soft pallet

Hi Camille, 

Are we only supposed to lift the soft palet a little bit? and do we lift it during the inhale only?, it seems to go down when I start singing. 

Thanks alot,

Sam

Good question, Sam! Depends on your desired tone. A higher palate results in a rounder, warmer tone. Lower palate results in a brighter, more "edgy" tone in general (and sometimes also causes excess nasality or flatness, which is why it's important to lift the soft palate at times). 

If you do want to keep it lifted, then your goal is to lift on the inhale and keep it lifted when you sing. It's tricky, but will get easier over time! Try inhaling and then singing on an AH or yawny YAH. That should be easier than singing other vowels or syllables. 

Hi Camille, oh I see. I am aiming to use it to sing higher. I have also noticed its easier to lift soft palet when I make the tongue and the larynx down. Is the larynx suppose to always go down?, I dont want to press it down to much but Im not sure how to control that yet. 

Thanks, 

Sam 

Got it. The larynx lowering (for high notes) can sometimes be helpful; but in general, we'd like to develop independence of the larynx and soft palate. See if you can emphasize the lift of the palate without the downward laryngeal motion of a yawn. The easiest way to accomplish that (in my experience) is to lift the palate by engaging the facial muscles: in particular, lift your brows and cheeks, and even try flaring your nostrils. This facial engagement will result in a gentle lift of the palate without depressing your larynx. 

I'll work on that. Thanks Camille! 

Just a tip for you Sam. Thinking of opening your eyes really big or raising up your eyebrows. I find this helps aid in the lifting of the soft palate. It can be a tricky area to engage but a very important one in good singing.