LOOSEN YOUR TONGUE TO FREE YOUR VOICE

You've heard me say it many times in my book, Raise Your Voice, that we are our own instrument! 

Not a guitar or a piano, but a living, breathing, moving human instrument. And like any instrument, we get out of tune.

Maybe you slept on a bad pillow and your neck’s tight. Maybe you sat hunched over your phone all day. Maybe you’re stressed and clenching your jaw without realizing it. All of that tension adds up, and one of the first places it hides is your tongue.

Yep, that chunk of muscle sitting in your mouth can totally ruin your singing day if it stiffens up. When your tongue locks down, it drags the rest of your voice with it. Your throat tightens, your tone gets dull, and suddenly your high notes feel like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops.

That’s why I included tongue tension release in my Vocal Stress Release program. The tongue doesn’t just move for words; it’s connected to your whole singing system. So if it’s tight, everything else has to work twice as hard.

Luckily, you can fix it in minutes. Here are three super simple ways to free your tongue and get your voice flowing again.

The Tongue Stretch

Stick your tongue out. Now I don’t mean a polite little “bleh.” I mean really go for it by sticking it straight out like you’re at the doctor saying “ahhh.” Grab your tongue with a small cloth and pull it straight out. Hold it for five seconds, then relax. Do that a few times. You’ll feel that little stretch right under your chin. That’s good! That’s the tension releasing.

Tongue Tension Release

Wash your hands first (seriously). Then open your mouth and gently run your finger along the middle of your tongue from the tip toward the back as far as feels comfortable. You’re basically “ironing out” the muscle. Your goal is to eventually reach the root of your tongue. At that point press your fingertip into your tongue and “scrape” your tongue as you pull your finger out.

You’ll be shocked how tight and knotted up that your tongue can feel. But this is an easy way to break tongue tension loose. 

Gargling Tone

This one’s fun and weird, and it works like magic for freeing up your throat. Start by gargling with a little water and tilt your head back. Feel that bubbling sound in the back of your mouth and throat? That’s your soft palate relaxing and lifting.

Once you’re comfortable, try imitating Chewbacca or cooing like a pigeon. Same idea, just no water. It’s all about that gentle gargling sound. You’re teaching your body how to keep the soft palate open and flexible without overworking the tongue.

If you can’t do it right away, keep practicing with water for a couple of weeks. Each time, lower your head a little more and use less water. Eventually, you’ll be able to gargle dry. When you do, you’ll notice your tone feels freer and your voice resonates deeper, almost like it suddenly found more space to live in.

Tension isn’t always your enemy; it’s just your body’s way of saying something’s off. But when your tongue locks up, it can strangle your sound before you even realize it. Do these three tongue release exercises every day, especially before you warm up, and you’ll keep your voice flexible and happy.

You must always remember that YOU are your own instrument! Treat it right, stretch it, and keep it balanced because even a world-class guitar needs a tune-up, and your voice deserves the same.

 

Your Vox coach,

Jaime Vendera