Throat singing

 ( Throat Singing ) 

Some authors, performers, coaches, and listeners associate throat singing with overtone singing. Throat singing and overtone singing are not synonyms, contrary to what is indicated by some dictionaries (an example being Britannica); however, in some cases, both aspects may be present, such as in the khargyraa technique from Tuva, which uses a deep, Stiff voice, along with overtone singing.

"Singing with the throat" may be regarded as a demeaning expression to some singers, since it may imply that the singer is using a high level of effort, resulting in a forced or non-suitable voice. The word "throaty" is usually associated with a rough, raspy, breathy or hoarse voice. Despite being a term frequently used in the literature starting in the 1960s, some contemporary scholars tend to avoid using throat singing as a general term.

/ref> Besides the traditional ethnic performances, throat singing is also cultivated and explored by musicians belonging to contemporary, rock, new-age, pop, and independent music genres.

The most commonly referenced types of throat singing techniques in Musicology and ethnomusicological texts are generally associated with ancient cultures. Some of them, as the Khöömei from Mongolia, Tuva and China, and the Canto Tenore from Sardinia, are acknowledged by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

• Mongolian throat singing and Tuvan throat singing is a form of singing comprising several techniques; it is practiced in Mongolia and the Republic of Tuva, belonging to the Russian Federation,
  Sven Grawunder (2025). 9783865969958, Frank & Timme. ISBN 9783865969958
  Theodore Levin (2025). 9780253045027, Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253045027
  and in China.
• , found in some monasteries in India (Tibetan exiled communities) and Tibet, sometimes involve vocal-ventricular phonation; that is, combined vibrations of the vocal folds and the ventricular folds, achieving low pitches.
• Inuit throat singing is a type of duet used in contests; it is practiced by the Inuit of Canada.
• Rekuhkara is a practice formerly done by the Ainu people ethnic group of Hokkaidō Island, Japan.
• Canto a tenore, or Sardinian throat singing, is found in Sardinia.
  Paolo Mercurio (2025). 9788868850135, Narcissus. ISBN 9788868850135
  A similar polyphonic singing in Corsica known as Paghjella exists, however it doesn't involve throat singing.

In musically related terms, throat singing refers to the following specific techniques, among others:

• Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, or harmonic singing. This is the singing style more commonly associated with throat singing.
  Sven Grawunder (2025). 9781876346485, UAB. ISBN 9781876346485
• Undertone singing, which involves techniques that comprise subharmonics. It is generated by the combined vibrations of parts of the singing apparatus at a certain frequency and frequencies that correspond to integer divisions of such frequency, such as 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4 ratios.
• Diplophonia, which includes techniques that consist of parts of the singing apparatus vibrating at non-integer ratios and which are usually regarded as associated with pathological processes.
• Growling voice consists of a technique of growling, which employs structures of the vocal apparatus located above the larynx, vibrating at the same time as the Vocal cords, particularly the aryepiglottic folds.
• Vocal fry
  Geoff Lindsey (2025). 9783030043568, Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783030043568
  is a technique associated to vocal fry register.

• Kargyraa.mp3
• Khoomei.mp3
• Sound samples, by Leonardo Fuks, at the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

• Tuvan throat singing
• List of overtone musicians
• Cantu a tenore

• Encyclopedia Britannica definition
• Throat Singing in Kangirsuk, a 2019 Canadian short documentary film
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• Webpage from Tran Quang Hai , one of the main and pioneer throat singing performers and researchers in the world, named "Tran Quang Hai's World Throat Singing"