My book, Complete Vocal Fitness: A Singer’s Guide to Physical Training, Anatomy and Biomechanics, is available for pre-order and comes out today, Friday, June 15th! As I complete my count down to its release, I will share a final excerpt and hope it will inspire you to pick up a copy.
from Chapter 4: Articulation
The Soft Palate
The soft palate makes up the rear portion of the roof of the mouth. Located behind the hard palate, the soft palate is composed of muscle and connective tissue, surrounded by mucous membrane. It is capable of elevating, lowering, and tensing laterally.
The soft palate elevates to close the nasal port during swallowing to prevent food from entering the nasal cavity. In speech, it interacts with the back of the tongue to articulate velar consonants, including [ŋ] (ng as in “hung”), [k], and [g]. It contributes to vocal resonance by regulating nasality.
When the soft palate is in a relaxed position, the nasal port is open, permitting air to move in and out through both the nose and the mouth. When the soft palate is in a raised position, it closes the nasal port such that air can move in and out only through the mouth.
A majority of classical voice teachers recommend a raised position of the soft palate for achieving full and balanced resonance while singing; there are others who advocate a relaxed soft palate. Either way, it is important to understand how this articulator works in order to ensure that it is doing what you want it to do.
Two muscles contribute to soft-palate elevation: the levator veli palatini and tensor veli palatini. These muscles attach the soft palate to positions inside the skull and do not directly interact with any other muscles, such as those located in the cheeks or forehead. The palatoglossus attaches to the tongue and pulls the palate closer to the tongue rather than lifts it. The palatopharyngeus attaches to the thyroid cartilage of the larynx and causes not the soft palate but rather the larynx to slightly ascend in support of swallowing.
We have very little direct control over the soft palate and receive little sensory feedback from its movements. As a result, many myths and misconceptions have arisen regarding the engagement of the soft palate in singing. I have offered such detail in describing the muscles of the soft palate in the hope of clarifying some misconceptions:
Raising the soft palate does not cause the tongue to depress. The soft palate is connected to the tongue via the palatoglossus; when this muscle is engaged, the soft palate and tongue will raise and lower in tandem.
Tensing your forehead to raise your eyebrows does not elevate the soft palate; neither will elevating your lips in a sneer. None of the facial muscles have any connection to the soft palate; the muscles that raise the soft palate are attached to the skull.
The soft palate does not lift and expand like a parachute in response to breath release. The sensation of airflow moving across the soft palate when it is in a raised position may make it feel as though there is a causal connection, but this is not the case.
Given how little sensation we experience in the soft palate, the best way to become familiar with how it moves is through direct observation. Have a look inside your mouth with a mirror or phone camera (putting your camera in video mode with the flash turned on works well). When your soft palate is relaxed, you will see the uvula dangling in the center from the back of the roof of your mouth. The soft palate is the mobile muscular structure from which the uvula is suspended.
Optimizing the soft palate for singing articulation has more to do with developing greater kinesthetic awareness of its movements than stretching or strengthening the muscles that control it. Attempting to directly activate the soft palate will likely result in tensing the musculature that surrounds it rather than getting it to lift.
Here are some means of familiarizing yourself with the subtle sensations that let you know that your nasal port is closed:
- Imagine putting your head underwater (or, actually put your head underwater). Your soft palate will rise and seal off the nasal port in order to prevent water, real or imaginary, from entering your airways.
- Swallow in slow motion. You may be able to detect the ascent of the soft palate as it seals off the nasal port to prevent food from entering the nasal cavity.
- Inhale while repeatedly articulating an aspirated [k].
The soft palate reflexively ascends when it becomes necessary to seal off the nasal cavity from the rest of the pharynx. Increased awareness of this movement will help improve your ability to elicit it at will.
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