04 Pharyngeal Voice

In this lesson, we’ll talk about the pharyngeal resonator (what it is and how to access it), the three most common vocal issues that worship vocalists have, and how to use the pharyngeal resonator to build power into the voice and create a pathway between the vocal registers to get rid of the break!

See the lesson resources below to:

download the lesson notes (in Downloads tab)
download the vocal workout for offline use (in Downloads tab)

Audio Workout

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Responses

hyon__s September 23, 2022

Hi Charmaine, I have a question regarding the humming warm up. I feel like I am using a lot of headvoice and pharyngeal for the humming warm up. Am I doing this right?

Charmaine Brown September 23, 2022

Yes—that is normal (and good!) to feel lots of those resonators in the mix for the humming!

HVCworship August 31, 2022

This lesson was awesome , well all the other ones leading up to this one were to so they are all awesome :). After I finished warm up and resonance excercises on the second day of the pharyengial voice section I started to rehearse Sundays set. When I was finding the right key to a new song I was having a hard time hitting the bridge and I started to identify that I was at the ceiling of my chest voice and then I remembered about using the pharyngeal lesson and the mix voice to help with higher ranges and as I started to try using my Pharyangeal resonance I was able to reach the note without that extra chest voice pressure, granted that was the highest key for me Forsure but I was blown away 😁🙂😌

Charmaine Brown September 3, 2022

WOOHOO! That is so exciting! Thanks for sharing!

1. HVCworship September 8, 2022
  
  Forsure! Your welcome, thank you for all you do!
  
  1. Charmaine Brown September 8, 2022
    
    You’re welcome!

Mariann Chatfield August 15, 2022

I have a strong chest voice and weaker head voice with a wide range. When I do the pharyngeal at the higher part on these exercises I crack and I think I’m pushing up my chest voice. I don’t crack as much if I do it softer, but then I don’t know if I’m getting a good pharyngeal resonance if I’m not getting that solid loud resonance. Does that make sense? I’ve been doing this set of exercises for several weeks. Thanks

Charmaine Brown August 19, 2022

Hi Mariann! It’s hard to say without hearing you—but it sounds like you are probably pushing up chest voice, which causes too much tension for the voice and then it cracks as we go higher. One thing that’s important to understand about pharyngeal resonance is that it’s meant to be a covering/layering on top of chest and head resonance, and it doesn’t work efficiently if we don’t have strength in both resonators. So one of the best things you can do is keep strengthening your head voice! I would also recommend that you submit a Checkpoint (at the end of this course) so I can give you feedback on your exercises!

1. Mariann Chatfield August 19, 2022
  
  Thank you so much, that makes a lot of sense! You are such a gift! I’ve been doing nays and twangs for a long time, but you are the first person to explain what they do and how to use them to Develop instead of just belting them out as loud as possible
  
  1. Charmaine Brown August 25, 2022
    
    You’re welcome!

Jaime Donnell August 15, 2022

I have benefited from your instruction greatly and am so thankful for that. Is this full voice workout good for warming up before practicing and before Sunday morning service? I know you have a Sunday morning warmup, but I started using this one. I do the lip rolls, humming, and vocal fry with the rests in between from the Sunday morning warm-up and then do the entire workout from this lesson. Is that ok?

Charmaine Brown August 19, 2022

Hey! In any case, the most important thing to make sure you do is the slow, gentle start to the warmup, which it sounds like you are doing! But beyond those first Sunday morning warmup exercises, if you find this workout works best for your voice, for sure—go ahead and do that instead!

Dave325 July 15, 2022

I noticed that some of the exercises are at a higher tempo than others. Is this by design? Especially the last mum arpeggios. Should we also be practicing this slowing and work up to the tempo on the audio workout? Just wondering. As an instrumentalist, I would always start the learning process at a slow tempo and increase the speed… but I understand that may be a deeper purpose. Thanks. I am really enjoying the course. Oh, and congrats to you and Jason on the birth of your little one. Blessings to you all.

Charmaine Brown July 16, 2022

It is by design—yes! The faster tempo actually prevents the brain from overthinking what the voice is doing! And thank you very much—we are enjoying these days with a newborn!!

04 Pharyngeal Voice

Nothing but the Blood by Robert Lowry

O Come To The Altar by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye

What a Beautiful Name by Ben Fielding, Brooke Ligertwood

Way Maker by Osinachi Okoro

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