Here's a fun and interesting vocal exercise on how to use your tongue when singing, it's a sample vocal lesson from Jeannie Deva's online vocal school.  Did you know that the tongue is one of the physical tools that you have in singing?  Of course you do.  Sounds simple yes, but the tongue is actually a complex and diverse tool to get your voice sounding like a pro.  In this vocal lesson Jeannie Deva goes over tongue placement for singing and how it reacts to different sounds of letters.

The tongue is used in different aspects of singing and it can either help or hinder the way that your voice will sound.  Knowing about how your tongue reacts as we are singing different sounds will give you more control of the muscle movements in your vocal folds.  The vocal folds, which are more commonly known as vocal chords, are located in your larynx (aka your voice box).  How you control your tongue when singing will directly affect the sound.  So if your tongue pulls up too much during singing it will pull the larynx out of position, and if the tongue is pressed down it pushes the larynx lower and out of position.  Doing either of these will backfire on the muscle movements of your vocal folds and keeps them tight giving your tongue a tougher time doing what it needs to do which is vibrate.

Your tongue is tight most of the time but there are vocal exercises which can help you get it flexible.  This tightness in your tongue reduces the size and the warmth of your voice.  Your vocals will sound jammed and tense.  In any example when your voice sounds jammed or tensed it will feel like you have to push your voice in order for you to make it work for you.  Pracicing certain vocal exercises will make your voice respond to your creative ideas and how you want your voice to be expressed.  It's these things that you'll have to do to prepare and develop your voice so that you overcome your own barriesr and use less effort when singing.

The cool thing about practicing with these voice lessons is that your tongue will begin to respond quickly when you do the right things to get it warmed up.  Another cool thing about these singing lessons is that you don't have to do them over and over.  Some of the voice lessons Jeannie teaches will show you are done with just several repetitions.  As you are practicing the vocal exercises you can go back and forth with repetitions but keep in mind not to do too many in a row, it won't be as effective if you allow some time to let the tips from voice lessons really sink in.

To help explain the movement of the tongue, Jeannie uses a very simple analogy of an inch worm.  When you watch an inch worm move along you'll see it subdivide the same way the you subdivide your tongue. The tongue moves from its tip, middle, sides, and it also can move up, down or lay flat. Using this analogy you can see how important it is to practice using your tongue to have more control of its movements. Having control of your tongue will give you a stronger and better sound in your voice when singing.  

That's it for now. Have a great time with this singing lesson and let the good times roll... and your tongue too! Remember though that all these vocal exercises takes practice, and to not rush through them too quickly.  Consider the inch worm... no matter how slow the worm is, it will eventally get to where it needs to go.

Related Vocal Blogs:

• Interview with Jeannie Deva
• Harmonizing with Other Singers
• Hearing Yourself On Stage
• Vocal Exercises: Pitch Control
• Sing Better: Vowels and Consonants
• Vocal Lessons: Strength and Stamina ​
• Taking Command of Your Vocal Performance
• Are you Straining to Sing?
• Mic Stand Nightmares
• 3 Tips for How to Sing Better
• Vocal Lessons: Breathing While Singing Harmony

Want more vocal lessons from Jeannie?  Check out ArtistWorks' Online Vocal School. This unique online learning school enables you to submit practice videos and get personalized feedback on your voice from Jeannie herself.  Learn more at www.DevaVocals.com today.