Use Your Vocal Cords...Indirectly

Do you feel a tenseness or tightness in your throat while singing or speaking? That's because you're using your vocal cords directly when you sing or speak. The first thing I teach new students is how to sing or speak with another part of the throat called the soft palate. The soft palate is the part of the roof of your mouth that is soft and fleshy. It's toward the back. Engaging it can be challenging, but once you have it and begin to use it, you'll be able to sing more comfortably and for longer periods of time by pushing the sound through it.

For a hands-on demo of how this is done, please visit my "De-stress the Vocal Cords" mini-lesson on YouTube.

Mini-Voice Lesson: De-Stressing the Vocal Cords