Tongue Tension Fix: The Tongue Flip

Close up of Laura with mouth open and tongue lifted, pointing to the frenulum underneath.

Want a tongue release exercise that you can do WHILE singing? So many of the tactics we use to relieve our vocal tension feel great – but their effects dissipate or disappear when we actually start to sing repertoire. 

Today’s exercise is a little different – you’ll be able to actually use this tongue position while you sing. It’s especially helpful as you ascend into the higher range, so let’s give it a whirl – or better yet, a flip!  

How to do the Tongue Flip: 

  1. Stretch the tongue forward and flip the tip UNDER to touch the frenulum (the stringy thing under the tongue). 
  2. Keep the tip of the tongue in that folded over position and sing! You can sing anything, but for the purposes of this video: 
  3. With the tongue folded, sing “ee”/[i] and slide up and down Do-Sol-Do. 

You may feel the tongue attempting to retract or harden as you go, so use a mirror to see what’s happening, or check with a finger like I’m doing. Keep it squishy, friends! 

If you want some other tactics for approaching your tongue tension, check out these other videos: 

Tongue Slides video: https://youtu.be/awJKe92hsoc
Tongue Release 4 Ways video: https://youtu.be/5Ra_4b72jVY
Tongue Slurp video: https://youtu.be/o19ZB8c2eRA

And thanks for practicing!

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