Encyclopedia
Overtone singing, also known as
overtone chanting,
harmonic singing, or
harmonic chant, is a type of singing in which the singer manipulates the harmonic resonances created as air travels from the lungs, past the
vocal folds, and out the lips.
Throat singing usually refers to several traditional Central Asian styles of overtone singing, but is also applied to traditional techniques from other regions. It is usually differentiated from overtone singing by the application of a harsh voice or some constriction in the
larynx.
Acoustics and theory
The overtones are clearly heard when the partials of a sound wave produced by the human voice are selectively amplified by changing the shape of the resonant cavities of the
mouth,
larynx and pharynx. The result of this resonant tuning allows the singer to create more than one pitch at the same time. Generally the sounds created by throat singing are low droning hums and high pitched flutelike melodies. The sound of certain styles of overtone singing may remind one of a
Theremin.
Traditional styles
Tuva
The best-known of the traditional forms comes from
Tuva, a small autonomous republic within the Russian Federation. The history of throat singing, or
khoomei , reaches too far back for anyone alive to accurately discern. Ethnomusicologists studying throat singing in these areas mark khoomei as an integral part in the ancient pastoral
animism that is still practised today. Harmonics are universally present in all human voices and instrumental sounds.
The animistic worldview of this region identifies the spirituality of objects in nature, not just in their shape or location, but in their sound as well. Thus, human mimicry of nature's sounds is seen as the root of throat singing. Indeed, the cultures in this part of Asia have developed many instruments and techniques to mimic the sounds of animals, wind, and water. While the cultures of this region share throat singing, their styles vary in breadth of development.
In one of the main styles of khoomei, melodies are created by isolating the 5th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th partial in the Harmonic series . The performer's mouth should remain in a constant "ur" position, except to achieve the lower Sol, when it is necessary to round the lips in an "O". The remaining notes are formed by incrementally shifting from an internal "ur" vowel for Do to an "E" for the high Sol. The teeth are lightly clenched and the tongue is slightly bowled. The base pitch is typically around a G below
Middle C. This is basic Sygyt.
The people of Tuva have a wide range of throat singing vocalizations, and were the pioneers of six pitch harmonics. The three basic styles are called khoomei, kargyraa, and sygyt. Additional recognized styles include borbangnadyr, chylandyk, dumchuktaar, ezengileer, and kanzip. Some consider these additional styles to be variations or modifications of the three principal styles.
;Sygyt: meaning "whistling", a technique that utilizes a mid-range fundamental and produces a high-pitched, rather piercing harmonic reminiscent of whistling. The technique is different from khoomei as the fundamental is completely attenuated, and has a higher pitch. The tone sounds very bright and clear. Also described as an imitation of the gentle breezes of summer, the songs of birds.
;Kargyraa: a deep, "undertone" technique. The
vestibular folds or
false vocal folds are vibrated to produce an "undertone" exactly half the frequency of the fundamental produced by the
vocal folds, and the mouth cavity is shaped to select harmonics of both the fundamental and the "undertone," producing from four to six pitches simultaneously. There are two main kargyraa styles, dag kargyraa and khovu kargyraa. The dag or "mountain" kargyraa is the lower of the two. There are also the distinctive kargyraa styles of Vladimir Oidupaa and
Albert Kuvezin, the latter also bearing the name kanzat. This style can also be described as the howling winds of winter or the plaintive cries of a mother camel after losing her calf.
;Khoomei: While khoomei is used as a generic term to designate all throat singing techniques in this region, it is also more specifically a technique where the drone is in the middle-range of the voice, with harmonics between one and two octaves above. Singing in this style give one the impression of wind swirling among rocks.
;Chylandyk: merely a mixture of Sygyt and Kargyraa. Both styles are sung at once, creating an unusual sound of low undertones mixed with the high Sygyt whistle. It has also been described as the "chirping of crickets."
;Dumchuktaar: could be best described as Throat Humming. The singer creates a sound similar to Sygyt using only the nasal passage. The word means to sing through the nose . The mouth does not need to be closed, but of course it demonstrates the point better.
;Ezengileer: is a pulsating style, mimicking the rhythms of horseback riding. It is named after the word for stirrup in Tyvan, ezengi.
Mongolia
Throat singing is found mostly in Western
Mongolia. In Mongolia, khoomii can be divided up into the following categories.
- uruulyn / labial khoomii
- tagnain / palatal khoomii
- khamryn / nasal khoomii
- bagalzuuryn, khooloin / glottal, throat khoomii
- tseejiin khondiin, khevliin / chest cavity, stomach khoomii
- turlegt or khosmoljin khoomii / khoomii combined with long song
Mongolians also sing in a style known as karkhiraa.
Altai
In the
Altai Republic, throat singing, which they call
kai, is used mostly in Epic poetry performance, to the accompaniment of topshur. Altay kai-chi perform in kargyraa, khöömei, sygyt styles, which are similar to Tuvan. They also have their own style, a very high harmonics, emerging from kargyraa. Variations of kai are called karkyra, sybysky, homei, and sygyt.
Khakassia
Just north of Tyva in the region of
Khakassia there exist native styles of throat singing known as khai.
Tibet
Tibetan Buddhist chanting is a sub-genre of throat singing. Most often the chants hold to the lower pitches capable in throat singing. Various ceremonies and prayers call for throat singing in
Tibetan Buddhism, often with more than one monk chanting at a time. Studies measuring the frequencies of the throat singing and the brain waves of the monks have shown synchronicity in the brain, causing it to emit similar waves to those found in studies of silent meditation.
Bashkortostan
The
Bashkorts have a style of overtone singing,
uedhlaew , which nearly died out. In addition, Bashkorts also sing uzlyau while playing the quray, a national instrument. This technique of vocalizing into a flute can also be found in folk music as far West as the Balkans and
Hungary.
Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan, Kazakhstan
The oration of these people's poetry sometimes enters the realm of throat singing.
Canada
The resurgence of a once-dying Inuit throat singing tradition is underway in
Canada.
South Africa
Xhosa women of
South Africa have a style of chanting that falls in the category of throat singing.
Italy
Sheep herders on the island of
Sardinia use a style of polyphonic throat singing that dates back more than a thousand years. Tenores di Bitti, a contemporary Sardinian group, practices this.
Lappland
The
Sami people have a singing genre called yoik that is often compared with throat-singing. While overtone techniques are not a defining feature of yoik, individuals sometimes utilize overtones in the production of yoik.
Global styles
America and Europe – The
1920s Texan singer of cowboy songs, Arthur Miles, independently created a style of throat singing as a substitute for the normal yodeling of country western music. Starting in the
1970s, some musicians in the West either have collaborated with or ventured into the realm of throat singing,
or both, some making original musical contributions and helping this art rediscover its transcultural universality. As harmonics are universal to all voices, the notion of authenticity is best understood in terms of musical quality. Musicians of note in this genre include David Hykes ,
Karlheinz Stockhausen, Ry Cooder,
Paul Pena , Demetrio Stratos,, and Steve Sklar.
Lester Bowie and
Ornette Coleman both worked with the Tenores di Bitti, and Eleanor Hovda has written a piece using the
Xhosa style of singing.
DJs and performers of electronic music have also merged their music either with throat singing itself or with the theory of harmonics behind it. In Ireland
Anúna have revived a technique of overtone chanting mentioned in the 8th century manuscript Cath Almaine, the technique uses one held drone with a shifting three or four note overtone series.
Rajasthan - Ethnomusicologist John Levy recorded a Rajasthani singer utilizing overtones in imitation of either a Jew's harp or a double-flute. There is no tradition of this style of singing there.
Current artists
Folk artists
- Alash from Tuva
- Altai KhairKhan from Mongolia
- Ay-Kherel from Tuva
- Chirgilchin from Tuva:
- Tanya Tagaq Gillis from Nunavut
- Hosoo from Mongolia
- Huun-Huur-Tu from Tuva
- Kaigal-ool Khovalyg from Tuva
- Igor Koshkendey from Tuva
- Antoly Kuular from Tuva
- Sainkho Namtchylak from Tuva
- Kongar-ool Ondar from Tuva featured on Genghis Blues
[i]
...
- Mongun-ool Ondar from Tuva
- Sabjilar from Khakassia
- Tyva Kyzy from Tuva
- Eugeniy Ulugbashev from Khakassia
- Sarymai Urchimaev from Altay
- Yat-Kha & Albert Kuvezin
...
from Tuva
Others
- Jazz singer and trombonist Ray Anderson can sing two notes together.
- Composer John Hollenbeck uses the throat singing of vocalist Theo Bleckmann in his composition The Music of Life.
- David Hykes featured with his score for incarnate Tibetan lama Dzongsar Khyentese's film "Travellers and Magicians," the scores to "The Yatra Trilogy" by John Bush, and film trailer music for "The New World" by Terrence Malick and "X Men: The Last Stand."
[i]
...
,
- Marxy experiments with overtone singing on his album Kysoshu Nostalgia.
- Australian Folk performer, Juzzie Smith
References in popular culture
- Tuvan throat singer Kongar-ol Ondar appears on the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones album Outbound, and also on their Live at the Quick DVD and CD.
- Throat singers have also performed on a recording by Frank Zappa.
- Performed by Billy West and John DiMaggio on Futurama in the episode "Where the Buggalo Roam". The DVD commentary has much more, and also features Matt Groening talking about his first experience with Tuvan throat singing which lead to him introducing Frank Zappa to it!
- They appear on Ry Cooder's soundtrack to the film Geronimo: An American Legend .
- Tuvan throat singing appears on the KLF album Chill Out .
- It is also featured in the Shpongle
...
single 'Divine Moments of Truth'.
- Jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin also uses the throat singing method in some of his songs, as can be heard in, for example, the track "Drive".
- Samples of throat singing appear on the album 'Desengano' by Samus.
- Björk has collaborated extensively with the Canadian throatsinger Tanya Tagaq Gillis on her albums Medúlla and Drawing Restraint 9, the soundtrack to the film of the same name. Tanya has also toured with the Icelandic musician.
- "Past Life Melodies" for SATB chorus by Australian composer Sarah Hopkins also calls for this technique. In Water Passion after St. Matthew by Tan Dun, the soprano and bass soloists sing in a variety of techniques including overtone singing of the Mongolian style.
- Tibetan chant is heard on Beastie Boys album "Ill Communication".
- Tuvan throat singing can be clearly heard in parts of the soundtrack of the movie One Eight Seven
- In American sitcom, Frasier, Niles offers his brother tickets to attend a Mongolian throat singing concert.
- On the rock band TOOL's 2001 and 2002 tours, pre-recorded Tuvan throat singing was played as an intro track, just before the band came onstage at the beginning of the show.
See also
[i]
...
, a documentary about an American musician
Paul Pena's trip to Tuva to compete in a throat singing contest.
External links
Artist websites
- Harmonic Chant overtone choir
- Innovative Tuvan traditional music group
- Altai khaichi
- Khakass traditional group
- Producer of Siberian folk music groups
- Well-known Tuvan traditional music group
- All-female Tuvan traditional music group that performs all styles of throat-singing.
- Tuvan throat singing and traditional music with some non-traditional influences
Articles
Acoustic researchers
Acoustics
Lessons and resources
- David Hykes Harmonic Presence workshops and retreats in many countries.
- - Throat-singing CD, books and background information by ethnomusicologist Mark van Tongeren.
- Overtone choir seminars and workshops in Czech and German.
- - offers the California Throat Singing Camp, a 7-day intensive program that examines many aspects of throat singing performance, and other workshops.
- Steve Sklar's online Tuvan throatsinging lessons, including a .
- Tutorials and workshops in Boston, Massachusetts
- Friends of Tuva's
- Brian Grover's Downloadable Audio Tutorial
- Throat-singing instructional CD's, books and music.
- - Dr. TRAN QUANG HAIs Method of Learning Overtone Singing Khoomei in five easy steps
