Throat singing - a unique kind of art of sound extraction, in which the performer extracts two notes at once at the same time: the main tone and the overtone. Thus, a two-part solo is obtained. Such singing is typical for the small peoples of Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet and some other peoples of the world.
Interest in throat singing is steadily growing due to its unusualness, since it seems simply incredible that a person makes these sounds. Hearing them, you feel that you have come into contact with an archaic culture filled with mysticism. Indeed, for many it is associated with the singing of shamans. However, guttural singing is used not only by shamans in their rituals, it is also way of transmitting folk tales.
TO basic styles throat singing include:
- kargyraa (kyrkyra);
- khoomei (kyumei);
- sygyt (syhyt);
- borbannadyr (Berbender);
- ezengileer.
In addition to the main styles, there are also varieties: dumchuktar (newization), horekteer (sing with the chest), hovu kargyraazy (steppe kargyraa), chilandyk, despen borban, opei khoomei, buga khoomei, kanzyp, hovu kargyraazy, kozhagarkargyraazy, dag kargyraazy, etc. .
It is believed that the style kargyraa originated as an imitation of the voice of a camel: when a camel dies, the camel gallops, making sounds similar to kargyraa. It is used by the peoples of Tuva. It is extracted by the singer with the mouth half open.
An interesting legend of the origin of the style khoomei. The orphan youth lived for three years alone, at the foot of a rock that echoed in the surrounding valley with a many-voiced echo. As a result of the movement of air jets under high pressure, a resonance effect was formed between the rocks. One day the young man was sitting and making sounds, imitating the sounds of humming coming from the rock. The wind brought this sound to the people and they called this singing "khoomei". This is a very melodic and melodious style. Against the background of the melody in the middle register, an overtone of the main voice sounds - a melody in the upper register, which either echoes the low tone or leads its own musical theme. It is performed either with text or without it.
When singing in style sygyyt against the background of a quiet melody in the lower register, a sharp, piercing whistle (overtone) sounds. The singing of Sygyt is always carried out without words. The main sound YO, YY or YA or YA. It is extracted by a special compressed position of the vocal cords with a half-open position of the mouth.
IN borbannadyr the reference sound is ostinato, softer and quieter than in the kargyraa style, similar in timbre to the low register of the bass clarinet. It is extracted by the same position of the vocal cords as in the kargyraa style, but with a different position of the lips, closed almost closely. It is similar to khoomei and in some areas it is called that.
Style ezengileer- according to the technique of sound production and the timbre of sounding, it is identical to the style of sygyt; it is specific only in a melodic sense. In the traditional performance of pieces of the ezengileer style on horseback, dynamic pulsation arises naturally - by pushing the rider up in the stirrup; if pieces of this style are not performed while riding, the performer causes a dynamic pulsation, imitating the rhythm of a gallop, with an artificial wave of the hand.
Throat singing is not only a style in music, but also meditation Tool, through which man is attached to the language of nature. This original musical and poetic thinking, driven by a boundless love for nature.
As for the rituals of shamans, they emitted harmonizing sound vibrations, as close as possible to the original, "healthy" frequency of the diseased organ. This is how the healing process took place. The trance state helps the shaman understand what sound the patient needs. Overtones in the voice enhance the effect, and also contribute to a change in the state of human consciousness.
Some listeners after the concert begin to feel the flow of energy within themselves, experience unusual states of consciousness, up to the exit from the body. Overtone singing evokes many positive emotions, gives rise to a desire to develop spiritually in a person.
Throat singing makes the throat more relaxed. As a result, the voice becomes deeper and more powerful in everyday life. Also, thanks to throat singing, you can get rid of various diseases of the throat, such as tonsillitis, sore throat. It helps to relieve fatigue, get rid of depression.
Throat singing, as well as just listening to it, has a positive effect on the state of mind and human health.
HEALING THROAT SINGINGHEALING THROAT SINGING
Achievement of higher states of consciousness.
For millennia, shamans were the only healers of both the body and mind of Tuvans. They have accumulated vast experience in individual and group treatment. Due to the lack of medical equipment and drugs, the shamans took the path of developing the hidden healing abilities of a person, and due to the deification of nature by them, it is natural that they drew their inspiration from the outside world. Imitating the sounds of nature, they entered a trance state, which revealed the reserves of their psyche. So gradually, through the imitation of the sounds of animals, birds, wind, etc., a unique art of overtone throat singing was formed, in which the performer is able to sing in two or more voices at the same time.
With the help of these sounds, often practiced in conjunction with folk instruments - igil (a version of the folk cello), tambourine and khomus (vargan), shamans immersed their patients in altered states of consciousness and searched for the causes of their illness or personal problem, and, if necessary, used directed influence of the voice with overtones on the diseased organ.
In the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of shamanic overtone sound, two main points can be distinguished.
The first is related to the physical properties of sound harmonics and is based on the principle of resonance. Physics has established that everything in the universe is in a state of vibration, including our body. Each organ and tissue has a certain "healthy" resonant frequency. When this frequency changes under the influence of pathogenic factors, the vibrations of the organ begin to differ from the general harmonious "chord", which entails changes at the physical level, defined as a disease. We can help the organ restore its natural frequency and start the healing process by sending harmonizing sound vibrations to it, as close as possible to the original, “healthy” frequency of the organ. This is exactly what the shaman does: being in a trance state, he intuitively feels what sound the patient needs, that is, in fact, creates a resonance with his body. And the presence of overtones in his voice greatly enhances the impact.
This overtone effect was visually shown in Barbara Hero's experiments on cymatics. In them, the acoustic system was placed above the mirror and produced two sounds with different vibration frequencies. The vibrating mirror reflected the laser beam onto the screen, creating "sound" images on its surface. If the experimental singers sang two notes forming a harmonic interval, then geometrically perfect, symmetrical forms appeared on the screen. This result was especially significant in cases where the singers sang not ordinary sounds, but vocal harmonics. When the singers' voices did not create a harmonic interval, there was no symmetry in the images on the screen. The research of Masaru Emoto, who demonstrated the ability of sound to change the structure of water, is also world famous now. If you remember that the human body is 70% water, then you can see what opportunities open up for sound healing.
And such scientific data confirming the influence of harmonious sound on living systems appear in increasing numbers. Musical sounds have been shown to increase serotonin and growth hormone levels and decrease ACTH levels, helping to reduce stress. Music normalizes blood circulation, blood pressure, brain wave activity - in particular, the flow of excitation in the cortico-thalamic and cortico-limbic circles changes. Research by the French scientist Fibian Maman showed that exposure to cancer cells in vitro with sounds on an ascending musical scale leads to a progressive destabilization of their cellular structure and, ultimately, cell destruction. This effect can be understood based on the fact that the membranes of cellular organelles are natural resonators, and therefore all external vibrations directly affect the state of every living cell located in the field of their distribution.
The second aspect in the impact of shamanic sound is informational. When creating a sound, the shaman first of all puts into it his intention to heal the patient, which is transported by his sound waves into the energy structure of the patient. In addition, the shaman also uses verbal forms of suggestion, pronouncing specific prayers or incantations. Usually, this effect is enhanced by the sound of a tambourine - a technique known as kamling.
In the mechanism of throat overtone singing, there is a main tone, or bourdon, created by the vocal cords, and a second voice containing overtones from the 5th to the 13th, often similar to a whistle. This voice is created by nasal resonance and the so-called "false vocal cords" that form over natural vocal cords as a result of the practice of singing.
Observations show that even after concerts of overtone singing, many listeners note noticeable changes in the state of consciousness, lasting from half an hour to several days, depending on the initial state and sensitivity of the listener. For many people, headaches and manifestations of other diseases weaken or disappear. A survey of the seminar participants demonstrates an improvement in the state of health of most of them, the disappearance of tension in the body and mind, and the depth of positive emotions. Many begin to feel their energy for the first time and experience unusual states of consciousness, up to the sensation of leaving the body. People have a conscious desire to independently restore their health and develop spiritually.
STYLE KARGYRAA - a low guttural sound derived from "wheezing", "seething", its sound sometimes resembles the roar of a wild beast, the croaking of a crow.
Mastering this style allows you to direct the vibration to any area of the body, increasing blood circulation with the help of low-frequency vibrations. Kargyraa helps to cleanse the respiratory tract (lungs, bronchi, trachea and larynx). It develops the chest resonator, awakens the animal strength, raises the power of the root centers, helps to feel the support under the feet and the connection with the Earth (“grounding”).
HOOMEI STYLE is the sound of low and middle registers, its overtone or "overtone" is heard as a bewitching sound of a flute. Indigenous peoples sang khoomei lullabies for their children. Its vibrations perfectly develop and clean the nasal and chest resonators, which allows you to get rid of accumulated mucus and chronic nasal congestion, nasality. “Opens” the larynx and trachea, as a result of which the clamps, tensions in the vocal apparatus, which many of us carry with us from childhood, go away. Disables "internal dialogue".
STYLE SYGYT - a very beautiful high whistling sound with flute-like overflows. The high frequency of vibrations and the closure of the sound ring through the tongue makes this style the most powerful in terms of its effect on the body and consciousness, in comparison with others. Experts in throat singing call it "pure energy".
THE TIBETAN SINGING BOWL SOUND is an open nasal (nasal) sound, with an overtone reminiscent of the sound of a Tibetan bowl. An additional resonator for this sound is the head dome. Its finest vibrations activate the work of higher centers, harmonize a person, relieve stress, tension and fatigue. This sound is indispensable during meditations aimed at achieving higher states of consciousness.
Throat singing has been known since ancient times. This is a special singing technique based on a combination of root and overtones, resulting in a two-voice solo. Some masters can play three, four or even five notes at the same time. Today it is performed not only by peoples who have such singing in tradition, but also by ordinary musicians around the world.
From Sardinia to Japan
The ancient art of throat singing is known to many peoples, it was especially widespread among the Turkic and Mongolian tribes. This is an integral element of the culture of the Kazakhs, Kirghiz, Bashkirs, Altaians, Yakuts, Buryats, Kalmyks; this style of performance is well known to the Chukchi, Evenks, Inuit, Saami; throat singing is a part of Tibetan worship and can be heard both in Africa (for example, among some Bantu peoples) and in Sardinia (where it is known as cantu a tenòre). The Ainu living in Hokkaido also had their own style of throat singing, but at present its secret has been lost (the last national performer died in 1976, only a few recordings remain).
There are several legends about how this art arose, and all these legends are quite poetic. Somewhere they say that a young hermit learned this way of singing, listening to a strong wind whistling in the rocks, causing a booming echo. Somewhere they talk about imitating the cry of a camel mourning her dead cub. Be that as it may, throat singing is based on onomatopoeia - the cries of animals and birds, or the sounds of nature: mountain echo, the whistle of the wind, the murmur of water. Ancient hunters lured game in this way, nomadic cattle breeders controlled herds with the help of their voices. Somewhere here one should look for the roots of this ancient art.
It should be noted that a huge variety of performance styles exists not only on paper: the differences can really be very strong. For example, there are traditional compositions with an unchangeable form, and improvisational songs. There are songs with words and pure onomatopoeia. Some are performed with the accompaniment of a musical instrument, some without. By the way, not all melodies lend themselves to musical notation. Sometimes the performance is supplemented by dance: for example, a Chukchi singer not only imitates the voices of animals, but also depicts their movements. A lot depends on the performer and the school to which he belongs. For example, in Tuva there are four main styles of throat singing and more than a dozen sub-styles.
Not a woman's business
The tradition of throat singing is closely intertwined with shamanism, which is not surprising - in ancient times (and among many indigenous peoples of the North at the present time) it was considered an integral part of shamanistic rituals. Monotonous sounds helped the shaman (and also his patient, if it was a question of treatment) to enter a state of trance; it was believed that throat singing allows you to establish a connection with spirits or gods. As a result, it was often used in worship - in modern Tibet this is still practiced now (when reading Buddhist prayers), there are even special educational institutions where future monks are taught this art.
In addition, folk narrators often used throat singing to perform the epic - so the tales of gods and heroes acquired special solemnity and significance. For example, the kai (or hai) style, common among the Khakasses and Altaians, is intended just for the performance of epic tales.
If at present throat singing is considered a high art and one of the types of professional performance, then in ancient times it was considered a gift from above and was surrounded by many superstitions. Many peoples believed that this ability could be inherited. That is, not everyone could become a professional performer (as well as a shaman, for example). Moreover, it was believed that throat singing requires great physical exertion, exhausting the soul and body, and adversely affects the reproductive capacity of women. That is why most performers did not start families, and for women there was a direct ban on doing it. However, there were exceptions to this rule: among some African tribes, the Inuit and the Ainu, throat singing was considered precisely a woman's business.
Looking for harmony
In the modern world, throat singing is still in demand. This is both an opportunity to join the richest cultural heritage, and a way of self-knowledge and recovery. Along with traditional schools and performers (of which there are not just many, but a lot), this style is used by many musicians, often very far from shamanic and Buddhist practices. There have been repeated attempts to cross throat singing with country, jazz, electronic music. Another area in which throat singing has found its application is a variety of courses of meditation, yoga, and healing of the body. Someone considers it as a way to train breathing, a successful addition to physical exercises, someone is trying in this way to achieve enlightenment or open the way to other worlds. Be that as it may, throat singing is not just a tradition, but also an integral part of world culture.
The technique of throat singing cannot be mastered like this, just by reading books or articles on the topic. Partly because those who want to learn this art lack the very ideas of such singing, and partly because extraneous control is important in the practice of teaching.
In any case, the theoretical information provided to you should be used more as a supplement for brainstorming and understanding the practice of singing, but you need to learn singing at least from a video if this is not possible live.
Before talking about the technique of throat singing, let's consider the sounds that make up our voice. It is possible to distinguish, as it were, three sound floors, the colors of which mix and turn into a single voice stream:
- middle floor - bourdon, a sound obtained by closing or vibration of the vocal cords;
- the upper floor is an overtone (“above” tone), obtained by vibration of the head resonators;
- the lower floor is the undertone, in which the soft tissues of the larynx vibrate.
All these tones are summed up, then the vibrations of the whole body are mixed with them, and after the sound comes out, it collides with the external environment, which has its own acoustic properties.
Singing of antiquity
Overtone throat singing is found in the cultures of many peoples of the world; for a modern listener, it is more associated with shamans and Tibetan monks. However, for all vocalists it is recommended to use at least khoomei (one of the styles) as elements, since the timbre as a result of such exercises is enriched with overtones and becomes more saturated.
Khoomei - preparation
So, the technique of the simplest and most basic style of overtone throat singing is khoomei. When it is performed, it predominantly sounds natural, to which overtone embellishments are added, extracted with the help of upper resonators.
In order to extract such sounds, you first need to warm up the vocal apparatus by singing simple long vowels: aaa, oooh, uuu, uh, uh ... Try to send your voice to a certain point that is far from you. For example, if you're standing by a window, choose a tree or a house window across from you. And sing. Do not be afraid of loudness, because in an undertone you will not train yourself.
Throat singing technique khoomei
To sing khoomei, you need to learn how to relax the lower jaw and open it so as to find the right angle. In this case, the focus is not on the throat, but on the root of the tongue.
There is a trick here: if you lower the lower jaw too much, then pass the throat, and if you drop it too little, then the sound will be flat and clamped. The desired angle is found only in practice. And again we begin to sing vowel sounds, in parallel we are looking for the desired position of the tongue.
Important Notes
The main thing is to be comfortable! It may itch the nose, lips - this is normal.
There are also lower register throat singing techniques, but this is a more complex and separate topic. Hoomei can be sung by both men and women; as for other styles - in terms of accessibility for the female body, they are more complex. Shamans living in Siberia do not recommend that women constantly practice more complex styles of throat singing, comparable in register to men, because this leads to a change in hormonal balance.
There was information that the singer Pelageya wanted to learn this from them, but they refused her, explaining that until she became a mother, it would be better not to practice shamanic singing techniques. But in terms of individual vocal exercises, the use of khoomei is very useful for voice development.
The art of throat phonation arose a very long time ago, at the dawn of mankind. Then it was not yet singing, as such, and served as an everyday way of communication. It was based on vowel sounds, clicks of the tongue and throat, wheezing and whistling. All this was of an imitative nature, according to the type: the river roars like that, the bird sings like that, the beast growls like that. By the nature of this or that sound, it was clear to those around what animal or natural phenomenon they were talking about. Throat (laryngeal) two-voice singing is a completely unique phenomenon not only in the world of music, but also in spiritual culture in general. Now throat singing is inherent only in some peoples of the Sayano-Altai region - Tuvans, Altaians, Mongols, as well as Bashkirs living in the European part of Russia. The uniqueness of this art lies in the fact that the performer extracts two notes at once at the same time, thus forming a kind of two-voice solo. Throat singing is composed of "a whole range of wheezing." The singer takes in as much air as his lungs can hold, and then begins rumbling wheezes from the depths of the lungs, the continuity and duration of which depends entirely on his ability to control the diaphragm.
Tuvan throat singing
According to most experts, Tuvan throat singing - khoomei - differs markedly from the similar art of the Altaians, Buryats and Mongols, first of all, in a wide variety of styles. Five styles are considered the main ones - kargyraa, khoomei, sygyt, ezengileer, borbannadyr, in addition, there are several varieties - dumchuktar (newization), horekteer (sing with the chest), hovu kargyraaza (steppe kargyraa).
The origin of the term "khoomei" is interpreted in different ways. Some associate it with the name of the art of onomatopoeia, with a special manner of sound extraction “hooleer”, which means to buzz or produce a sound similar to buzz, others - with the Tuvan name of the pharynx, larynx hoo, hoozu.
The Mongolian language also has the word "khoomiy", meaning throat, nasopharynx, throat singing.
The khoomei style is acoustically associated with a heavy, low, buzzing sound of extremely low frequencies. Usually, the very sound in the style of khoomei seems to be more important than the poetic text. Unlike the singing of the Mongols, the Tuvan khoomei can be performed without text, or with the text of the lullaby genre. For the Tuvan music of antiquity, this is a rather significant moment.
The Tuvan style sygyt, in all likelihood, originated from the verb sygyr - to whistle. There is a noun sygyt (whistling).
The term sygyt means lamentation, lamentation as a derivative of this word sygytchy - lamenting or moaning. This suggests a direct connection between the Tuvan style of sygyt and the funeral rite.
The name of the style ezengileer comes from the word ezengi - stirrups and, perhaps, most accurately conveys the main meaning and character of his music. When riding a horse, a silver bridle, a saddle, glued to the saddle, in contact with the stirrups, made a certain rhythmic sound. To reproduce these sounds, the rider had to occupy a certain position in the saddle and ride at an amble. The ezengileer style appeared as an imitation of these sounds.
The name of the style borbannadyr comes from the Tuvan verb "borbannat" - to roll something round. This style has rhythmic forms.
Legends and tales associated with throat singing
Legends and traditions have been preserved among the people about the origin of different types of Tuvan throat singing. So, one of the legends says that in ancient times the kargyraa style was common among camel breeders. Kargyraa arose as an imitation of the voice of a camel: when a camel dies, the camel gallops, making sounds similar to kargyraa. The term kargyraa itself has an onomatopoeic basis, denoting wheezing or sounds similar to wheezing. For example, in the modern Tuvan language there is an onomatopoeic verb kargyraar (kargyra), which means to wheeze, make hoarse sounds; boil (when boiling, for example, porridge).
There is also a Tuvan legend that an orphan boy lived for three years in solitude, at the foot of a rock, echoing in the surrounding valley with a many-voiced echo. As a result of the movement of air jets under high pressure, a resonance effect was formed between the rocks. Nature itself, as it were, contributed to the ingenuity of people in search of self-expression, when a person was left alone with the stormy elements. One day the young man was sitting and making sounds, imitating the sounds of humming coming from the rock. The wind brought this sound to the people, and they called this singing “khoomei”.
The legend “Old Man Boraldai with the horse Boca-Shokar” mentions: “When Boraldai looked inside the yurt, he saw a golden princess… kargyraa, khoomei, sygyt".
Mongolian throat singing
Throat singing is the result of specific guttural singing, the musical and poetic thinking of the people. Tuvans and Mongols have it due to their boundless love for nature. Therefore, the measure of all things and the source of inspiration for the ancient performers-masters was nature. The value and beauty of sound was measured by the ability to convey "living life" not only by imitation, but also by penetration into its essence.
Throat singing has long been one of the traditional forms of musical art of the Mongols and Tuvans and has been an integral part of the holidays, rituals of everyday life, has found a vivid reflection in the heroic tales and fairy tales of the people, carefully preserved and passed down from generation to generation for centuries.
