If you have difficulty singing, check this out! What is a high larynx?

Hello, this is KAN from Loose Voice!

This time, I will talk about the term "high larynx" as related to vocalization.
You may have heard about voice training on the internet or at a voice training school.
If you have any of the following when singing, please read on.

・ Singing voice sounds flat
・ It feels like the airway in the back of the throat is narrowing.
・ The treble ranged gets stuck and cannot be output.

Let's go now!

What is a "high larynx"?

High larynx is a term that refers to "a state in which the position of the larynx is high".
(* The larynx is the so-called Throat Buddha in Japanese.)

The reason why such words appear in voice training is that the voice changes when a state of "raising the larynx" occurs when singing.
Specifically, it becomes a bright-sounding, a high-pitched voice, with a core.

There is no "good" or "bad" in the high larynx state.
Some singers dare to sing with the throat Buddha when they want a bright, high-pitched tone.

However, some people think that it is better to improve on the high larynx, so let's take a closer look.

What kind of person should improve?

1. People who should improve

* Please understand that "improvement" means "adjustment for both high larynx and low larynx = giving the throat flexibility".

◆ People who always get a high larynx when singing

Especially in the mid to high range, the throat Buddha tends to rise. Let's make it possible to create a state where the throat Buddha does not rise too much even in the high register.
The moment you sing, the throat Buddha moves reflexively, which is a "habit" of muscular exercise.

◆ People who feel pain in their throat

People who get a sore throat while singing may have their vocal cords closed too tightly due to the occurrence of a high larynx.
If the degree is severe, the voice will be on the verge of holding your breath. By fixing high larynx, you can make use of the strength of your throat comprehensively.

◆ People who want to create a deep tone

As a timbre, a high larynx gives a high-pitched voice, so it is difficult to make a thick and deep-sounding voice.
If your voice sounds childish or flat and you want to fix it, you should improve it.

2. Why causes a high larynx?

Is the throat Buddha hung by muscles?!

The throat Buddha (larynx) is suspended by the muscles in the throat. In other words, because it floats around, you can intentionally move it up and down freely.
When you swallow food, if you touch the throat Buddha with your finger, you can see that the throat Buddha rises up at the moment of swallowing.
This is a swallowing exercise to flush food into the esophagus, which is an exercise to cover the trachea and prevent food from accidentally entering the trachea.

On the contrary, when singing, it is better to keep the trachea wide to ensure a good sound. That's why the tone of a "high larynx", where the throat Buddha rises, becomes shallower.
The cause of a high larynx is that the muscles in the throat that lift the throat Buddha (the muscles used for swallowing) are overworked.

3. How to improve a high larynx

Remove the habit of a high larynx and let your body remember that state. For many people who raise the throat Buddha, it’s a "habit".
A habit is something that happens unconsciously.

If you can see that you have a habit, you can consciously improve it, but you can't see into your throat...!
Therefore, what is important is "rewriting incorrect memory".
An important hint is [falsetto vocalization]. Falsetto vocalization does not feel pain in the throat even at high frequencies. Don't you think that's strange???
Even though the voice is born from the same vocal cords, a high-pitched voice can be easily produced by making a falsetto. Then, as much as possible, it is better to make a chest voice in a state as close as possible to the throat feeling of the falsetto. This fact is a clue to improving on a high larynx.

My personal experience and advice based on my experience is that if you unintentionally have a high larynx, when you sing, you will have a very stuffy voice and it will be difficult to produce high notes.
Many think that it’s okay if the throat Buddha goes up, but in the end, it becomes difficult to output your voice if it goes up too much.
Especially, if you have a singing style that raises your voice, you should try singing in front of the mirror and check it out!

See you next time!

Summary

What is a high larynx?

• The state where the throat Buddha (larynx) is in a high position
• The tone of the voice is high and bright.
• Those who want to change the tone and those who get a sore throat when singing should improve (= give the throat flexibility).