Candra Sleeman - Latest Comments

Re: TONGUE TENSION

Fran — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 06:13:58 -0000

Also, changing current tension maintaining habits helps. My tension is from childhood trauma, but I find that I maintain it in many of the things I do in my adult life. Awareness tells me that I tense it while I'm on the computer, watching TV, drinking, washing up, even meditating (where I'm concentrating on thinking about nothing by my present breathing). I KNOW that awareness and deliberately and consciously changing these habits does work. While I watch TV, while I drive, while I do all the things that I am aware of where my habit is depressing and tensing my tongue, I find a way to soften. I imagine that it's yeast dough rising, I stick it out, I try to softly 'allow' it to float up to my soft palate, I rest it on my teeth and feel the back down my throat soften, I hum and imagine and feel the humming vibrating through my tongue. And it works. My tongue is getting softer, not fast, but gradually, and I KNOW it's these things because my teacher actually independently notices that my tongue improves on the weeks where I work on this with most diligence. It's difficult - full-time waking awareness, and slow, but for me the improvements appear to be permanent, and it works.

I offer this for other singers to try because no other method I have read about works (except perhaps the stretching mentioned above, and that only for a the worst tension, then it gradually has less and less impact). Don't just use mine. By all means think up softening stuff that works for you, but awareness is the key. Find out what you do where your tongue is tense, and actively work out a way to soften what you do, train your brain to know that it doesn't need to tense your tongue when you're doing that!!

Re: TONGUE TENSION

Fran — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 02:13:45 -0000

Hi, I suffer from severe tongue tension, so much so that I feel my tongue as tense, and not only while singing. I'm working at the problem with a great teacher. I do have to tell you that there is an inaccuracy in your last paragraph. I can tell you that as my tongue tires, it actually GRIPS HARDER, and the tension definitely WORSENS - it does NOT relax. And waggling your tongue around, as I've found so many teachers suggest, doesn't help at all!! In fact it worsens the situation. Stretching my tongue does work at some level, dropping my head to face the floor, poking my tongue out and gripping it with my teeth and pulling my head back. I suspect that what ACTUALLY tires are the OTHER MUSCLES that I have spent years tensing my tongue to compensate for because they are still weak, meaning that I end up tensing my tongue to compensate. And that is usually where my daily practice ends.

Stretching, for me, now has a lesser effect, as my tongue has loosened somewhat, although it is still tense. Beyond tongue stretching, I have found that things like visualisations such as imagining my tongue relaxing and rising like bread dough as I sing, mediation focusing on tongue relaxation, that sort of thing appears to help. Improving technique helps, and I am hoping that my tongue will take over less as that improves, but so far I haven't found a solution.

But TIRING your tongue out DEFINITELY DOES NOT WORK!!

Re: TONGUE TENSION

Awesome — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 08:13:24 -0000

That is a very good review of the tongue tension.

Re: TONGUE TENSION

David — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 12:26:57 -0000

You may want to check the Feuchtinger method for a counter to what you are talking about here. Also, when singing energetically, try monitoring the tension at the base of the tongue....without it, you couldn't make a squeak...
i realize this is challenging beliefs, but as a life long singer and teacher, you may want to re think this....the hyo-glossus is indespensible in deep and resonant singing...Don't believe me, just analyze your own production.

Re: TONGUE TENSION

Anonymus — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:47:02 -0000

Thank you! I am looking for information about tension at the root of the tongue, your information is very useful.

Re: COOL DOWN

Candrasleeman — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:06:10 -0000

Hi Wendy my apologies for the delay... I've been away on holiday. A great thing to do is a siren down on an "ng" from a high to low pitch (for about 5 minutes)- its very effective!

Re: COOL DOWN

Wendycooper — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:04:22 -0000

Could you please give me some examples of vocal "cool-downs"? Thank you.

Re: COOL DOWN

Valerietm — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:14:31 -0000

Great advice Candra! Keep up pteh good work.