The tongue is called the “unruly member” in singing. The tongue must assume various shapes to create vowels freely. In singing, the vowel is very important- we sustain pitches on the vowel! So our vowels must be clear. Problems in singing occur when we have to drop the jaw or open the mouth more for high notes. Our tongue tends to follow the jaw, thereby losing the clarity of the vowel.

For the vowel i in particular, the tongue must be high at the constriction or middle of the tongue, almost touching the upper molars. If the tongue loses this shape as the singer drops the jaw for high notes, the vowel becomes muddy.

What can you do if you experience this issue? Tricia Grey, MM, founder of Sing Like a Star Studios, provides you with the solution- the Tongue Independence Exercise.

Place the palm of your hand on your jaw, with the thumb and finger on either side of the mouth and say AH-EE several times. Don’t let the jaw move. It helps to be looking into a mirror as you do this, so you can make sure your jaw is stable and not moving. Just go back and forth between the two vowels, slowly: AH-EE, AH-EE, AH-EE, AH-EE.

Then try to do this faster. Slowly increase your speed until you can rapidly execute the exercise.

If you practice this exercise daily your tongue will become more agile and independent of the movement of the jaw. Your vowels will become crisp and clear, even on high pitches.

At Sing Like a Star Studios we provide the world’s most effective voice lessons and vocal coaching. You can take lessons in-person at our Roswell GA (30076) studio or on Zoom from anywhere in the world!

To get started, simply register for a Professional Voice Evaluation where we can meet with you on Zoom or in person to assess your voice, provide our professional feedback, and show you how you can learn to Sing Stronger…Sing Higher…and Sing Like a Star!