We have discussed the fundamental aspects of voice production in our previous posts on voice culture. We obtained a lot of queries from students who were interested in specific voice exercises from the Carnatic Music perspective. Many experts have provided comprehensive insights into specific practice methods for Carnatic music and we thought it might be useful to share that information in this space.

It is a well known fact that a good understanding of one’s own voice with the inherent limitations and strengths is essential, to enable one to communicate their musical thoughts freely. This is true in Carnatic music as well. In fact, Carnatic music , characterized by the ‘raga’ system and ‘gamakas’ (oscillations of notes) provides ample opportunity for singers to communicate their thoughts and musical expression effectively.

In addition to basic voice techniques discussed in earlier posts, we will also include specific exercises to help students develop their expression in Carnatic music, in terms of pitch accuracy, ability to execute gamakas and bhriga (fast paced) phrases with clarity and control. An over-looked fact is that, in Carnatic music, it is equally important for one to develop the ability to deliver slow phrases effectively. This requires greater breath control, precision in gamaka rendition, and a good control of the voice.

Here are a few suggestions to help get started:

Carnatic Fun Task tic – A practical guide to the fundamentals of Carnatic music for beginners, advanced level students, performers and teachers. Includes 3 Cds with 5 hours of lessons by Vidwan K.N Shashikiran

The book covers practice methods for beginners as well as advanced students. A beginner student might find the hand-holding method of progressing from varishais (basic solfa exercises) to alankaras. (advanced solfa excerises) very useful. The notation for singing in various speeds are illustrated well , guiding the uninitiated into the concept of pitch and rhythm in Carnatic music. There are useful tips and important points to guide students while practicing the exercises. All exercises are demonstrated clearly in the audio Cds.

Advanced students might find the voice exercises, designed to improve tone, stamina, breath control, pitch accuracy, fluency and speed very useful. The ‘Pranavam exercise’ is a very fundamental aspect of Carnatic music training, involving the ability to sustain a note on pitch without wobble for as long as possible. These exercises are recommended for early morning practice. Many singers have also recommended this exercise in our video interviews. Experts also recommend that students learn the practice of tuning a tanpura accurately and performing ‘sadhaka’ (practice) with the help of the ‘tanpura’ rather than using the electronic shruti box.

Shri Shashikiran has also provided numerous exercises for improving control and accuracy through the practice of various combinations of swara patterns. Students will find the terminologies both fun and extremely useful to help develop their voice abilities. Exercises such as ‘pendulum exercise’, ‘tambura exercise’, jumble exercise’ ‘octave exercise’ ‘twirl exercise’ and ‘briga exercise’ to mention a few, are designed to help students develop a good ability to sing alapanas (elaboration of a ‘raaga’) and compositions effectively.

The book also discussed yoga techniques to help improve breathing and discusses the physiology of the voice, aspects of good voice production, common problems faced by students and solutions to overcome them.

Acharyanet will offer this book shortly in our online store. Please email us at support@acharyanet.com for more details.

Acharyanet has been doing a feature on the aspects of Voice Culture in Carnatic Music. We have posted many articles and interviewed prominent musicians and voice culture experts in the Carnatic music field to get multiple perspectives on this often overlooked subject. Here are some highlights from the interview with Shri Abhishek Raghuram, Carnatic vocalist known for his excellent command over voice and rhythm.

Question: Could you share your thoughts on voice culture and discuss some successful techniques you have adopted in your training ?

It is very imperative that a student of music, especially Carnatic music follow the practice of early morning ‘sadhaka’ or practice. An extremely useful exercise is to focus on producing a pure tone of ‘Shadjam’ for one hour. Yes, one hour. A very great musician once told me that this exercise is helpful to condition the tone to adhere to ‘sruti’ or pitch like paper to glue. Once that happens, everything else falls in place. This exercise is more effective in the early mornings and one can then sustain the tone on various other notes as well such as from lower or mandra sthayi panchamam to madhyama sthayi panchamam.

This exercise could be practiced on various scales and alternated so that all possible notes are covered over a period of time. There are several ways of practicing a scale. A good way is to practice without ‘gamakas’ or oscillations. [demonstrates] There are multiple ways to do this, one can experiment and try different approaches. Even when singing plain scales, one approach is to hit each note on the head or emphasize each note. [demonstrates] Its a process of discovery, the more you seek , the more you find.

One could also practice ‘sadhaka’ or practice phrases. [demonstrates] Sing simple phrases, then add the complexity. [demonstrates]

Question: Did you create this exercise?
No, one of my relatives created this particular one, but it can be done by anyone.

We can go beyond the standard varishais and come up with with our own patterns for practice using the same principles, practicing single notes, then double notes or ‘janta’ patterns , and even ‘daatu’ patterns or patterns that skip notes and go upwards or downwards.

Then we need to focus on ‘gamakas’ or oscillation of notes which are very specific to our system of Carnatic music.It is rather tricky in the sense that one could easily sing it incorrectly but once mastered, the concept of ‘gamakas’ could very well be fascinating. There is a lot of scope for interpretation of gamakas , once the notes are established. Gamakas are the crux of our system and we can use them effectively to even communicate with an emotional intent.

How does one teach Gamakas effectively to students?

I once asked a student to repeat the scale of a ragam, he proceeded to sing with the gamakas. I proceeded to correct him and asked him to first sing without gamakas. It is essential have an understanding of underlying notes before attempting to sing gamakas. When you listen to great masters, it seems as if the phrases come out effortlessly but a lot of effort has gone into perfecting them.

It is essential to sing with awareness and an open mind. Learning many songs and singing just the lyrics or even knowing the underlying swaras are not enough. A student should know about the mechanics of singing as well.

Can you explain what you mean by that?
Singing is essentially how you control the passage of air, how you use your vocal cords , which kind of tone to use etc. I believe there are four types of tones, one that originates from the abdomen area, from chest area, chin area and head.

When you sing in higher octaves, do you adopt some technique to modify your sound?
Every singer is born with a certain range and one should have a good understanding of that. The range can only be extended slightly and we should strive to work our possibilities within that range. Also, we don’t use ‘false voice’ in our system , but a knowledge of that is very helpful for aspiring performers.False voice is used in higher octaves where the normal voice does not give way for the singer to reach higher. It requires hours of practice from the singer , even then there are no guarantees to get it right. Achieving the right mix between normal and false voice is a tough practice but one must be aware of it.

Students can try to learn more about voice culture by looking up these topics online. Nowadays , there are many reality shows and singing competitions. Students have to chance to listen to the judges and have a scope to improve their own voice training. Singing is fundamental. Practice techniques specific to the system comes after that.

Is there one point you would like to stress to students?
Never do something that causes strain and pain. Vocal cords are very sensitive. If you feel discomfort during singing, something is wrong. It is better to improve your technique than to continue along the same line.

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Acharyanet has been doing a feature on the aspects of Voice Culture in Carnatic Music. We have posted many articles and interviewed prominent musicians and voice culture experts in the Carnatic music field to get multiple perspectives on this often overlooked subject. Here are some highlights from the interview with Shri P Unnikrishnan, Carnatic music vocalist and playback singer as conducted by Sowmya Acharya

Question: Since you are familiar with various styles of music including classical, light and even western, would you be able to share some of the voice culture methods adopted in these various styles? Could these techniques be adopted in Carnatic music to some extent?

Voice culture basically refers to the ability to have control of one’s voice. Every voice is a god-given instrument and very unique. It is very important to have a good understanding of one’s own voice , along with its strengths and weaknesses before adopting voice culture techniques. Proper sound production involves various aspects. Breathing is an important concept, and involves using the abdominal muscles effectively.

Coming back to the various systems of music and voice techniques adopted in them, each system has its own method. In Carnatic music, concerts usually start with a ‘varnam’, this may serve the purpose of helping the voice warm up as well. Then there are other aspects such as training the voice to sing sustained notes . The ‘ohmkara’ is very powerful sound. It combines ‘aah’, ‘ooh’ and ‘mm’. Each tone originates from a different area of the body and this is fundamentally a very good training for the voice.

There are fabulous methods in western music as well. I have personally benefited from several techniques such as lip rolls and tongue trills, to help with warm-up. But the music and expression is very different , we cannot adopt all such western techniques.

Question: What are the common issues students face?

Avoiding strain. Students need to gradually increase the number of hours of practice and not strain themselves by practicing many hours at a stretch when not accustomed to it. Stamina has to be built slowly, then only it can be sustained. Another important factor is the control of eating habits and observing the reaction of our body to certain foods. Acidity has a major effect on voice as well and adopting healthy eating habits will help the voice, especially as one gets older. This may be a silent symptom and varies from person to person. Thats why its imperative for each and every singer to be well tuned to their body and understand cause and effects.

Question: What are your thoughts on tonal production? Do you think enough emphasis is given in Carnatic music to this aspect?

Teachers usually emphasize that students must sing loudly with an open throat. This is ok but teachers should also instruct and guide students to sing with a pleasant tone .

Question: If there is one thing you could emphasize in terms of voice culture what would that be?

It is important to have a good understanding of one’s own voice. The issues vary from person to person. For example, if you have problems with range it may be that you are not using the head voice enough and transitioning smoothly.

Question: Can you talk about these western terms like head voice, chest voice etc?

We don’t use these aspects directly in Carnatic music. In Carnatic music, depending on various factors , the mood of the piece or nature of improvisation, the dynamics vary. A knowledge of the various western aspects of voice training can help to improve the voice production and reduce the tension. [Demonstrates with a loud and dynamic effect followed a softer effect] It also depends on the mood of the composition. One thing I would say is that a knowledgeable Carnatic musician could easily adapt to other forms of music but the converse is not necessarily true. It is not so easy for a western musician to understand our system , gamakas and nuances and pick up easily.

It is important for any singer to have a goal in mind when singing, usually to communicate a feeling or meaning to the listener or even to evoke a certain response. In this regard, good articulation plays a key role in helping the singer communicate their ideas effectively to the audience.

Articulation primarily refers to the act of producing sounds (particularly consonants) in order to form words. These involve the muscles of the tongue, lip, cheeks, soft palate and jaw.

In Carnatic music, singers are required to sing compositions written in various languages. It is essential to have a understand of the lyrics and their structure when singing to be able to communicate and sing effectively. This also helps in the breath control process, if the mind has an idea of the words included in a phrase, the body automatically is able to regulate the correct intake of air to the sing the phrase effectively without running out of air.

Good diction requires the crisp , clear pronounciation of consonants especially. Sometimes, singers get so caught up in their emotions that they inadvertently introduce some amount of distortion. A good way to keep this in check is to record yourself and make sure this doesn’t happen.

Another problem students face when articulating is to try to do something totally different when singing compared to talking. Example is trying to make big movements with their mouths, attempting to push or punch out the words, rather than just articulate freely as one would while talking.

Its better to go with the instinct to communicate rather than put too much thought into the sound. Also, speaking the phrases first before singing them help immensely.

Here is a helpful guide:

1) Jaw should be relaxed, wrapped up and back. The jaw should neither be too low or clenched tightly. It helps to do chewing motions while humming or singing small phrases to unclench the jaw if this problem exists.

2) Cheeks should be lifted under the eyes, as in a sudden expression of surprise. This helps the soft palate rise as well.

3) Soft Palate should be high and wide.

4) Mouth should be rounded.

5) Tip of the tongue should always have its resting position at the bottom of the front teeth. For good articulation, the tongue should move minimally. Tongue twisters are helpful for ‘taming’ the tongue. In Carnatic music, there are rhythmic exercises stressing the various syllables which are immensely helpful in this aspect.

Vocal resonation refers to the process by which the basic sound produced by the buzzing sound of the vocal cords vibration is enhanced in timbre or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. The actual resonance of sound produced by the singer or the complex tone that a listener perceives is different from the sensation of resonation that the singer feels internally such as the chest, nasal area , sinus and head cavities. The sensations that the singer feels in the various parts of the vocal anatomy is actually termed ‘sympathetic vibration’. These sensations can however serve as a very useful guide to the singer to achieve resonance balance. These sensations or sympathetic vibrations vary from person to person but by understanding one’s own body, it is possible to fine tune the resonant tone produced.

An ideal tone is one that is balanced (between all resonating cavities) free flowing, (no tensions or restrictions) resonant (with all overtones present and has a ring) , pure (the timbre is not contrived) and is supported by good and steady breath pressure. It is also defined by good clean articulation.

A singer should have the ability to analyze and understand their own body and the relation to the quality of tone produced. For example, it might be good to experiment with the sensation felt when the tone is made more nasal , or more breathy or somewhere in between. Also, the sound heard by others is very different from the sound that the singer themselves perceives when singing. It is a good practice to make a recording and observe the tonal quality and make adjustments so that the voice sounds resonant and you can hear a ‘healthy’ ring or twang in the tone.

In order to sing with a good tone, it is important for any singer to understand the various resonant cavities in the vocal tract and the sensations associated with that.

Taking a look at your speech habits is also relevant to improving the tone in singing. If you have the habit of talking in a monotone, without any resonance, it can affect your voice adversely as well. If you feel you are missing out on resonance when speaking, try to talk with an open throat, add a ‘hum’ component to your tone and support your sound with your breath. Imagine saying the word ‘mmhmm’ as when agreeing to something. Try to bring that sensation in your other words as well, this helps move the sound of your throat and more forward into your mask or nasal/eyes area.

It is important to note that posture, open throat , breath control and support are very important in contributing to resonance. Refer previous articles on this topic.

A good exercise to help discover the various resonant cavities is to practice the ‘siren’. Place your hand in your chest and make a sliding ‘oooooo’ sound from your lower chest voice up into your head voice and try to imagining pulling the sound from above rather than pushing from below. Keep your jaw loose and notice where your feel the vibrations. It should change places from your sternum or chest, through your mouth and nasal area and then through your upper head. You have to ensure your breath is continuous without breaks. After this one could try humming on various notes from the bottom end of the scale to higher pitches. It is important to ensure that the vibration is NOT felt at the throat but rather higher up near the teeth, nose and head. It is important to maintain a steady breath flow, maintain an open throat and not push the air. Once humming feels comfortable, you could try alternating between a hum and a vowel. Finally try to sing a whole song on a ‘hum’ . This is a powerful exercise and is known to perform wonders if practiced in the right manner.

The goal is then to make sure that these sensations persist when singing as well. Being able to feel the buzzing or humming sensation when singing , is a very important factor to producing a well rounded tone. This would also help increase the breath control and stamina.

In our previous article, we established the processes involved in breathing and how a good understanding of breathing anatomy could help a singer maximize their potential.

In order to allow air to flow out swiftly and smoothly, we need to ensure that the path from the lungs to the mouth and nose are free from resistance and tension.

When air is expelled from the lungs it rises up the trachea or wind pipe and runs into the larynx, also known as the voice box where the vocal cords are housed. This causes the vocal folds to vibrate or buzz and the sound is created by the ‘chopped up’ air stream. It isn’t the impact of the folds coming together that produces the sound, rather the modulation of the airstream.

Technically, ‘opening the throat’ refers to a technique whereby the pharyngeal space is increased. This involves raising the soft palate (the back of the roof of the mouth), lowering the larynx and assuming ideal positions of articulators such as the jaw, lip and tongue, as well as shaping of mouth and use of facial muscles.

The expression also refers to the sensation of freedom that one experiences during good singing. This helps avoid constriction and tension that would otherwise stifle the tone. The desired output with an open throat is a pure rich, vibrant and warm tone that is well balanced, even and consistent. Additionally, if singing is done with an open and relaxed acoustical space, the singer will be able to traverse the scales smoothly without breaks.

There are 3 direction in which the throat could be made more ‘open’.

1) The upwards space can be increased by lifting the soft palate. One could achieve this by assuming an expression of a ‘sudden pleasant surprise’ or a sensation of what happens when you let out a sudden gasp. Sometimes it helps to assume a soft chewing position while singing to unlock the jaw and allow it to remain flexible.

2) The lower space can be increased by the keeping the larynx low and keeping the root of the tongue from depressing on the larynx. A good experiment is to find and place your fingers on the front of your neck where your Adam’s apple would lie, a slight bump. As you traverse the scale from low to high, check for any movement in this bump. If you are straining, most probably you will see the larynx rise. Try to check for the rise of the larynx while singing and make an effort to keep it in the normal position as much as possible. Keeping the eyes wide and lifting the eyebrows helps with this. Another exercise is to position the throat in readiness to utter the sound ‘uh’ as in ‘duh’, it helps to keep the throat open as well.

3) Backwards – Sometimes visual imagery helps to aid with the increase of space in the back of the throat. Imagine that you are pulling the breath from above, not ‘pushing’, upwards from the bottom of your pelvic floor into a space behind you and then releasing it to the audience in front of you. Imagine the breath taking on the path of a ‘question mark’. This visualization helps to not only increase the throat space but also allows the vocal cords to vibrate freely and alter freely according to the pitch and reduces tension.

The jaw and tongue tend to cause resistance to the flow of air and should be maintained in the correct position and out of the way. A helpful hint is to allow the articulation to arise from the tip of the tongue and not from the back of the mouth. This would allow the tongue to stay in the front and prevent bunching up of the tongue at the base which would otherwise affect the larynx. The resting position of the tip of the tongue is forward, just below the lower front teeth. Of course, it may rise and move position to articulate some sounds and consonants but it should be kept forward as much as possible.

In Carnatic music, there are specific rhythm or laya exercises that can help with take the role of ‘tongue twisters’. These rhythmic syllables could only be articulated correctly with the optimum tongue position and will serve as a good practice routine to train the tongue to do as bid.

The jaw should remain relaxed and flexible. The way to approach articulation is outlined in this simple exercise. Put your knuckles in your mouth and try to speak. Now remove them but continue to speak as if they were still there. The jaw needs to move only as much as it would during talking, there is absolutely no difference. Singing does not require dramatic movements of the jaw and mouth.

In our previous article on “Breath as the fuel of voice production”, , we established that singing involves 4 phases namely, inhalation, exhalation, suspension and recovery.

We also established that inhalation needs to happen quickly and efficiently, whereas exhalation or the actual act of singing needs to be prolonged and controlled to produce an even and well balanced tone. In fact, the ability to control the outgoing breath and release it smoothly without resistance from other areas such as the throat, and mouth (“Singing with an open throat”) determine to large extent , the beauty and evenness of the tone.

Before going into the various phases of breathing , it is important to note what constitutes correct posture. These suggestions are designed, not to ‘stifle’ the freedom of a singer, but to help the body align the physical processes necessary for the smooth and efficient outward movement of air.

1) Maintain good upper body alignment.
2) Maintain a high sternum or chest. (Not too high)
3) Make sure your spine is stable and erect.
4) Ensure your shoulders are relaxed, back and down.

Inhalation -
We will discuss the ideal way to take a breath in the following article, “Singing with an open throat” but it suffices to say that inhalation should be quick and deep, reaching low into the body. Some associate this with a mental image of “drinking in the air” and directing the air quickly as if in a quick gasp towards the back of the throat and deep down. Remembering to keep the vocal tract open and tongue flat or out of the way will help in this process. The posture should always be in check. Watching yourself in a mirror is a good practice.

It is a good practice to take a breath in between phrases at appropriate points, without waiting till the last moment of running out of air, when the chest finally collapses or moves inward. This could be quite embarrassing and actually sounds as if the wind has been punched out of you. Small pauses in between phrases, allows the breath to go in naturally and it helps to keep the ribcage expanded throughout the singing process. This can do wonders. If exhalation is done correctly and posture is maintained, along with an open vocal tract, inhalation usually takes care of itself.

Phonation refers to the process by which sound is produced by the vocal cords. Breath energy maybe considered to be the fueling factor for sound production, but it is the actual impulse to say something that initiates the breath energy in the first place. Usually during normal speech, when thoughts and expression give rise to words and sentences, we never run out of breath. While talking , what we intend to communicate somehow triggers the body to produce the right amount of breath to get the words out. This relationship between intent and breath can be leveraged in singing as well.

Singing carefully with a good amount of attention directed to the lyrics and conveying the music with an intent to project the words and the emotions underlying therein, helps with breath control to a large extent. The ultimate role of the voice is to communicate, so when you align your thoughts with the intention to communicate, the voice naturally follows along.

Suspension
This is the period following the inhalation where the body has sufficient air to energize the breath stream and is in readiness to start the exhalation or singing action. The readiness of the body in the ‘suspension’ phase determines to a large part the quality of the tone , ability to sustain the tone without wobble , ability to reach notes throughout the vocal spectrum freely and , ultimately determines the overall quality of voice production during the exhalation or singing phase. During the ‘suspension’ phase, it is important to note that the breath is not ‘held’ in, as one would imagine in the case of someone holding their breath under water. This would cause tension and resistance in unwanted areas like the throat, jaw and mouth. The chest remains upright and little changes from the inhalation stance, except that inhalation is halted and the air is ready to move out swiftly in the exhalation phase. This requires some coordination of the body muscles, mostly those in the rib, abdomen and lower back area.

Exhalation or Singing
We have already established that the exhalation needs to be prolonged and delivered smoothly during the singing phase. How is this achieved?

In Carnatic music, good teachers emphasize the ability to sustain a note without wobble for the longest possible duration. This is indeed challenging, and extremely important aspect for good voice production.

It is quite a fascinating and daunting aspect of the Carnatic music practice regimen. It is also easily one of the most overlooked aspect as there is scope for a singer to hide his or her’s weakness in the inability to master this technique and hide in a dazzling and fast-paced brigha oriented style of singing. Here is an excellent article written by Shri Chitravina Ravikiran on this topic.

Coming back to to exhalation or singing, its mostly a science but a bit of art as well. We will talk about science first..

The amount of air used on the out-breath should be carefully balanced with the amount of pressure or compression produced by the body muscles. Two things are of the utmost importance, quantity of air and level of compression in the air. People sometimes push more air to reach for higher notes, its counter intuitive. You need LESS air and more compression.

If you’re wondering about compression, its the ability of the body to hold back ‘wild’ air with the help of the rib-cage muscles, abdomen and lower back. To experience this , try singing a note on a low note. Without altering the pitch, increase the volume of the tone without causing tension in the throat or clenching the jaw, making sure the posture is in check. After raising the volume, slowly come back to the original level. The resistance felt in the body during the volume increase can be attributed to the compression effect. Another example of compressed air is what happens when you cough or laugh suddenly. A good exercise to experience compression is to try a sudden laugh like ‘Haa’ and then continue that sound into a sustained tone on a particular pitch.

If you work on getting the compression going whenever you need, you can then working on balancing that with the right amount of air. Make sure that the sternum and chest are upright. This has to be discovered by each student carefully and patiently. Stamina and balance have to be built gradually over a period of time. The student has to take time to know his or her body, understand what it takes to produce a particular tone and understand the complicated process of re-alignment to strengthen or balance the tone. It is indeed a personal journey for every singer!

Now we come to the artistic nature of breath control...Assuming you have a good ear and a good sense of pitch, your body actually needs no help from you physically to produce a tone with the intended pitch. I actually found this fascinating. The length and thickness of vocal folds determine the pitch of the tone, and in turn are tuned by the inner ear. The inner ear actually drives the whole action. “Trying’ to reach for a note with your throat and tightening up , is not needed. This is one example of how ‘not doing’ is actually what is needed.

Did you also know that expansive deep breathing makes the body more attune to emotional and physical sensations as well? There is a direct correlation between emotions and the breathing process and in turn the singing process. If you are a person who likes to control your emotions and keep them under the surface, constantly shutting down your breathing to maintain self-control, you might actually be inhibiting or training your body muscles to become dormant. This also creates chronic tension and affects your respiratory muscles. Sometimes, students tend to focus on the technical aspects and put off the emotional aspect of presentation, to the last stage of training. It should actually be other other way around. Emotions get your body going and help to align the right physical processes in place in preparation for singing!

We have often heard the term sing with an open throat. In fact in our series of interviews we conducted with senior musicians like Shri P Unnikrishnan, Smt Ranjini and Gayathri and Shri Abhishek Raghuram, this was probably the single most common advice given to singers to sing with an open throat.

Lets examine what that means technically and what techniques we could use to practice open throat?

Technically, ‘opening the throat’ refers to a technique whereby the pharyngeal space is increased. This involves raising the soft palate (the back of the roof of the mouth) , lowering the larynx and assuming ideal positions of the articulators such as jaw, lip and tongue, as well as shaping of mouth and use of facial muscles.

The expression also refers to the sensation of freedom that one experiences during good singing. This helps avoid constriction and tension that would otherwise stifle the tone. The desired output with an open throat is a pure rich, vibrant and warm tone that is well balanced , even and consistent. Additionally, if singing is done with an open and relaxed acoustical space, the singer will be able to traverse the scales smoothly without breaks.

Typically during the initial phase of inhalation, the larynx drops automatically and the soft palate rises. This should be the desired effect even during the singing phase and this should be maintained as much as possible. A lack of open throat causes the upper registers to be taken too high and the produced sound becomes harsher, losing resonance. Intonation becomes harder and it feels as if the voice is being squeezed.

A good technique used in western pedagogy is what is termed ‘lifting’. This means to assume a pleasant facial expression (not an actual smile) during singing and subtly lifting the cheeks with the zygomatic muscles (those that wrap around the sides of the mouth). These are the same muscles that lift the corners of mouth while smiling. Additonally, the technique of pretending to inhale a soft, quiet ‘k’ sound helps to lift the soft palate further and lowers the larynx during inhalation.

The key is to maintain this openness during singing as well and not to allow any tension or constriction to enter the singing stance. One useful technique to ensure the resonating spaces are open is using the neutral vowel ‘uh’ in the larynx and pharynx, that is assuming this shape in the throat before bringing out the tone and singing the desired vowel.

Sometimes in the effort to create an open throat, a lot of tension is built up in the tongue , jaw and neck and sometimes the root of the tongue depresses into the larynx causing issues. It is important to keep these articulators in the normal position they would be at, if talking at speech level. Unnatural adjustments of the vocal tract during singing should be avoided.

Here are some tips:

1) Overall Posture – Sit up straight, with shoulders back , chin level and the head in a comfortable speaking position. There is tendency to lower the head for low notes and look up during high notes. This should be avoided and the chin must not not crane forward at any time.

2) Facial Posture – The cheeks should gently rise under the eyes. This action moves the uvula away from the back of the tongue, lifts the soft palate and prevents drooping of the soft palate. If the cheeks droop, the singer must work extra hard with breath pressure to blow the soft palate away creating more tension and producing unpleasant tone with high notes that are flat in intonation. The cheeks should be slightly sunken at the back molars which opens the back wall of the pharynx, at inhalation.

3) The jaw should be collected gently back in order for the larynx to release downward.

Note that the larynx should be maintained at a lower position throughout, although a slight tilt happens at higher registers. A high larynx causes problems in higher vocal range because the vocal folds do not close properly. Poor technique such as using too much breath pressure , may cause the larynx to rise and give rise to a squeezed throat effect rather than producing a healthy ring in the voice.

You can check for the rise of larynx by placing your hand on the lump outside the throat. When you swallow, you will notice these muscles rising up. When singing however, they should remain stable and low. When singing higher notes, head voice occurs as a result of the laryngeal tilt and if that does not happen, the singer will experience extreme difficulty in the upper ranges. It helps to think the vowel deeper and wider and connect deeper with the body to help alleviate this issue.

Similarly an overly depressed larynx is very unhealthy as well, as in the case with the root of the tongue pressing on the larynx.

4) The mouth should be opened only wide enough to get a full resonant tone but no wider. The mouth that is opened too widely creates a throat that is closed and should be avoided. This also places tension on the larynx and lowers the soft palate. There is a tendency to move the jaw forward for certain vowels such as [u]. This causes a decrease in the healthy separation between the jaw and tongue making continuous phrases impossible to execute. The large amount of tension at the root of the tongue also distorts vowels. Placing the palm of the hand gently in front of the chin while singing may help the student to become more aware of when the jaw moves forward.

5) The role of the tongue is very critical to singing. Incorrect tongue positions cause numerous problems such as harsh tones, distorted vowels, unclear diction , depressed larynx leading to discomfort and inability to access the higher octaves.

For optimal results, the tip of the tongue should rest behind the lower front teeth during singing. The tip of tongue should only move briefly from this position to form certain consonants. The middle of the tongue should form an arch that must be allowed to move to shape vowels naturally. Inhalation should also be done in this position to prepare for singing. When singers inhale loudly, it is often due to the tongues slipping back in the throats, closing the passageway for air and choking the breath. Simply returning the tip pf the tongue to its forward position during inhalation is generally enough to help a singer breathe more efficiently.

Acharyanet had a chance to interview the reknowned Carnatic music vocalists, Smt Ranjini and Gayathri to get their perspectives on the aspect of Voice Culture in Carnatic Music. This is part of our ongoing series on the subject of voice culture in Carnatic music. We hope that vocal students will benefit from these series and share their experiences and feedback. We have highlighted the main points of the interview below.

Gayatri
Voice is an instrument , an integral part of the body, which can also be trained and tuned. It is probably one of the most beautiful and versatile god given instruments. The most important aspect of a good voice production is the ability to bring out the purity and richness of sound. I would say that a single sustained note given with utmost purity and fullness , filled with ‘nadham’ can produce an effect not even equal to a complex bhriga laden phrase.

Ranjini
Every voice is unique and has specific characteristics. Some aspects of the voice can be trained such as stamina, breath control, speed etc but others cannot be changed.

Gayatri
And..it should not be changed. Many great musicians have succeeded by understanding their voices, with their strengths and limitations and have managed to evolve their own unique style around it.

Ranjini
Voice is an instrument or a conduit through which we express our musical thoughts. If there are imperfections, this cannot be done effectively.
My opinion is that if the voice is imperfect in some way and does not have certain essential characteristics like melody and richness, it might be a better option to choose an instrument to help express the musical thoughts more effectively.

Question:
What are some techniques that students of Carnatic music can adopt to improve their singing? (Such as tone, breath control etc)

Gayatri
This is something that everybody probably knows but seldom practice. One can get up early in the morning, tune the tanpura and sing along with it. I have also heard that the mind tends to imitate the instrument that it is most exposed to. This is a magical experience and I would strongly recommend training with the tanpura early in the mornings.

It is also important to focus on Akaara exercises. One can also practice holding or sustaining on a single note and observe closely with the mind’s eye for waverings or imperfections. The effect can be compared that of oil being poured smoothly in a continuous flow as opposed to a gush of water spurting forth. This exercise works on voice stamina, improves breath control and helps to iron out all the creases.

‘Shruti shuddham’ or alignment to shruti is of utmost importance. We can practice many existing exercises such as ‘varishais’ but we can also improvise and create our own exercises. For example, we can practice difficult phrases, practice a phrase in different speeds, practice the varishais in different raagas [demonstrates] We should also attempt to sing these exercises with clarity and punch which will help improve the gamaka clarity and flexibility.

Question: How does Carnatic music training address specific voice culture techniques?

Gayatri
I feel that our system does not have anything specific to voice training. Thanks to Purandara Dasa, we have a system to help train students on learning Carnatic music in general but it cannot address the voice aspects. Students usually learn only by instinct and try to learn by imitation of their guru’s voice production. It should not be so, we should make an effort to change this. Although there are numerous voice culture techniques in other forms of music such as Hindusthani and Western, we cannot adopt them to our complex system of Carnatic music, involving intricate ragas and melodies. I however look forward to the evolution of systematic treatise of Voice Culture in Carnatic music which would have the ability to address specific voice production aspects such as tonal purity, shruti shuddham and other areas.

It is important to breathe from the ‘nabhi’ or abdomen area. The sound would have a richer and fuller quality . Adopt an open throat style and open voice production. Avoid stylistic mannerisms, nasality and vibrato. Sustaining on a note in the higher octave is difficult but we must train ourselves to do that correctly and boldly without any compromises. Let the music be honest and sincere. These aspects must be cultivated from a very young age.