Benefits of practicing the soft palate
Have you heard of the soft palate?
This is my first time hearing the term “soft palate”, so please explain it carefully!
The soft palate is the part shown in the diagram below.
The soft palate acts like a switching valve that controls whether air and voice pass through the nose or the mouth.
Would sounds that pass through the nose include Japanese syllables beginning with “n”, for example?
Exactly!
Examples of sounds that pass through the nose include Japanese syllables beginning with “n” or “m”.
Sounds that do not pass through the nose include Japanese syllables beginning with “d” or “b”.
Sounds that do not pass through the nose include Japanese syllables beginning with “d” or “b”.
Controlling the soft palate lets you vary your tone color even when singing the same pitches or saying the same words.
In this lesson, we will deliberately control the soft palate to create different tone colors using the same “eh” vowel.
How to practice the soft palate
We use three types of voice for soft palate practice: ① nose only, ② mouth only, and ③ both nose and mouth.
① Keep the mouth open in an “eh” shape andthrough the nose only,hum “mmm”.The soft palate meets the tongue base, so the sound passes only through the nasal passage (“nose only”).
Is there a way to check that the sound is coming through the nose only?
Cover your mouth with your hand. If the tone does not change, the sound is passing through the nose only.
Goo example — nose
② Keep the mouth open in an “eh” shape andthrough the mouth only,sustain “eh”.The soft palate meets the pharyngeal wall, so sound passes only through the mouth passage (“mouth only”).
Check that no sound leaks through your nose. If the tone does not change when you cover your mouth with your hand, you are doing it correctly.
Goo example — mouth
③ Keep the mouth open in an “eh” shape and let sound pass throughboth the nose and mouth.The soft palate touches neither the throat wall nor the tongue, so sound flows through both passages (“nose and mouth”).
Using both the nose and mouth sounds difficult…
Is there a way to check whether sound is flowing through both the nose and mouth?
Yes. If covering your mouth does not stop the voice but makes it slightly muffled, you are doing it correctly.
Goo example — nose and mouth