Exercise 16: Turning mmmm into aaah 

So far you’ve been using humming to shift the focus of your voice from your throat to your head. Now you will be opening your mouth to make the first true sounds with your Better Voice. 

• Switch on a gentle mmmm hum on a comfortable note. 

• Continue humming, but just allow your lower jaw to drop open. 

• Leave your tongue lying on the floor of your mouth so that it drops with your jaw. 

• As your breath runs out, switch the note off while your mouth is still open. 

The aim is that when your mouth is open you hear a quiet aah on the same note, and with the same bright head-focused feel and quality, as the original hum. 

Here are some things worth remembering: 

• Keep your body relaxed. 

• Allow your jaw to drop just enough for your mouth to be comfortably open, rather than actively making your mouth open. 

• In the same way allow the sound to flow down from your head – don’t try to make anything happen or force the sound out. It doesn’t matter how quiet the sound is: the ability to produce more volume will come with practice. 

• Watch in a mirror how you open and close your mouth: it might not look as it feels. You’re wanting the goldfish look. 

Exercise 17: Turning nnnn into aaah 

Now repeat the previous exercise but with an nnnn hum. For this you will need to take your tongue down into the floor of your mouth as your jaw drops. 

• Switch on a gentle nnnn hum on a comfortable note. 

• Continue humming but allow your lower jaw to drop open. 

• As your jaw drops move the tip of your tongue from its position behind the upper teeth to behind the lower teeth so that it drops with your jaw. 

• As your breath runs out switch the note off while your mouth is still open. 

When your mouth is open the aah should have the same qualities as in the previous exercise. 

In the next section we will look at common problems with these exercises and how to solve them. 

Q: You are being asked to concentrate and relax at the same time. Can you see other ways in which that will help your teaching?