Day 4: Twang, Ring & Tongue Position

From: 14-Day Pop Vocals Course With Camille
by Camille van Niekerk
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Description:

The next few adjustments we can make to give our sound an energy boost without any push or strain involve the tongue and the pharynx. The pharynx is the top portion of your throat. If you say “Ahh” and look in a mirror, the back wall you see (behind your mouth) is your oropharynx. Above it is your nasopharynx, behind the nose, and below it is the laryngopharynx, behind the larynx. 

Compare the sound of your voice with and without twang by saying “whee!” with your normal voice. And now, in a witchy or Oompa Loompa voice. Is there a difference in sensation?

Take this twangy sound into an exercise. Please note: twang isn’t “all or nothing”. We’re starting with an exaggerated sound, but once you’re used to that, you can exaggerate less and find a more balanced level of brightness. 

Exercise: NYEAH (5-3-1); may repeat with less twang

Another way to boost energy and brightness is by retracting the back of your tongue, while keeping the front of your tongue forward. Singers who use this technique a lot are Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Shakira. If taken to an extreme, we get a “Kermit the frog” type sound. 

Let’s take this step by step. First, release any tongue tension you may be holding by bringing the tip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth, sliding it backward, and then forward all the way to lion’s pose.

Make yourself yawn, and notice what happens with the tongue. The tongue moves as a unit, with both the front and back retracting, or pulling back. Yawn again, but keep the tip of the tongue behind your bottom teeth. Notice how the back of the tongue lowers. Although we’re not usually aware of this, the parts of your tongue can move independently! Let’s do an exercise to train this independence further. 

First say WEE, and feel the front of the tongue move forward. Then make an RR sound and let the tongue pull back. Can you feel the back of the tongue moving? Now go back to EE, but keep the back of the tongue where it is. Listen carefully and you’ll notice the second EE vowel you sing has much more “ring” to it than the first. 

I know this is a new concept for many, and the sensation is very subtle. We aren’t aware of our tongue’s movement most of the time, and we’re certainly not used to moving parts of it independently. Be patient with yourself, and use a mirror if that helps! 

Exercise 2: WEE-RR-EE (single pitch)

Let’s see if we can find any spots in “Never leave you” to adjust our tongue position for a bright, belty sound!

Song work: play with twang & tongue position on select words

Gm
You’re in my head
Eb
You’re in my dreams
Dm
The words you said
Eb
Comfort me

Bb
“I will never leave you
F
I’ll always hold you tight
Gm
Love you and protect you
Eb
I will never leave you”
(Bb)

If you’re up for it, I’m assigning listening to Shakira as your homework. Listen to any of her songs, and try to copy her sound. Because she uses an extreme amount of tongue retraction, she’s really fun to do an impression of, and hopefully in doing so, you can feel your own tongue position adjusting to make that sound. 

Audio:

Pop Course Day 4 Exercise 1
Pop Course Day 4 Exercise 2

Lessons:

Instructor: Camille van Niekerk

Camille van Niekerk is a singer, writer and vocal instructor in Southern California. Camille began studying voice and performing in musicals at age seven. In 2010, Camille began working towards her BA in Music Education at Azusa Pacific University. She then earned her teaching credential from San Diego State University and taught classroom choral and instrumental music. Shortly after moving to LA county, Camille began her private vocal studio, providing vocal coaching, ear training, and recording for students of all ages. She is constantly refining her skills and methods for greater versatility and effectiveness. When she is not teaching, Camille enjoys singing with the L.A. Choral Lab and Ensoma Creative. She lives in San Diego with her husband and loves going to the beach, practicing yoga, reading, and cooking.