The thing is that they don't open their mouths enough, at least not the
beginning singer. Sometimes it seems like they think they're opening far more
than they actually are - and don't believe you till they see it on video and
say, "Hey, I'm NOT opening my mouth enough. Huh." Sometimes it seems like
they're thinking of the jaw as opening like a nutcracker - hinged at the corners
of the mouth. Of course, this limits how much they actually open - I've been
encouraging my students to be aware of just where the jaw originates, and that
seems to be helping with the mouth opening. And as far as three fingers or two
or whatever, if a student is barely opening enough to fit in a straw, thinking
of creating enough space for 2 fingers' entry at least gets the mouth opened
more. It's up to the teacher to observe the individual and determine if such a
suggestion actually results in more tension than he/she had before, well, then
obviously that has to be addressed.
Christine Thomas
Voice Studio of Christine Thomas
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
"If you look goofy, you probably sound goofy."
--Marianna Busching
----- Original Message -----
From: Lloyd W. Hanson
To: vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 9:12 PM
Subject: [vocalist] Opening the Jaw
Dear Vocalisters:
I am wondering why the concern about opening the jaw a particular
amount for singing. There is no need for this concern. Singers will
naturally open the jaw as needed and that need will be determined by
the necessity for being heard.
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