Voice and piano - using your tongue

More on the singer-pianist.

Once the diction and balance of voice and piano were in place (see previous blogs), there was really only one thing left to tackle in the first session: tongue use.

It became obvious to me as a listener that this client was backing his tongue when he sang. I listened carefully to his speaking voice, and there was very little backing in his own accent. So I surmised that he was adding it to his singing for a reason.

Backing the tongue happens when the entire tongue is drawn backwards slightly. The sound becomes slightly "bottled" and the tone darker, as the oral pharynx (the back of the mouth space behind the tongue) becomes partly blocked. Incidentally, this is slightly different from singing with a low, flat tongue, where the blade sits low and flat in the mouth, ostensibly to give "space" in the oral cavity (in my experience, the intention and the reality don't necessarily coincide).

This usually happens with more inexperienced singers, as for some reason backing the tongue allows you to hear more of the sound yourself (and less is let out to the listener). So to you it sounds richer and warmer, but to us it sounds muffled and duller.

I had the feeling (confirmed by the client) that he wanted to hold back a little from giving his voice out. I told him it had the effect of drawing curtains around himself and hiding from the onlookers. That was a pretty effective image for him, and one he wanted to change, so we experimented with a different placement for his tongue.

I suggested that he think of his tongue as a drawer on runners, and to slide the entire tongue backwards and forwards along his teeth. As he brought his tongue forwards by millimetres, the effect was instant. He was able to produce a clearer sound yet keep the diction. In addition, he was able to access twang really easily, so his sound became more focussed, brighter and with a great deal more presence.

Now his playing and singing were much more balanced - his voice was "forward" and, coupled with the diction, gave him much more presence as a performer. He commented that everything seemed less effort, including the higher notes. One of the keys to this performer's repertoire was a sense of ease - it needed to sound and look effortless, so he was pleased with the results of the session.

This part of the session was focussed on how people perceive their own voice. It's a fascinating topic in its own right, and I'll be writing more about it in later blogs.


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