Throat Singing Course: Learn Overtone Singing & Khuumei

When I first started learning throat singing many years ago, YouTube had just launched. At that time, there were only a handful of throat singing videos online. However, there was a legendary throat singing forum run by Steve Sklar—an American musician who traveled to Tuva and studied with the throat singers of Huun Huur Tu.

This forum was an absolute goldmine. It connected throat singing fanatics from all over the world, allowing us to share knowledge and experiences. Back then, it was almost impossible to get in touch with real Tuvan or Mongolian throat singers, especially since social media wasn’t widely used in those regions. But today? I can literally message some of my biggest inspirations directly on Facebook!

The difference between Mongolian, Tuvan, and Altai throat singing

Is there a real difference between throat singing from Mongolia, Tuva, and Altai?

• Short answer: No.

• Long answer: Yes, but mostly in a cultural sense.

The melodies, rhythms, and overall musical style of each region are what truly make them unique. While there are some technical differences, they’re often subtle. The biggest variation comes from the way throat singing is integrated into each culture’s music.

My biggest throat singing inspirations

These are some of the throat singers that shaped my journey. Each of them has a unique style and has influenced me in different ways:

Amartuvshin (Egschiglen) – Mongolia
A blend of Mongolian and Tuvan influences, with deep and powerful low tones.

Ganzorig Nergui (Altai Khangai) – Mongolia
Another Mongolian singer whose sound combines Mongolian tradition with Tuvan elements.

Emil Terkishev – Altai
His music mesmerized me for weeks in a row—incredible techniques and emotional depth.

Igor Koshkendey (Chirgilchin) – Tuva
An incredibly skilled singer. His throat singing is effortless and precise.

Hosoo & Transmongolia – Mongolia
I actually traveled through Mongolia with Hosoo! His high-range throat singing is insane.

Oidupaa – Tuva
A truly unique musician. His Kargyraa style deeply influenced me.

Tserendavaa & Tsogtgerel – Mongolia
Tserendavaa is a legend, and his son Tsogtgerel is carrying on the tradition as one of the best Mongolian throat singers today.

Gennadi Tumat – Tuva
If there’s a legendary Tuvan throat singer, it’s Gennadi. His mastery of techniques inspired me deeply.

Jargalant Altai – Mongolia
This album really shaped my understanding of traditional Mongolian throat singing. If you want to hear pure, authentic performances, make sure to check it out

Learning throat singing is a journey, not something you master overnight. We’ll be exploring new ways of using your voice and body, and chances are, you’ll be trying things you’ve never done before. This can sometimes lead to coughing, discomfort, or strain—and that’s completely normal in the beginning.

However, pain is never part of the process. If something hurts, it means you’re doing it incorrectly. So always be mindful and listen to your body.

Important guidelines for safe practice:

Start slowly & softly – There’s no need to push yourself too hard at the beginning.
Don’t overpractice – In the early days, keep your practice sessions short to avoid strain.
Warm up properly – Just like any physical activity, warming up your voice is essential.
Build strength gradually – Over time, your voice and throat muscles will adapt and improve.

Patience is key

Don’t get discouraged if progress feels slow—that’s completely normal. Throat singing is a skill that takes consistent and steady practice. No one becomes a trained throat singer in just a few days, so take your time and enjoy the process! ?

Why warm-ups matter

Warming up your voice is an essential part of any singing practice, but especially for throat singing. In the beginning, you’ll be exploring new ways of using your voice, throat, and muscles—things you may have never done before. A proper warm-up helps prevent strain and prepares your body for these unique vocal techniques.

Posture first!

Before we begin, let’s focus on good posture:
Standing or sitting is fine, as long as your back stays straight.
You can also sit on the ground with a small stool, but keep your back upright.
A straight posture allows you to fill your lungs fully and expand your abdomen properly.

Step 1: Breathing Exercise

This simple breathing technique helps you gain control over your breath, which is crucial for throat singing.

Stand or sit straight, relaxing your shoulders and chest.
Breathe in slowly through your mouth for five seconds.

• Bring the air deep into your diaphragm (your belly should expand outward).

• Your chest and shoulders should not rise.

• Exhale slowly for five seconds while making a soft “sss” sound.

• Keep your chest and shoulders relaxed.

Repeat this a few times to establish a natural and controlled breathing pattern.

Step 2: Adding Sound

Now, we’ll repeat the breathing exercise but add a vocal element.

Inhale deeply as before.
Exhale with your voice, letting out a gentle tone as you breathe out.
Keep your posture relaxed and your breathing steady.

You can also try humming with your mouth closed or puffing out your cheeks while exhaling. These techniques help prepare your resonance and airflow for throat singing. [Demonstrations in video]

Other warm-up tips

There are many vocal warm-up exercises available on YouTube. If you want to go deeper, I recommend checking some out! However, for this course, the exercises above should be enough to get you started.

For advanced singers: Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can warm up with light throat singing techniques that require minimal effort. [Demonstrated in video] But this comes later, once you’ve built a solid foundation.

Now that we’re warmed up, let’s move on to the next step! ?

Overtone singing: More than just “two notes at once”

One of the most famous elements of throat singing is overtone singing. It’s often described as “singing two notes at the same time.” Sounds mind-blowing, right? Well… yes and no! The reality is, it’s easier than you might think—and it’s much more than just singing two notes.

In this lesson, we’ll break down the basics of overtone singing and how you can start hearing and controlling overtones within your own voice.

The concept of overtone singing

The core idea behind overtone singing is simple:
Sing a steady note without changing pitch.
Filter and amplify the overtones within that note.
Shape the overtones into a melody while the base note stays the same.

The key here? You are NOT changing pitch. You’re keeping your base note steady while manipulating overtones above it.

Think of yourself as a human bagpipe

To understand overtone singing, let’s compare it to bagpipes:

• Bagpipes have two parts:

  1. Drones (holding a steady tone).

  2. Chanter (playing the melody).

• In overtone singing:
  Your voice is the drone (holding the base note).
  Your tongue is the chanter (shaping the overtones into melody).

How do we do this? The role of the tongue

The tongue is our secret weapon in overtone singing. Here’s how it works:

Divide your mouth cavity into two spaces.

• The tongue rises and touches the upper palate.

• Like saying the letter “L” but with a “U” shape in your mouth.

• (It actually feels like a mix of “L” and “R,” but this varies by language.)

Create a small opening for the sound.

• Your sound needs an escape route!

• Many singers have a gap on one side of the mouth (for me, it’s the right).

• Try touching your cheeks while singing to see where your air escapes.

Now, let’s move the overtones!

Keep the L-position of the tongue and the U-shape of the jaw.
Move the base of your tongue while singing.
Start by shifting between “O” and “I” sounds.

• O-shape = lower overtones

• I-shape = higher overtones\

• Experiment! Move your tongue and jaw slowly and listen for a loud overtone.

• When you hear it, hold it and refine it.

Visualizing the Process

Think of your mouth as a musical instrument:
Vocal cords = the strings (producing the base note).
Tongue = the fingers picking the melody.
Mouth cavity = the soundbox (shaping the resonance).

Just like on a string instrument:
The smaller the cavity, the higher the overtone.
The larger the cavity, the lower the overtone.

Final tips

In the beginning, it may feel unnatural to move your tongue this way.
Even small adjustments to your tongue, jaw, and lips can improve the sound.
Practice slowly—the control will come with time!

Now, let’s practice and experiment!

In this lesson, we'll dive into your first throat singing technique, known as "Shakha Khoomei" in Mongolia. Shakha translates to "to compress," and it's often referred to as "Khoomei" in Tuva. This technique creates a deep, powerful, and guttural sound, with strong support from your diaphragm and abdomen. Mastering Shakha is essential because it's the foundation for many other throat singing techniques.

Throughout this video, you'll learn how to use Shakha in several ways:

1. Singing Words: We’ll demonstrate how to apply this technique to sing lyrics, like the Mongolian song "Moriton Mongol."

2. Creating Melodies: You'll see how to shape melodies by using your tongue to filter the sound without touching the roof of your mouth, demonstrated with "Gooj Nanaa," a Mongolian folk song.

3. Creating Rhythms: Learn how to use the "yuh, yuh" sounds to create exciting rhythms, common in Tuvan throat singing.

We understand that Shakha might feel challenging at first, but don't be discouraged! It's a crucial technique, and I'll guide you through a few methods to help you succeed.

Techniques to Try:

• Method 1: Glottal Stop: Start by saying "Uh-oh" or "Yuh" and focus on the tension you feel in your throat. This is the key spot to apply pressure when singing Shakha. We’ll demonstrate how to push air through this tension to create the sound.

• Method 2: Vocal Fry: Commonly known as the “creaking door” sound, vocal fry helps you find the necessary compression in your vocal folds. We'll show you how to gradually add your voice while maintaining pressure in your abdomen and throat.

• Method 3: Airy/Whisper Voice: Begin with an airy, whispery sound and gradually add a vocal tone. This exercise will help you transition into the throat singing technique while keeping the tension intact.

• Method 4: Funny/Cool Voice: Use a “pirate voice” or a cartoonish “Nehhh” to feel the right throat tension. This method also introduces "Twang," a vocal style that creates a harsh sound, which you can refine for throat singing.

This is just the beginning of your throat singing journey, and with these techniques, you’ll be well on your way to mastering Shakha!

Now that you've grasped the basics of Shakha Khoomei in Part 1, it’s time to dive deeper into this powerful technique. In this lesson, we'll explore how to use Shakha for singing lyrics, melodies, and rhythms, as well as how to adapt it to different vocal ranges.

Singing lyrics with Shakha

In this section, we’ll demonstrate how to use Shakha as both a speaking and singing voice. You’ll see how this technique works across various pitches, giving you the flexibility to adapt it to the music you're performing. We’ll use the Mongolian folk song Avgiin Tsagaan Uul as an example, sung in three different registers:

• Low register

• Middle register

• High register

Notice how the tone and richness of the overtones shift depending on the pitch. The lower notes emphasize rich, round overtones, common in Tuva throat singing, while the higher notes, which use more abdominal power, create a louder, more tension-filled sound, typical in Mongolian throat singing.

Singing melodies with Shakha

Next, we’ll demonstrate how to create melodies using this technique. The key here is to filter the sound with your tongue, without touching the roof of your mouth. We’ll start with a simple exercise, singing Gooj Nanaa, a Mongolian folk song.

Tip: Shape your mouth like you’re saying “Ø,” a combination of the sounds “U” and “O,” to create different pitches. As you move from the “Ø” shape (low note) to the “I” shape (higher note), you’ll notice how the melody changes. Follow along and sing the melody as we increase pitch and vocal tone.

Singing rhythms with Shakha

Shakha can also be used to create rhythms, often heard in Tuvan throat singing. We’ll use tongue movements to create rhythmic patterns like “yuh, yuh, yuh” or “yeh, yeh, yeh.” Repeating these patterns will help you build rhythm and improve your control over this technique. Feel free to experiment and improvise!

By the end of this video, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how to incorporate Shakha Khoomei into your singing, whether you're focusing on lyrics, melodies, or rhythms. Let's keep exploring this foundational technique!

In this lesson, we’ll explore the well-known "whistling" throat singing technique, commonly referred to as Isgeree in Mongolian and Sygyt in Tuva. This technique involves producing clear overtones, similar to whistling, using your voice.

Combining Shakha Khoomei with Isgeree

After practicing the Shakha Khoomei technique, we’re now going to combine it with Isgeree/Sygyt. If you haven’t watched the previous lessons, be sure to go back and review them, as they lay the foundation for this technique.

Step-by-Step breakdown

We’ll begin slowly, starting with a lower pitch (but feel free to choose a pitch that’s comfortable for you). Start by using the Shakha voice, and then gradually add the tongue, similar to the overtone singing technique you’ve already learned.

• Basic Position: Begin by singing the sound "AAA" and transition to "LLLL." This is the starting position for your tongue.

• Tongue Movement: Practice adding and removing your tongue while maintaining the Shakha voice. This back-and-forth motion will help you control the sound.

Building the sound

Now, let’s practice a simple pattern of three notes: “AA, EE, II.” Start by singing these notes without touching the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Feel how your tongue moves up and down, especially the middle part.

Once you’re comfortable with this, repeat the pattern while placing your tongue in the "LL" position: “AA, EE, II.” This will start to bring out the overtones more clearly.

Tips for amplifying the overtone

One common question is, "How do I make the overtone louder?" The answer is practice! Don’t rush it—subtle changes over time will help you improve. Pay close attention to your sound and experiment with adjusting your technique to refine it.

To help you hear your overtones more clearly, try using your hand as a cup against your ear. This will amplify the sound and make it easier to catch the overtones you’re producing. In the beginning, it can be challenging to hear the nuances of your voice, but this trick will guide your ear and help you fine-tune your technique.

By the end of this video, you should have a solid foundation for singing Isgeree/Sygyt. Keep practicing, and let’s move on to more advanced techniques in future lessons!