Episode 6 - How To Reduce Tongue Tension - Jeff Alani Stanfill

[@VictorMatsunaga]

Exercise # 2 improved my singing and my relationship with my wife.

[@fhaora5218]

Okay so, I have been doing the 1st exercise for about a week now and, oh my gosh. IT REALLY WORKED FOR ME. I can't believe it, I'm able to hit an Eb5 and E5 with much more ease and freedom than before daaaang! Thank you!!! You saved me from my YEAR-LONG battle with tongue tension aaaaah 😩💓

[@ianzhang7822]

The results are immediate! These exercises make me realize how much my tongue is involved in a bad way. It seems to have been raising up and closing my throat, crating some ugly hoarse sounds when singing. And now I know they can be effectively removed if I do these to relax my tongue daily. This whole series really taught me a lot! Many thx!

[@lazyskull7949]

Your exercises are great, they help with tension as well finding pitch.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Wonderful! I'm happy to hear that!!!

[@singerli]

Oh my goodness, you are amazing! I lived in Manhattan, now I'm back to Brazil. If I had heard of you when I lived there, I would have had classes with you. Thanks a bunch for sharing this with us.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you so much Lilian! I have more tutorials coming soon so please stay tuned and thanks so much for watching! Peace and harmony to you. Jeff

[@abhishekkumar-hn2hc]

you are a nice teacher ................thank you sir ......

[@lazyskull7949]

GoodMythicalMorning brought me here. :) Edit: This helps a lot. Thank you sir.

[@Matt-Q]

Just love the way you sustain those high notes. Wish I could do them too :)

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Matthew I've heard you sustain high notes beautifully!! Thanks man!!

[@BLARSpot]

good practical advice!

[@addo9413]

I love this

[@byrevery]

Your exercises are the most helpful I have found on KZbin. They have facilitated my warm-up routine tremendously. Thank you!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you so much Revery! I really appreciate that. More videos will be coming out very soon. 🌞🎶🎶🎶

[@michpangan4417]

Ha ha nice exercise.your great

[@texholliday]

Thx Sir J. Always the best advice from you Coach !

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thanks Rock Star ⭐️

[@jvz773]

Great exercises. Thanks 🙏

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you!!!!

[@Nils3OWN]

I love it!! You and I have extremely similar vocal qualities and I am gifted with the ability to copy sounds, so this lets me relax my throat and tounge while singing my 'natural' tone.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

I'm happy you are finding the concept helpful!

[@marttisavijoki]

Thank you for the wonderful exercises.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

You’re very welcome! More to come. 🕺🎶🎶🎶

[@tuulavoutilainen5306]

Brilliant!

[@JerrySings]

I will try this soon. Thanks for the video!!

[@Vendelome]

OMG! You saved me! How do you not have 1 kajillion subs?! Subbed.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Aww! Thanks so much for your awesome comment, and thank you for subscribing! :-)

[@markkhan2838]

This is fantastic information and guidance! Thank you Jeff!! Got the Voice Soaring CD DVD training program also, a great system for training and supporting my daughter's voice!

[@jawad2257]

nice exercises for stammer people these exercises are good

[@martineyeo7491]

Great exercises! This will help a lot, cheers!

[@ANAMARINASINGER]

These exercises are gold! Worked so well for me. Thanks so much Jeff x

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you Ana! I'm thrilled you found this helpful. 🌞

[@rachelkennedy8819]

These three exercises are amazing, thanks so much for the expert advice Jeff :)

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you Rachel! I'm glad you are finding these helpful. Stay tuned for episode #13 "How to add speed and agility to your singing voice". Should be up later tonight! 😎

[@nodiahbrent3686]

I also love this exercise and the enthusiasm with which you deliver it. I have found further support for the third exercise (pencil) by following your advice from another video in which you told us to keep the cheek position buoyant. This position seems to contradict the "uh" sound but I am guessing you would give it your blessing anyway.

[@nodiahbrent3686]

Is the tongue position with the pencil underneath supposed to create the "yawn" position?

[@ryankoo1114]

Great, great video!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you so much! More to come. Stay tuned. 😀

[@kuputowotsa6397]

Jeff can you please do a video on how to relax the throat muscles while hitting high notes like b4 and best way to build the focus while singing.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

That is an excellent topic! Thanks for the recommendation. I will put that in the line up for sure! :-)

[@konstantinkirilov1664]

Brilliant! Thank you so much sir!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you!! :-)

[@neerja148]

You’re a star

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

:-)

[@LoriJoachimFredrics]

Such a helpful video, thank you.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Lori Joachim Fredrics Thank you Lori!

[@puma5471]

Thank you so much for this! X

[@dangeliszoh]

Thanks from Brazil!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you Gerson for watching! More videos coming soon! Peace, Jeff

[@claudiasebastianson8478]

I realized i can breath more "deeper" while doin these exercises.. does a tense tongue root interfere with breathing? My tongue tend to get stuck in my throat and also go backwards when I inhale.. in turn when I normally speak I also clench my teeth a lot.. but these exercises just made my throat feel so free and open.. I am lookin forward to get back my confidence for singing.. thanks to you Jeff!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hello Claudia. Yes, a tense tongue creates a tense solar plexus which in turn locks the diapraghm. I'm happy you are getting a good rsult with the exeercises. Thanks so much for you kind and thoughtful comment!

[@Pilot7826]

Jeff, these exercises are really helpful! I have a question... When we sing, should we feel the tongue sort of moving around as we sing through various vowels/consonants or should it remain just relaxed? Thanks!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Great question. The tongue should never be right or stiff. Just like our bodies need to be elastic and always moving while singing, the tongue can be gently moving as long as it doesn’t alter the vowel when it is supposed to be supporting the vowel shape. A free tongue equals a free resonator. Thank you for your question and glad you’re finding the exercises helpful. 🕺🎵🎵🎵🎵

[@doulosiam7513]

Hey Jeff you're really a great help keep it up :)

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Doulos Iam Thanks so much! Happy to know you found the video helpful! Pass it along to your fellow singers! I'd really appreciate that. Peace ✌️Jeff

[@doulosiam7513]

Roger that! actually I already saved your instructional playlist :) thanks!

[@adammockler]

3:18 5:25 7:20

[@MaYen1]

thank you xoc

[@e.flat-major]

great practices. I expect them to be helpful because at the first try I immediately felt my tongue tension. however, what is not clear to me is how I can use this when actually singning. How to prevent the tongue tension while actually singing?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hello avdbmj! First off, by doing these exercises you are immediately reducing the muscular tension that causes the root of the tongue to become rigid, therefore reducing tongue tension. You will notice that after doing the exercises the tongue will feel loose, less rigid and more pliable. You will slowly develop a sense of what a free tongue feels like and you will carry that sensation over to your singing. If you notice rigidity in the tongue while singing, you can pull out your trusty pencil and do a few of these exercises to loosen the tongue up again. I hope this helps you! Thanks for watching and please feel free to share these videos with your fellow singers! Peace, Jeff

[@daviddreyton8586]

is tongue tension going to be an even bigger problem if you're tongue tied and if so can you recommend any solutions? (exercises, advice, etc).

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hi David. I have had several students throughout the years who were tongue tied and the exercises presented in my tutorial here helped them tremendously. Remember we are stretching the entire tongue here, not just the underside. Let me know if that answers your question! 🌞🎶🎶🎶

[@pogozhyi9015]

Thank you...Is it possible to receive anyhow anywhere the master class with David Phelps? For free)?...........

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Unfortuantely we cannot give our amazing master class with David Phelps away for free. It is already priced at the very low rate of $45.00. We hope y9ou will invest this small amount of money into a master class that will truly change your voice in so many ways. Peace and blessings.

[@aimanisahac]

It's worth it. I just bought mine today.

[@lindagm9332]

What about the "singer's vein" that can appear on the outside of your neck? Is it ok to have it while singing? Why does this occur and how do you prevent it if it's not ok. Great exercises! Thanks!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hello there. I think if you observe almost any singer singing, you'll notice a vein appearing. Some appear smaller than others but mine are quite large and it has never interfered with my singing at all. It's really due to blood being fed to the muscles around and inside the vocal apparatus to keep it runnig smoothly, just as an athlete's body will show veins when he or she is running, lifting weights or doing other physical sports. Now if a singers throat appears to over-swell with lots of veins showing, then you have a problem. That signals strain. Hope that answers your question and hope you are subscribed to the channel. Lots of future episodes coming. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! :-)

[@lindagm9332]

@@JeffAlaniStanfill Thank you! Yes, I have subscribed to your channel. I am also a fan of David Phelps.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Wonderful! Thanks so much for subscribing!

[@mishari84b]

best tongue exercises

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you so much Mishari!! 🌞

[@kathleensarachinsky1460]

Mishari Beragdar

[@krissyphero]

Where are you supposed to feel the vibrations/resonance when doing the pencil under tongue exercise? Is it from the mouth?

[@krissyphero]

Alright i feel way more free now with uh ah / whatever you demonstrated here. It doesnt feel pulled anymore and it's pretty strong and doesnt pop into falsetto now. However, i cant do the pencil thing with my hardest to pronounce past e4 area (EE AND OO) :(

[@krissyphero]

+Christopher Phillips ee and oo want to flip into falsetto there.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

I mostly feel the vibration on the hard palate while the tongue is laying out on the pencil. The pharyngeal space is more open as the tongue is out. The allows for more free vibration of the vocal folds.

[@abhishekkumar-hn2hc]

Sir you are a great vocal coach .....but whenever I do the second exercise but tongue hurts ...........

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

abhishek kumar Hello. If you are referring to the side to side tongue exercise on the NG then what you are likely experiencing is a release of tongue tension which can often feel like a burning sensation. I would encourage you to keep at this. When I first did that exercise I also experienced an uncomfortable feeling, but eventually the tongue let go and freed up. Hope this helps and thanks so much for watching, and be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already and got that little notification button to be notified of the latest release. Keep singing and let your voice soar!

[@nodiahbrent3686]

I have really been enjoying your videos. Thank you so much. If done correctly, is this set of exercises supposed to feel and sound like humming?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Nodiah Brent I'm really happy that you are enjoying the videos! Thank you. I suppose you could describe the sensation of the tongue release as a humming sensation. Certainly you are experiencing more resonance with the tongue stretched out of the pharyngeal space so much. All that extra room allows the vocal folds to vibrate freely. Just make sure you are singing with an even flow of air as you practice with the tongue out! Thanks for watching! Peace, Jeff

[@nodiahbrent3686]

Thanks for your reply. In that case, I think what I'm sensing as humming is really the sensation of sound in the upper cavities (as opposed to sound trapped in my throat). I imagine you can practice singing a song with the tongue simply stretched out over the lower lip if you want to keep your hands free to play the piano. Is your instructional CD/DVD geared to fundamental vocal rehab? Is there different material on each?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Great analogy Nodiah! The instructional program "Let Your Voice Soar" is designed to lay out the basic fundamental of the Swedish-Italian vocal technique through videos of voice lessons with 4 singers and me and an audio component with lots of great vocal exercises. The program is currently only available as a digital download which contain everything on the actual DVD/CD. We've sold out of the hard copies. You can purchase the digital download from my website at www.voicesoaring.com for 15% off the $55.00 pricetag by adding "voicesoaring" in the check out code. Thanks so much for watching! Peace and happy singing to you. Jeff

[@nodiahbrent3686]

Thank you so much.

[@sophie-anne1784]

when i practise singing my mouth always aches after because i really struggle soon much with my tongue pushing down when I sing. the most effective thing from this was the pencil under the tongue so thanks,,, but any advice on relaxing my tongue when it gets so tense :(

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hi Sophyx. When you practice, the tongue needs to have a feeling of being slightly arched and out of the pharynx. If it is depressing, you are putting pressure on the larynx which will cause a lot of fatigue.

[@sophie-anne1784]

ok, thank yo so much for your advice :)

[@chamodnimsara7054]

I found out that my voice is straining due to tongue tension and I have made large observations of the tongue placement of the singers and what they have and I don't is the "flat, relaxed, a bit bent inside from the middle like a "v" shaped tongue". My tongue is having a curved shape from the middle portion that it looks so fat. Due to this the proper resonances is not forming as well as larynx moves up. How can i train my tongue to have a placement like that (very flat "v" shaped tongue)? will theses exercises give me the results I want(flat "v" shaped tongue) to sound great without straining ?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Chamod, ideally the tongue should have a slightly arched shape to it gently touching the lower front teeth. A groove in the tongue can sometimes be an indicator of tongue tension and can create artificial space in the back of the throat. Try letting your tongue rest on the lower front teeth while singing and make sure it doesn't stiffen up or bacom e rigid. Hope that helps you! Peace and happy singing!

[@AmitDas-wp4vp]

Jeff can I practice this along with the other in one sitting? Like I sit to practice singing in the evening so can I do several excercise along with this?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

jet_black heart yes, you should be able to do any exercises standing or sitting.

[@AmitDas-wp4vp]

@@JeffAlaniStanfill no that's not what I meant . I meant can I do all these together in one session?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

jet_black heart yes, you should be able to do all of these exercises in one session. Just listen to your voice and make sure you are doing these exercises to reduce tension rather than introduce tension. Hope that answered your question! 😊

[@ramadeviarroju3077]

hello sir. am an new learner in singing. am getting so much salvation in my moth while singing. can you please tell me how to reduce my salvation

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

ramadevi arroju unfortunately I would not be able to help you with that as it seems to be something associated with your diet perhaps? So sorry.

[@HRISHABHJ]

thanks for sharing these exercises. But as i was doing it i felt a bit of friction in my vocal cords especially while going up, which i think is very harmful. So i immediately stopped. Could you please suggest me any solution.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

@HRISHABH JHA: Only take the exercise up as far as you can comfortably. Make sure you are feeling a sigh of air across the root of the tongue as you are singing. This IS a singing exercise so if the air stops, the tongue is going to grab and possibly produce friction in the throat. If you stop the air when you are trying to sing a phrase without the pencil, you will feel the tension. The vocal cords work solely on the fact that air is moving through them, so if the air stops, there is no reason for them to vibrate. I hope this answers your question and produces better results. Peace, Jeff

[@HRISHABHJ]

Thanks jeff!! i really appreciate the way you reply to everyone. About my problem i think you're right. But i don't know how to maintain that steady flow of air while singing. I tried doing the scales on hhhaa sound. but that did't help. Actually sometimes i sing really well. the resonance, voice, breathing everything feels just right. But then sometimes i don;t know something happens to my throat. it feels as if something is holding back my throat from doing what i want it to do. at that time whatever i sing or whatever exercises i do, it just doesn't sound good. doesn't feel good. And eventually i stop continuing my practice. please help me out. I am really struggling with this. I am from India. And here we have our own style of music that requires rigorous practice. I feel unable to do progress because of this problem. Please help me out. thanks again!

[@deloentertains3370]

Has anyone ever told you that you look like Alfonso Ribeiro? Wow. It's crazy! But great exercises thanks

[@Cynsantoyo]

the pencil is the most effective for me. big problem with tongue placement right now.

[@teriwalalce5686]

Does your tongue rest behind your bottom teeth with the pencil exercise and will a straw work? Love your stuff:)

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hey Teri! You can definitely put your tongue behind the lower front teeth if it is comfortable to do so. You can use literally anything like a pencil such a chop sticks or a straw. I like pencils because they feel good. I am so happy you are enjoying the tutorials! Please feel free to share these with your fellow singers and/or voice coaches. Thanks so much. Peace and harmony to you :-)

[@michaaelmayne3931]

So i do this every day?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

+Michael Mayne I recommend doing this as part of your complete vocal warm up IF you are dealing with tongue tension on a regular basis. Once you feel that the tongue tension has reduced, than you can cut back on it and only use this exercise when necessary. It's a great tool to have in your vocal exercise tool kit for times when the tongue becomes unruly! Hope this helps!

[@danielchroniclesworldwidez2160]

I have noticed My tongue always lifts up when am singing ?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

That’s a good thing. You do not want your tongue to depress as you ascend a scale of phrase. It comes up to allow the larynx to tilt so that the cricothyroid can tilt to stretch the vocal fold for the higher notes.

[@mackchristopher7199]

How long does it take to permanently get rid of tongue tension

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

+Shann Mack Jr Hi Shann! Getting rid of tongue tension permanently is something you may have to work at for a while. By using the pencil under the tongue, you'll feel how free your tongue feels when you put it back in it's normal resting place. Then you'll want to monitor your tongue while singing to make sure it doesn't become rigid, stiff or hard. I use those three terms a lot in my teaching because nothing in your body should become rigid, stiff or hard when singing, especially the tongue. I like to imagine the tongue as soft and spongey. Once you begin to understand this concept, your voice will begin to soar to the sky! Hope this helps. Jeff

[@fhhnaa]

Should our sensation of the tongue while singing be the exact same as while we doing the exercise number one?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thanacha, that is a very good question. The tongue should (in my opinion) always feel soft and spongey, not rigid and hard while vocalizing or singing a phrase. The pencil under the tongue isolates the tongue so that it doesn't ruin the party so to speak. I will often have my students vocalize with the tongue out so they can be sure they are getting the feeling a free soft tongue. If that doesn't work, we will resort back to the pencil under the tongue. Hope that answers your question and thanks for watching! Peace, Jeff

[@keyurbhatt9505]

Can we do it when we have stiff neck...?? Pls suggest exercise for fix stiff neck while singing.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Keyur, we are working on a series of new videos that will focus on all aspects of singing from posture to vocal, so we will definitely feature one for the neck and spine. Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe and please turn the notifications bell on if you haven't already! Peace and harmony to you. Jeff

[@mikehopkins4040]

Can do the exercises alright,but cant really sing a song with a pencil?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Mike Hopkins Hey Mike. I’m happy that are able to do the exercises with the pencil. If you are trying to sing the melody of a song with the pencil, you are not going to pronounce the words, but instead you will sing the melody with the feeling of “uh” with the pencil. Then when you take the pencil away and sing the words, you hopefully will have the free tongue and the slight lowered laryngeal position which will allow you to transition through your vocal registers freely. When singing that “uh”, make sure your tongue doesn’t depress down to accomplish this! I hope this helps and thanks for watching! Hope you are subscribed to the channel and be sure to turn on the notifications button for the latest updates. Peace and happy singing! Jeff

[@JitskeTrijntje]

Waht is NG "ring"?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

+Jitske Trijntje Hello there. Thank you for your question. I just did an entire episode on the developing nasal resonance through the "ng" ring. When you speak the words ring, ping, ving, ming, sing, you will notice that the tongue lifts against the roof of the mouth closing off the pharyngeal space, or back of the throat. That closure traps the air in the cavity momentarily and allows the vocal cords to close more precisely, which creates a ringing sound. We can capitalize on that sensation and add it to any sound. We want the throat to be free and open as we sing, which we get from singing the Italian vowels, but we need to add a degree of ring on top of that open feeling in order to get it to travel forward. In the 40's and 50's, a lot of singers of that day used this concept to help the voice stay forward on the microphones from that time period. Listen to early Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald and you will hear them close on the ng if it was the last 2 letters of a word in a phrase. Today we still want to access that feeling. I use the concept of the "ng" fpr very young singers who have not developed cord closure yet. It helps them to find the closure and reduces breathiness. Was that helpful?

[@JitskeTrijntje]

: much more beyond the ng I read here, ring is just a name for the vocal 'trick' on the ng. Did not know all the info you gave on this aspect, I shall read it more seriously next day, sleeping time now. Bye for now and thanks a lot for the communication! And for those unexpected tongue exercises: beautiful.

[@JitskeTrijntje]

...Jeff Alani: did not really understand this in your answer: 'but we need to add a degree of ring on top of that open feeling in order to get it to travel forward': in order to get the sound to travel you should instead: not-close the phar.-area with the back of the tongue..close but travel: how does it go together? I understand very well the educational aspect of the ng, my teacher thought me it, I use it still and until now ... just to warm up, smoothly the cords/muscles.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

+Jitske Trijntje Did you watch the video I made about the "ng" ring? It is clearly defined in that video. Please check it out and let me know if you still need clarification. Thank you!

[@arangor82]

+Jitske Trijntje Today it is often called "twang" in many vocal programs, it is a buzzing overtone in the voice that is produced not only by NG, but also on other nasal consonants like N or M

[@rohanbhora5896]

How to stop lisping?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Rohan Bhora for that you’d need a speech therapist. Have you searched KZbin for tutorials to help you?

[@joaodeabreu9101]

awesome lol :D

[@bauwensstefan2463]

3:02

[@djj.o.x5488]

I still feel the tongue getting in the way

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Make sure you are feeling breath move across the root of the tongue as you sing. If the air stops the tongue becomes rigid. This is a great concept to also teach you to keep a consistent flow of air as you vocalize.

[@djj.o.x5488]

Jeff Alani Stanfill Ok Thank you

[@timbacchus]

I use a metal straw instead of a pencil.