Unlocking the Voice: Can Primal Sounds Help Release Vocal Tension?

By Ashleigh Dowler

If you’ve ever felt tightness or a gritty texture in your voice - especially in high or dynamically intense moments of singing - you’re not alone. In my experience, this is a common concern among singers and voice users. Often, one of the common culprits behind this tension is something called false vocal fold constriction.The false vocal folds (FVFs) sit just above your true vocal folds. They’re not always involved in producing sound, but they can become overactive, especially under stress or during certain high-effort vocal tasks. When they constrict unintentionally, they can interfere with the periodic vibration of the vocal folds - causing strain, roughness, and fatigue.

So, What Can We Do About It?

One of the most exciting tools I’ve found in helping to release this kind of tension is working with primal sounds. These are the instinctive, emotional vocalisations we all make before we even learn language—think crying, laughing, sighing, groaning, or even joyfully calling out to someone. These sounds are expressive, spontaneous, and often bypass the critical, overthinking part of the brain. When we tap into these primal sounds in the voice studio, something special happens. The voice becomes freer, more responsive, and often - less strained.

The Science Behind It

Research suggests that primal sounds may help retrain how the body responds under pressure. Performance anxiety, for instance, is a known trigger for FVF constriction. Primal sounds - rooted in authentic emotional expression - may engage deeper parts of the brain involved in emotion and automatic vocal response, helping override habits of tension.

There’s even evidence that humming and other low-effort primal sounds can reduce supraglottic tension (including FVF constriction), which can reduce vocal roughness.

A Word on Style and Choice

Not all false fold constriction is 'bad.' In some singing styles, that gritty texture is part of the artistic identity. The key is choice. Are you using that texture intentionally? Or is your voice working harder than it needs to without you realising it?

Final Thoughts

In a world full of technique, drills, and perfectionism, primal sounds offer us a reset button—a way to reconnect to our voice in its most natural, expressive form of communication. And really, what we're trying to do when singing a song, delivering a monologue or giving a presentation, is communicate. Whether you're a singer, a public speaker, or just someone curious about how voice works, tapping into these instinctive sounds can open new doors in both freedom and control.

Whenever experimenting with new sounds, technniques or vocal co-ordinations, it's best done with a professional to help guide your practice. I am a certified Estill Master Trainer with vast experience as both as voice teacher and professional vocalist. Click here to contact me and start your journey to vocal freedom.

Further Reading

Cardoso, R., Lumini-Oliveira, J. and Meneses, R.F. (2019). Associations Between Autonomic Nervous System Function, Voice, and Dysphonia: A Systematic Review. Journal of Voice, 35(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2019.07.022.

Chapman, J.L. (2017). Singing and teaching singing : a holistic approach to classical voice. San Diego, Ca: Plural Publishing.

Green, B. and Gallwey, W. Timothy (2015). The inner game of music : overcome obstacles, improve concentration and reduce nervousness to reach a new level of musical performance. London: Pan Books.

Ogawa, M., Hosokawa, K., Yoshida, M., Yoshii, T., Shiromoto, O. and Inohara, H. (2013). Immediate Effectiveness of Humming on the Supraglottic Compression in Subjects with Muscle Tension Dysphonia. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 65(3), pp.123–128. doi:https://doi.org/10.1159/000353539.

Steinhauer, K., Mary Mcdonald Klimek and Estill, J. (2017). The Estill voice model : theory and translation. Pittsburgh Estill Voice International.