Ken Tamplin's tongue?!?!

QueenB119

Ken says that your tongue needs to be dropped to the bottom of the jaw like a flat "U" shape. But how come when Ken is singing towards the high notes, his tongue goes from a U shape to a sustained upside-down V shape like a pointy mountain???

HuduVudu

The problem with the tongue is that we think of it in terms of it's axial position as we are facing another person. We see the tongue coming out toward us. What we don't think of the tongue as actually how big it is, and more importantly how it works with open throat. The following video is really helpful to visualize what the tongue is doing. Ken isn't asking us to do this or do that per se what he is asking is that we get it out of the way. Each person is going to do that differently. Ken's choice is to get his really far forward to get his throat opened way up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C48XH0mE780

QueenB119

So Ken does that to open his throat? Why did he teach us that? So which method of tongue placement is better?

HuduVudu

Watch the video!!!!

You can see when the tongue comes forward the back of the throat opens up. The correct placement is unique for everyone. The best that can be said for the placement is that it must be "forward", in other words it must not be closing down the back of throat. Most people are comfortable with the tongue touching the back of their bottom set of teeth. Your situation may vary. Experiment to find the least tense but most forward tongue position that you can get.

QueenB119

I have watched the video. So you are saying that: our ultimate goal is to place our tongue forward. that will allow the back of the throat to open up and the overall most effective way to achieve that is to concave the tongue to the bottom of the jaw touching the bottom set of the teeth right? Ken sometimes makes his tongue like a mountain because that suits him better personally and allows him to better open up the throat?

HuduVudu

So you are saying that: our ultimate goal is to place our tongue forward.

No, our ultimate goal is to get our throat open.

the overall most effective way to achieve that is to concave the tongue to the bottom of the jaw touching the bottom set of the teeth right?

As I have stated previously the most effective way is different for each person. Therefore YOU need to find the proper tongue placement that opens YOUR throat up most.

Ken sometimes makes his tongue like a mountain because that suits him better personally and allows him to better open up the throat?

Correct, this is what works for Ken. If you watch Ken's students you will see that they don't have the same tongue positions as Ken. Once again this is something you have to personally figure out. Ken provides suggestions and guidance to help you understand but YOU must ultimately do the work to figure out what is correct for your unique physiology.

QueenB119

Ok I get it now, so from now on we need to base of the feeling of the back of the throat on how open it is to choose our tongue placement. The more open the better right?

HuduVudu

Correct.

QueenB119

Ok thanks, you have been extremely helpful!