How to use laryngeal height to create a unique sound
Becoming a truly unique artist and songwriter is something many singers strive for. Whether it’s becoming a rock god, a pop diva or a folk queen, every singer will have their own opinion on what is truly unique about their favourite singers and who they themselves want to be. But did you know that by simply moving your larynx (voice box) up and down you can unlock different sounds and acoustical qualities to sing with; offering you more tools to truly express yourself?
Today we’re going to look at laryngeal height and how you can utilise this to create a unique sound with your singing voice.
What is Laryngeal Height?
Laryngeal height is a term used to describe how high or low your larynx (voice box) is. The larynx itself is situated within the windpipe (trachea) and is mainly made up of cartilage, some ligaments and muscles with one bone included (the hyoid bone), so it’s a flexible piece of equipment singers can safely manipulate to achieve different sound qualities.
We can describe laryngeal height in several ways. These are:
Low
Low/Neutral
Neutral
High/Neutral
High
It’s most common for a singer to use multiple laryngeal heights throughout a performance or studio recording, depending on their artistic choices, their environmental state and vocal technique. Some are more preferable to the voice than others, so let’s dig into this a little more and what affects the laryngeal height has on an artist’s tone.
A low larynx can create a more haunting, darker sound
Yes that’s right, a low larynx is our go-to for a deeper, more “hollow” sound. Used commonly in classical singing, contemporary singers use a lower larynx to get a rounder tone with a more emotive, atmospheric touch.
Two prime examples of low larynx singers are Cher and Hannah Reid from London Grammar. Both are known for their incredibly unique tones and will often go from a low larynx to a neutral throughout their performances to offer some emotional differentiation between different parts of the songs. Here are some examples:
How to lower your larynx
To lower your larynx and build awareness of how this feels use the following steps:
Place your hand on the front of your neck, just where your Adams apple is or would be
Breathe in and sigh out using the vowel UH or pretend to yawn on an AH sound, feeling that space in the back of the mouth/the throat
Repeat, but this time adding in a note
You can then continue to build this up until you can sing whole sentences and really get to grips with how the lower larynx feels.
If you’re struggling with the above there’s one more way you can unlock this feeling: remember when you were a kid in the playground and you’d pretend to put on a “man” voice? Well that’s exactly what a low larynx sounds and feels like.
Things to look out for when using a low larynx
In general a low larynx alone can’t offer singers many dynamic changes and will stay mainly at one state of dynamic, which is why it is often that a singer will go from a lower larynx to a neutral larynx and back again.
Using the feeling of lowering the larynx can also be used to counteract a high larynx, which is something we’ll touch upon later.
A neutral larynx can create a free, easy way of singing
It’s true that each singer has their own tone and no two voices naturally sound exactly the same. We are all built with the same laryngeal structure and apparatus but it’s the architecture of our vocal tract, our use of articulators, choice of vowels and much more than determines each person’s tone and this is where a neutral larynx can really come into its own.
A neutral larynx is the point at which the larynx is completely relaxed; where it’s unconcerned about what it’s singing and the voice itself is allowed to fly. And mastering this can really make you a master of singing in itself.
Let’s look at some examples of singers who use a neutral larynx: Bruno Mars and Jennifer Hudson.
And the list goes on and on and on...Whitney Houston, Nicole Sherzinger, Aretha Franklin, Jessie J, Sam Smith….all of those singers you go “wow” at.
Again, there may be times when a singer uses a low/neutral larynx or moves slightly to a high/neutral larynx to offer some tonal changes, but if neutral is the dominant laryngeal position it is the easiest way to sing.
How to find your neutral larynx position
To find your neutral laryngeal position all you need to do is:
Place your hand on the front of your neck, just where your Adams apple is or would be
Get in a relaxed position
Speak numbers 1-5 in your normal speaking voice
Elongate the numbers until it becomes a drone on a note
Again, this is something you can repeat until you can sing whole songs being super relaxed.
Things to look out for when using a neutral larynx
Using a neutral larynx doesn’t really require many things to look out for. As a singer it’ll offer you complete flexibility so you can really let go and express yourself, however keeping a neutral larynx does require good vocal technique.
It also requires practice, as any niggle or worry can concern a larynx and move its position. As we’ll find out when we look at the high laryngeal position.
A high larynx can create a strained, pressed voice
Yes sorry to be the bearer of bad news but in most cases a high larynx is not something we want to sing with. A high larynx is usually a result of a worried voice and can often happen as a singer starts to reach higher and higher notes and becomes more and more fretful. In this instance the larynx will raise to “reach” the note, and usually as a singer you’ll feel the muscles around the larynx squeeze to try and help (which unfortunately does not help!) This can result in a squeezed, shouty sound that can often take a singer off-pitch and be extremely uncomfortable to sing with. It can result in vocal fatigue and in more severe cases vocal injury.
It’s also often seen in rock music when a singer wants to achieve a scream or raspy voice but does not know the extreme vocal technique to do so safely and so the larynx gets used to raising and squeezing out some rasp.
An example of this is Kurt Cobain from Nirvana in this live performance below. Listen out especially in the chorus and watch to see how uncomfortable this is for him to sing in:
My second example is Kelly Clarkson, who I absolutely adore, but I wanted to include to show a high larynx can happen to anybody. In this live footage her larynx raises and she just has to ride the wave until it ends. You can see it’s uncomfortable for her and the voice really doesn’t like it, but in this case the performance “took over” from the voice and she was stuck in there:
How to feel a high larynx
To feel a high laryngeal position:
Place your hand on the front of your neck, just where your Adams apple is or would be
Look up and imagine your note being super high and out of reach
Softly sing an EE sound
You will find a tightening at the top of your throat and a general feeling of uncomfortableness.
Things to look out for when using a high larynx
Using a high larynx is unsustainable and can cause vocal damage so if you’re stuck in that setting I would advise going to see a vocal coach to help you out.
One thing I mentioned earlier was that lowering the larynx can help if you do get stuck in this position. So something to try would be the exercise above, but bringing in some of the ‘yawning’ feeling from the lower larynx exercise to see what effect this has on the sound and the feeling for you as a singer.
In conclusion, laryngeal height can be used as a tool to fuel your unique self expression and help develop a unique tone. Our larynx is there for us to play with so have some fun, get to know your larynx and experiment! You might find something new after all.
Get in touch if you want to find out more about laryngeal height and how it can change your vocal tone.
