Mark van Tongeren, an ethnomusicologist, gives a throat-singing lesson

... From the 2002 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. For those who think the human voice can produce only one note at a time, the resonant harmonies of throat-singing are surprising. In throat-singing, a singer can produce two or more notes simultaneously through a specialized vocalization technique taking advantage of the throats resonance characteristics. Singers use a form of circular breathing which allows them to sustain multiple notes for long periods of time. Young Tuvan singers are trained from childhood through a sort of apprentice system to use the folds of the throat as reverberation chambers. Mark van Tongeren, an ethnomusicologist specializing in khöömei throat-singing, teaches the technique. To hear more throat-singing check out the album "Tuva: Voices from the Center of Asia" at http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=2058 To learn more about Smithsonian Folkways visit http://www.folkways.si.edu To find out more about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival visit http://festival.si.edu/ The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.

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[Zernobilly]

Let´s not mix throat singing to overtone singing. Tongeren is speaking about overtone singing. He makes overtones by changing position of his mouth and tongue. In throat singing you make overtones with your throat. It is much much harder and dangerous, if your not doing it right. I myself can sing overtones, I mistakebly thought it was a throat singing, before one ethnomusikologist told me it´s not the same thing.

[DillonDemas]

this guy sounds like a spaceship. im jelous

[Wongraven559]

@SubjectAlpha100 u might have to tighten the throat muscles a little to get the sounds to come to a overtone ringing sound it takes a while to get it and when it hits its magic just keep practicing and the ringing will start to pop out it did with me, if you need any more tips let me know im a throat singer as well.. check me out at wongraven559 u tube videos of me...:)

[Wongraven559]

@Zernobilly im a throat singer and yes you can damage your vocal chords only if you strain to hard but throat singing is never supposed to be a strain or you are doing it incorrectly and it will show in your sound so yes i have throat sang for a long time and i never have had anything but good stuff come from it actually the fact is is that it builds up a different nerve in you after a while and it is said to create a stronger immune system in a person, i havent been sick in a long time ..:)

[Zernobilly]

@d1ckyj0nes I have understood, that you could damage your vocal cords if you don´t know how to do it correctly. I think there´s no problem, if you have a good touch to your body. It´s the same thing in all "bizarre" singing, where you try to make "odd" sound what is not that type of sound you make in every day live. Video above is about overtone singing which is harmless, but if you really wan´t to learn the "real thing", you should consult somebody how knows about it.

[d1ckyj0nes]

@Zernobilly

Dangerous? What's supposed to happen?

[SubjectAlpha100]

I am constantly trying to produce these overtones, but all I end up doing is pronouncing a muffled "l" or "r" sound! Is there anything you have to do with your throat to do this?

[milesbrooks]

in my international studies class, whoever learns to throat sing like that earns an "A"

pretty cool stuff

[girotube]

WOWOWOWOWO! awesome

[cinna71]

wow