Throat Singing

In his book, Goldman explores the history of 'throat singing', or overtone singing. Old Wikipedia defines overtone singing as:

a type of singing in which the singer manipulates the resonances created as air travels from the lungs, past the vocal folds, and out the lips to produce a melody.

The partials of a sound wave made by the human voice can be selectively amplified by changing the shape of the resonant cavities of the mouth, larynx, and pharynx. This resonant tuning allows the singer to create apparently more than one pitch at the same time, while in effect still generating a single fundamental frequency with their vocal fold.

Different groups of people, all over the world, have utilized this type of singing. It really is beautiful. Gyuto and Gyume are both tantric colleges originally located in Tibet. The names describe the geographical locations of the tantric colleges in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Singers utilize this "One Voice Chord", and Goldman describes his experience:"

“...monks sang a fundamentaltone that was so deep and low it sounded like the growl of a wild animal. It was inhumanly low, impossibly deep and there were other tones along with this that sounded like a schoolboy choir singing in falsetto. "(p.6)

Some say this form of singing can be taught and learned in schools (as in Mongolia), and others say it is a gift given by elders or learned vicariously through experience. In the video below, a man describes his methods of singing in the traditional Mongolian way



This is the type of singing known as "Tuvan Throat Singing". Goldman relates how this type of singing has roots in shamanic and mystical practices, quoting Ted Levin's thoughts on hoomi in Tuva: Voices from the Center of Asia:

..."In the traditional sound world of present-day Tuva, throat-singing is still intimately connected to nature... Throat-singing seems to have served traditionally as a means of responding to states of heightened feelings brought on by exaltation at the beauty of nature. Walking alone on the grasslands, herders sang not for one another, but for themselves for the mountains and for the steppe."

It has been speculated that this form of singing is only for men, but I had the privilege a few years ago of seeing a troupe of Tuvan Throat-Singing Sisters, and they performed awesomely. Supposedly women have just as much ability to sing, but the sounds can jeopardize their fertility?? I dunno about that.. Of course there is also speculation that recording these singers or marketing upon their talents strips the gift of its spiritual or mystical worth. Also up for discussion.

Below is a documentary about some Bulgarian women singers and Kate Bush. While they aren't exactly throat singing, I still find the video and sounds fascinating and beautiful. And I love Kate Bush. She comes in after about 17 minutes.

Hello There

Hi! Welcome to this brand new blog. Sounds Like Health is a blog I'm creating for my growing interest in all things Sound Healing. It corresponds with a course I'm taking for Prescott College, and with it I hope to explore people, practices, and whatever else within the realm of Sound Healing and Alternative Therapies..

So. Lately I've been reading "Healing Sounds" by Jonathan Goldman. While I have my criticisms of his writing style, Goldman touches upon some cool concepts of sound and the healing aspects of it.


To Begin though, lets cover some basics of Sound.

Goldman begins his book by asserting that all things vibrate at a rate, called a frequency, which we measure in Hz.

Frequency- rate of vibration per second, referred to in Hz. A string that vibrates back and forth one hundred times a second would create a sound that can be measured at 100 Hz. That’s its frequency.

Resonance: frequency at which an object most naturally vibrates. Everything has resonant frequency, whether or not we can audibly perceive it. Every organ, bone and tissue in the body has its own separate resonant frequency. Together they make up a composite frequency, a harmonic that is your own personal vibratory rate. Through resonance it is possible for the vibrations of one vibrating body to reach out and set another body into motion.

Ex. Singer breaking glass with voice. Voice is matching the resonant frequency of glass.

Entrainment: the ability of the more powerful rhythmic vibrations of one object to change the less powerful rhythmic vibrations of another object and cause them to synchronize their rhythms with the first object. Through sound it is possible to change the rhythms of our brainwaves, as well as our heart beat and respiration.

Harmonics: also known as “overtones” are a phenomenon of sound that occurs whenever sound is created. Nearly all tones that are produced by musical instruments, our voices or other sources are in reality not pure tones, but mixtures of pure tone frequencies called “partials”. The lowest such frequency is called the fundamental. All partials higher in frequency than the fundamental are referred to as overtones.

Four Basic Brain wave rates and their corresponding states of consciousness. Based upon cycles per second (hertz or Hz).

1. Beta waves – from 14 to 20 hz, which are found in our normal waking state of consciousness;
2. Alpha waves, from 8 to 13 hz, which occur when we daydream or meditate;
3. theta waves- from 4 to 7 hz, which occur in states of deep meditation and sleep, as well as in shamanic activity;
4. delta waves- from .5 to 3 hz, which occur in deep sleep and have been found in very profound states of meditation and healing.

I'm looking forward to exploring how the science of sound has merged with the therapeutic. The next post will explore how different cultures have utilized sound for therapeutic or meditative purposes.