# Singing 2 Notes At Once **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 7, 2000, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-2-notes-at-once/24853 "2000-07-07T14:23:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![another\_ian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@another\_ian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/another_ian)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2000, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-2-notes-at-once/24853/1 "2000-07-07T14:23:56Z")
I am horrified to have uncovered what is doubtless Cecil’s only fallibility. His answer to Doug B.'s question on whether it’s possible to sing more than one note at once ( [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_078b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_078b.html) ) stands in frightful ignorance of the Andean (as well, I think, as elsewhereian) process of throat-singing, a mysterious (to me, at least) way of projecting from the larynx a loud drone accompanied by a variable-but-inflexible second tone. Recordings of it are commercially available, & if you can’t find 'em, you can check out “Go To Sleep” on Dan Bern’s (now Bernstein) eponymous debut LP. I once heard the aforementioned, in an interview on the Vin Skelsa (sp?) show claim to have heard throat-singers produce three and even four tones at once. My remarkably limitted understanding of the process is that it has nothing to do with the dual-vox-box theory Cecil mentions, but rather some bizarre way of separating the overtones from the original sound, & projecting one of them loudly – this sounds impossible to me, but I know nothing. Anyhow, I’d like to send this off to Cecil, in hopes of seeing my name writ gilded in his hallowed weekly, but, alas & alack!, have got neither his mailing address nor the computerial facility to present myself via dusty email. If anyone can help, I’m much obliged in prospect. “He had never bitten a woman before.” – Henry Miller ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-2-notes-at-once/24853/2 "2000-07-07T15:02:34Z")
The column can also be found on pages 78-79 of Cecil Adams’ book “[_The Straight Dope_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)”. As **another\_ian** mentioned, throat-singing is not limited to the Andes. From the liner notes to the album “_Musique et chants de tradition populaire: Mongolie_” (GREM G 7511), a description of one of the mongolian vocal techniques: > [@](#): > > _Khöömiylakh_, which is the technique of producing vocal harmonics (…) This most unusual technique, which takes the human voice to its limits, entails the production of two sounds: a drone or fundamental that is rich in harmonics and reminiscent of the Jew’s harp (the reason why this technique is also known as «Jew’s harp voice») over which a high pitched flute-like sound is superimposed. This technique is strenuous for the performer, who must tauten his muscles and swell his cheeks. Different sounds are obtained by varying the air pressure across the vocal cords, the volume of the mouth cavity, and tongue placement. In this way, variable pitch harmonics are produced to form the melody. The fundamental is produced in the back of the throat, passing through the mouth, and exiting through the slightly parted lips and to a lesser extent through the nose. In order to produce special sound effects, there are four basic variations which the Mongols call _taqnayn khöömiy_ (tongue turned downwards), _khamryn kheemi_ (through the nose), _khööloin khöömiy_ (through the throat), and _tseesni khendi_ (abdominal). Upon mastering all the variations of vocal technique, the performer can imitate and reproduce any melody without the help of a musical instrument. _Khöömiylakh_ can be executed alone or in alternation with _khailakh_ (note by Arnold Winkelried: khailah is the production of a strained, guttural voice). The technique of producing vocal harmonics is most common among the people of Tchandmans (the region of Khovd). Liner notes by Xavier Bellenger. English translation by Michael Vogel. The collection «L’aventure du monde par les sons» is directed by Xavier Bellenger and P. Flambeaux. I wouldn’t call this an example of “Cecil’s only fallibility”, after all he did say “_it’s also possible for some people to control their vocal folds to sing two pitches intentionally._” ---
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-2-notes-at-once/24853/3 "2000-07-07T21:22:03Z")
Also covered in a [General Questions](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=23929) thread. ---
**Author:** ![Beruang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@Beruang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beruang)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-2-notes-at-once/24853/4 "2000-07-08T15:01:03Z")
Scientific American, I believe, had an article on this a couple years back. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2000, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-2-notes-at-once/24853/5 "2000-07-08T17:20:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by another\_ian \* > **I am horrified to have uncovered what is doubtless Cecil’s only fallibility. His answer to Doug B.'s question on whether it’s possible to sing more than one note at once ( [Throat singing URL](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_078b.html) ) stands in frightful ignorance of the Andean (as well, I think, as elsewhereian) process of throat-singing,** So, are you saying that his fallibility is in not including information about throat singing? Not including all you know in an answer is not necessarily a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-2-notes-at-once/24853/6 "2000-07-11T00:16:41Z")
Well at least he didn’t title the thread “Cecil was WRONG about Throat Singing!!!” ---
**Author:** ![DavisMcDavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@DavisMcDavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavisMcDavis)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2000, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singing-2-notes-at-once/24853/7 "2000-07-11T04:23:16Z")
I saw some guy doing this before the Academy Awards on some pre-show. One of the nominees for Best Documentary feature this year was “Ghengis Blues” which is about throat singing, and some guy from the movie came to the awards. I haven’t seen the actual movie, but when the guy sang on TV it sounded NUTS. The people who throat sing are from “Tuva,” wherever that is.