Harmonic Singing Workshop // Tuvan Overtone Singing

Harmonic singing workshop Republic of Tuvá:

From the subtlety of the breath and the conscious attention to our breathing we discover the natural position from which to release our sound.

The intention of the workshop is to familiarize ourselves with the state of resonance of the body through the singing of the vowels (uoaeiieaou), in this way the first harmonics of the voice that are found in each vowel and in its passage from one to another begin to emerge.

We develop different techniques of:

- Breathing and Relaxation. - Body awareness. - Activation of natural resonators. - Guttural Technique of the Mongolian Harmonic Song. - Circle of Sound. - Vibration and Resonance of the vowels within the body. - Voice Massage and Didgeridoo.

Harmonic Singing is a remarkable technique in which a single singer produces two distinct tones simultaneously. A tone is a bass, the fundamental fingerboard, similar to the snare. The second is a series of flute-like overtones, which resonate above the bordon.

Khoomei: similar to sygyt without the whistling sound but two simultaneous sounds are also emitted and in which a rhythmic vibrato is made with the tongue to imitate the galloping of horses. This voice is two-cavity.

Sygyt: vocal technique that allows two simultaneous sounds to be emitted, one is the staff "fundamental note that is chosen to sing" and a whistle that protrudes above the staff. Sygyt literally translated into Spanish means whistle and is associated as a terrestrial element to the sound of the steppes. This voice is two-cavity.

Kargyraa: literally means to cough up. This other kind of song is the complete opposite of sygyt and khoomei. The vocal cords and false cords are used to make a very low, deep sound, projecting the voice from the chest. This voice is from a cavity.

These techniques have their origins in Central Asia, and were practiced by the Mongols and the Tuvans. They use this form of song to resonate with the nature that surrounds them, imitating the sounds of animals, of the wind in the snowy mountains and of various birds. Also, through this type of song, they communicate with the spirits of nature.