Jaw Tension Silences Your High Notes!

Ever notice your high notes feel strained or disappear when your jaw tightens?

The jaw and tongue are directly connected — when one locks, the other can’t move freely, and your upper range suffers.

Try this: place two fingers gently on the space between your molars. Let your jaw drop until you feel the slightest stretch, then hum lightly on “ng.” Notice how the tone becomes freer? That’s because the larynx can rise and fall naturally when the jaw isn’t fighting it.

In lessons, I often use “yah-yah-yah” slides on a single breath to retrain the jaw’s mobility. The goal isn’t to drop the jaw, but to un-grip it. When the jaw releases, high notes stop feeling like a climb and start feeling like lift-off.

Happy practicing,

Coach Nelle