One of the most basic and crucial elements of singing is learning to sing without straining, or what some call singing with an open throat. It's also one of the hardest to really “get.” I first heard the term “open your throat” in college. One teacher said it over and over. But she never explained how.
When my friends and I heard it, we freaked out. How?! This is my throat you're talking about, and you're telling me to open it? I'm a 20-year-old student, I'm not messing around in there, I'm going to ruin my voice forever, I have no idea what I'm doing! AAAHHH!
This article is part of my Singing Techniques & Exercises guide, where I break down the skills that make your voice easier to control and more expressive. Here, we’ll zoom in on open throat, a prerequisite for more advanced techniques.
What is open-throat singing, in short
Open-throat singing just means singing without extra tension around the throat, so your main resonating space (the pharynx) is free. The short version:
Align your posture and release tension in the body, since tension travels to the throat.
Free the tongue. Point the tip gently down so its root lifts off the voice box.
Feel the space. Breathe in and notice a cool, airy sensation at the back, your “cold spots.” If you feel it, the space is open.
Everything below builds and trains that feeling.
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So even though it's scary, and teachers don't really agree on what this means or how to achieve open throat singing (big surprise), I have attempted to create a guide to singing with an open throat:
This guide has 3 parts to it: the basics of opening your throat; describing the physiology and demonstrating the method on a student; and some more exercises you can play and sing along to.
Align your posture
Tension from almost anywhere in the body can and will transfer into tension around your throat. So the first thing you should do is learn to free up your body as a whole and align your posture. My favorite ways to do that are Alexander technique and Yoga.
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What open throat is NOT (the yawn trap)
Before we get into the how, let's clear up the biggest misunderstanding, because it sends people in exactly the wrong direction.
Open throat does not mean yawning your way through every note, and it does not mean forcing your larynx down to make a big, dark space. That over-darkens the sound and adds the very pushing-down tension we're trying to remove. Open throat is a release, not a manufacture. You're getting tension out of the way so the natural space appears, not muscling a cavern into being.
And if you've found open-throat advice confusing because every teacher says something different, here's the reassuring truth: most of those cues, the mask, the back of the nose, the soft palate, the pharynx, point to the same tunnel of space. They're different words for the same area. So they're far less contradictory than they sound.
The Basics of Open-Throat Singing
This is how to self-examine your throat and make sure it's open, then train to keep it open. This is muscle memory work, so you have to take your time with this. It will be worth it, for the reward is an open throat long term!
You can refer to the video tutorial below the description of the exercises, for demonstrations.
Why the tongue is the usual culprit
Quick word on the real troublemaker here: your tongue. You probably picture just the tip you can see in the mirror, but the tongue is massive, reaching far back and down, right next to your pharynx and your voice box. When it tenses, which it loves to do when you sing, it blocks the pharynx (goodbye, resonance) and presses down on the voice box (goodbye, freedom).
Your voice box is meant to float and wiggle slightly as you sing. A tense tongue pins it in place like a paperweight on a butterfly. So a lot of open-throat work is really just teaching the tongue to get out of the way.
Hug your Larynx - check for freedom
[Best practiced lying down in active rest (Alexander technique principle, see video or Alexander app]
Gently place their index finger and thumb on either side of the trachea at the base of the neck and trace upwards until they feel a socket-like hole on both sides. The fingers should gently rest there, be super gentle. Inhale and exhale, and see if you feel anything pressing down where your fingers are. If so - that's your tongue.
Try to free up your "sockets" and not feel the tongue on your fingers. My favorite way for that is to point the tip of the tongue down - that releases the jaw and moves the root of the tongue away from your larynx.
Do this daily, a little bit each time. Don't make any sounds at first, and gradually progress to making the "NG" sound while maintaining the same relaxed position.
Sing warm-up exercises
Next, sing simple melodies on various pitches, making sure the tongue doesn't push on the larynx (or the sockets where your fingers were). If you feel pressure, go back a stage and keep practicing.
Italian/Spanish/Israeli vowels
Finally, practice the pure vowels (i, e, a, o, u). Keep your posture and stay mindful of not pressing on the larynx. We're going for less tension, which means minimalism in vocal production. The key is: do less. Don't manufacture the sound with muscle tension.
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Open throat singing explained
Pippa, a student from Austria, called my show, the SingWell Karaoke Show, with a question: what does “open your throat” mean, what's actually happening in the body, and are there exercises for it? Below you'll find our whole conversation on film, but here's the gist. A closed throat is really just tension around the throat, which can come from anywhere in the body. To open it, do three things, in this order:
- Maintain proper body alignment.
- Release extra tension from other parts of the body, which tends to translate into throat tension.
- Focus on the pharynx, the tunnel at the back of the nose, mouth and larynx, the main resonator, which I call the cold spots.
What are the Cold Spots?
We're aiming to feel the pharynx, specifically the movement of air in that area. For some people (including me) it's a cool sensation, which is why I call it the cold spots. When you feel your cold spots, you have a kinesthetic sense of your throat and your main resonator, so it's easier to use when you sing, giving a freer, fuller, more effortless sound. I love the cold spots. You get there by pointing the tip of the tongue down (a neat trick that also releases the jaw) and moving the root of the tongue away from the larynx.
How do you know if you're doing open throat singing right?
Go for the feeling. I know it sounds wacky, but if you feel the air moving in that space, the space is open, so your throat is open. In the video you can watch me show Pippa how to find her “sockets” and discover her pharynx. I also show her how to reach higher notes without tension: move your hand down as the melody goes up. It tricks your brain into not thinking upward.
Trust the feeling, not the sound
One more thing, because it trips everyone up. An open, free sound can feel unfamiliar and even a bit odd from the inside, since your own head is a poor concert hall. So trust how it feels, not how it sounds. If it feels free and easy in the throat, you're on the right track, even if it sounds strange to you. And if it sounds lovely in your head but your throat feels tight, something's off, no matter what your ears say.
When you stop feeling the cold spots, by the way, it usually means the tongue has crept backward and is squatting in the pharynx again. Re-point the tongue tip down, breathe in, and invite the space back.
How to sing with an open throat: exercises
So we've covered the long-term work: finding your pharynx, aligning your posture, teaching your tongue to stop pushing. I'm curious how long it takes you.
For me, it took five weeks just to work on the tongue. That's a long time, but hey, now I can do it. And what's a few weeks against an eternity of good singing? Now for some exercises you can practice.
Read the instructions or watch the video.
Exercise 1. Pick-up Skull exercise
Place your thumbs under your cheekbones and your other fingers under your skull at the back.
Gently stretch your spine by moving the whole hand upward. Don't change the relative height of fingers and thumbs, or you'll interrupt the alignment of the neck.
Watch the video for clarity.
Exercise 2. Cold Spot Exercise
Point the tip of your tongue downward (use your imagination, don't apply pressure). Inhale and notice the air behind your tongue. Once that's comfortable, add a hum and feel the vibrations in the same place as the air. Any warm-up works. A little brain trick: move your finger from beside your nose to the back of your head, once on the inhale and again when you sing.
Warning: it's easy to hyperventilate here, so exhale every 2 to 3 repetitions.
Exercise 3. Bite the Finger Exercise
This helps you feel the cold spots even better.
Place your finger between your teeth without biting down (I know, that's the opposite of the name, but “bite the finger” is shorter than “place your finger between your teeth without biting down”). Inhale through your mouth and notice the space you create and where the air lands. Then make an “ooh,” inhaling and then saying “ooh” in the same direction as the inhale. The quicker you move from inhale to “ooh,” the smoother and less strained the sound.
As you progress, add a “w” for a “whoo,” cheerleader-style. Watch the video to sing along.
Exercise 4. The Badass Face
Watch any great singer hit a high note and you'll see a certain face: cheeks lifted, eyes slightly squinting, jaw dropped. It reads as confidence and attitude. It's also a killer open-throat technique.
Here's what's happening underneath. Lifting your cheeks opens the connection between the space behind your mouth and the space behind your nose. Releasing the jaw opens the space below that. Suddenly you've got a much bigger resonating space to work with, your pharynx, your cold spots. You're opening the gate before the sound travels through it.
Try it on a phrase with a note slightly higher than comfortable. Lift the cheeks, drop (don't force) the jaw, and let the sound through that bigger space. This is the open throat in action, and it's a big part of why high notes feel easier when you stop shrinking around them.
"
"Open throat isn't something you force. It's what's left when you take the tension away.
Conclusion
Singing with an open throat, if you ask me, is basically singing without extra tension around the throat.
That means aligning and relaxing the body as a whole, then going to the throat area and releasing around it.
It's not easy, but it's completely doable if you follow this article step by step. Let me know how it goes, or if you have questions.
Where this takes you next
Two quick pay-offs. First, that hand-down trick for high notes (move your hand down as the melody climbs) works because pitch isn't something you reach for with your throat. A part of your brain handles it, I call him George, and the hand-down move just stops you getting in his way. There's more on that in my guide to singing high notes.
Second, open throat is the secret ingredient that turns twang from annoying into powerful. A bright, twangy sound in a narrow throat sounds like a cartoon. The same twang with your cold spots open gives you real volume. Pair this with my vocal cord exercises and you've got the full picture.
... About removing those vocal issues
Good singing practice is picking your battles. Look, if you’re not experiencing enough progress, it’s not because of a lack of talent or knowledge. It’s because you're trying to do too many things at the same time..
You need a clear system that will replace ‘That sounded bad, I guess I suck!’ with an objective and motivating system to build on.
P.S: I have a monster article about all vocal exercises, chest voice, head voice, vocal cord function, you name it. Enjoy the rabbit hole!
About the author
I’m Linor Oren, founder of SingWell. I have an opera background and in the past I've performed on stage. I've taught hundreds of students how to find their authentic voice. What I’ve learned is that singing isn’t about being “born with it” — it’s about unlocking what’s already inside you with the right tools and guidance. My passion is helping singers at every level grow in confidence, technique, and joy, so they can sing with freedom and expression.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does singing with an open throat actually mean?
It means producing sound without extra tension around the larynx, tongue, or jaw. The throat feels free, the pharynx is open and resonant, and breath moves smoothly so the voice can carry without strain.
How can I tell if my throat is truly open while I sing?
Look for comfort and consistency. You should not feel the tongue pressing on the larynx, the jaw should release, and you may notice a cool sensation or gentle vibration in the back of the mouth and nose area. If you feel squeezing, tugging, or a urge to push air, pause and reset.
Which exercises help me learn open throat singing?
Start with posture alignment and gentle bodywork such as Alexander Technique or yoga. Practice the larynx hug to check freedom, do simple warm ups on NG, and work through pure vowels i, e, a, o, u while keeping the tongue tip gently down. Add the cold spot awareness and light slides to build the habit without strain.
Is open-throat singing the same as yawning?
Not quite. A yawn does open the space, which is why it's a popular cue, but yawning fully also pushes the larynx down and darkens the sound, which adds tension. Aim for the released, airy feeling at the start of a yawn, not a full forced one.
Does open throat mean lowering my larynx?
No. Deliberately pushing the larynx down is a common mistake. The larynx should be free to float, not held down. Open throat comes from releasing tension and freeing the tongue, which lets the space open on its own.
Why do I still strain on high notes even with an open throat?
Often it's the tongue creeping back, or reaching upward for the note. Keep the cold spots open, try the Badass Face (cheeks up, jaw released), and move your hand down as the melody rises to stop yourself reaching. High notes need more space, not more push.
How long does it take to learn open-throat singing?
It's muscle-memory work, so be patient. It took me about five weeks just to retrain my tongue. A little daily practice goes a long way, and from the perspective of a lifetime of good singing, a few weeks is nothing.