Vocalist.org archive


From:  Jeffrey Joel <JSJoel@c...>
Date:  Sat Apr 15, 2000  1:59 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Another larynx movement question


>The way I understand it, when you inhale the larynx drops. Then, ideally it
>should stay in that position through the entire phrase being sung. Is this
>right? Does it get to move up even a little bit? If not, then how does it
>manage to drop again with the next inhalation?
>
>If I really concentrate on relaxing my throat, feel my support very low in
>my
>body, and visualize lengthening my neck, my larynx will not kick up like it
>wants to, however, it does move up a little bit at the onset of tone. I do
>this on a 5 note descending scale in my mid-range. As I descend, it does
>lower with the scale, but none of this movement is huge. If the larynx is
>freely suspended in the throat, then it seems to me that some movement would
>be inevitable. Am I on the right track here?

I find that when I inhale my larynx drops (way down!) and it doesn't move
at all no matter what I'm doing *unless* I add some tension in the
external muscles around my throat (mostly the neck muscles (L. cervicus)).

As I mentioned a long time ago, I studied with Blair McClosky for a time
while I was a graduate student at MIT. He was in his 60s or 70s then and
he could sustain a tone with nary a blip in the pitch, in any part of his
range, while taking hold of his larynx with his hand and moving it
physically all over the place.

Bless Your Heart(s),

Jeffrey Joel
JSJoel@c...

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