tongue

Superior Longitudinal muscle – Elevates the apex (tip) and sides of the tongue

Inferior Longitudinal muscle – Depresses the apex and sides of the tongue

Extrinsic Muscles of the Tongue

Styloglossus – Raises and retracts the tongue back into the mouth

Palatoglossus – Raises the back of the tongue as well as lowers the back roof (soft palate) of the mouth

Genioglossus – Lowers and protrudes the tongue forward in the mouth

Hyoglossus – Lowers and retracts the tongue back into the mouth

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