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Phil Moufarrege

David,


To learn to control the larynx, Yawn and then hold that Yawn. Keep doing that until you can learn to isolate the muscles that draw the Larynx down.
I've down so much larynx lowering work that I can literally almost seat my larynx in my torso, and I can pull it down and hold it any time at will, so it is just a matter of practicing it.


Once you can lower your larynx.

Sit down and put on a song about 4 minutes long. This is going to be the longest 4 minutes in your life. LOL

Lower your larynx, and then expand your throat, and sit there with your throat in that expanded state for that whole song.
It may be a bit uncomfortable, but keep doing that until you can do it for the entire song, and then work your way up to about 10 minutes like that.

That will give you enough strength to be able to hold it down for an entire song.

Clip and file your fingernails. Then wash your hands.
Place the tip of your tongue against your bottom teeth.
Then lower your Larynx.
While in that lowered position, stick your index finger down your throat, slowly working back toward the root of your tongue where the epiglottis meets it. Once you can do that comfortably, hook it on the back of your tongue and press the base of tongue forward and down in the center. While doing that think RELAX. Jut start curling your finger, it will do it automatically.
Then, once you can do that, then slowly start working toward the side of your tongue.
That will disengage the constrictor muscles and engage the anti-constrictor muscles. (which will hold it open

Just like learning to hold the intercostal muscles in an expanded state for breath support, it is going to take time to learn to control the muscles, and get used to the sensation.

The difference between a trained singer and an untrained singer, is because we train -= we learn actual exercises to do this - while an untrained singer may stumble upon certain aspects, but they don;t learn the exercises on their own.

Just keep training and keep practicing, and keep singing!
You have to do all three.

Tim

Wow. Thanks so much for the advice. I feel like this is the one thing that is holding me back from where I want to be. I feel fortunate for the help you guys are giving on fixing it. I've learned so much in the last year or so and have worked every single day to improve.

I will work on these suggestions and stick with it. I know that it's going to take a while but I'm going to devote a huge section of my practice time toward this swallow muscle problem.

I can't thank you all enough for the help

Hi David,

Keep this in mind, it isn't a swallowing muscle problem. Thinking like that is just setting yourself up mentally for a long arduous task. It is simply that your throat's constrictor muscles are doing what they were designed to do. For singing, you have to train these muscles to relax - but they haven't been relaxed ever since you had your first food as a newborn! So just relax and do the exercises to to 20 minutes a day. Trust me, once you can get the larynx down - the tongue taming and keeping the throat in an expanded state are a breeze.



Tim

I just did that during four songs. My biggest problem so far is trying to keep from yawning. When I yawn I lose the position after the yawn. lol. Even on a yawn those digastric muscles under the chin are wanting to really flex so I try to relax that part while holding the yawn position.

I lightly hum the song while holding my thumb and index finger of the right hand on my digastric muscles to remind myself to relax when they get tense. two fingers on the left hand go to the larynx to insure it don't pop up so I can maintain the yawn.

I feel very confident these techniques will eventually lead to relaxed and effortless high notes.