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Closed Throat?
Q: So I have noticed lately that when I am working on
tonguing my throat seems to tense up. It has even gotten to the
point of causing my vocal chords to lightly vibrate. This is rather
distracting but I cannot figure out a way to make me visually think about
relaxing my throat. After all, I am practicing tonguing, not
multiphonics!
I have heard numerous things about relaxing over the years, but I am
curious as to what everyone has to say about the subject. More
importantly, I am looking for someone to give me a pointer on how to
practice it, or an analogy that fits with my style of learning.
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Richard
A: Richard, you can make a tool for this, I learned this a long
long time ago from somebody, don't remember who...
Get a piece of PVC from the local hardware store, about 5/8 or 3/4 inch I
think.
Cut off a piece about 5 or 6 inches long.
Now, you put the PVC pipe in your mouth, between your teeth, and as you
blow and inhale the throat naturally relaxes.
You integrate this with your practice - keep the tube near you and use it,
blowing through it and holding that feeling of openness and relaxation in
the throat. Then you play. Slow lipslurs are good, that'll
test you, a lot of players close their throats when they make certain
slurs.
As soon as you feel your throat lose that open relaxed feeling, take the
horn off the face and quickly use the pipe. That thing automatically
opens the throat, you use it and then concentrate on that open feeling
while you remove the pipe and pick up your slur exercise, ALL THE WHILE
concentrating on the feeling the the throat as you switch back to the
horn.
Every time you lose it, get off the horn and do the pipe.
This technique is REALLY effective if you just do it for about 20 minutes
a day.
Playing with an open throat is hugely valuable, it integrates the
connection from the top to bhte bottom of the airstream, improving sound,
resonance, range, endurance etc. It takes the throat out of the equation
and makes the very top (aperture) and bottom (gut) of the airstream
controllers for air pressure and speed which is what you want to feel in
order to really have control over the horn.
Good luck my man!
©2003, Joe Jackson. All rights reserved.