Common steps and sub-activities

Throat and overtone singing

Throat and overtone singing are similar but not quite the same. This has to be learnt from experts, I have provided some examples to show you both what is done and the effects.

Throat singing

Throat singing uses no words. Instead a musical instrument, for example in Mongolian throat singing it is called the marin whoor, is used to define the beat, whilst the throat of the singer is used to define the song. Throat songs have a form of melody although the range of tones is limited. In some cases there is only one note or pitch but occasionally a little variation is used and there may be four of five. These days the songs have been embellished for western consumption, but the original and pure songs, sound to any western ear to be as apparently strange as a chant or mantra. Their use, however, is the same.

It is also clear that there is now, amongst the people of this region, some argument as to whether throat singing is a shamanic technique. Personally I can see every reason why it was, but may not be now in its current form

Overtone singing

Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, or tone singing is extremely similar to throat singing, the difference being that more than one tone or pitch may be produced simultaneously [a harmonic] and the singer uses the tongue and not throat. The singer manipulates the resonances created as air travels from the lungs by using the tongue as the mechanism. Again, western influences have meant that normal melodies are now being created using the technique, but the original overtone songs used a massive range.