# Tuvan Throat Singing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 22, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063 "2016-06-22T17:27:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/21 "2016-06-24T22:18:29Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > In one episode of the Big Bang Theory, Sheldon attempts to to coerce Leonard to take him on a trip to Switzerland by invoking the dread Roommate Agreement: that he had complied by not practicing his Tuvan Throat Singing, so Leonard owed him. He then croaks a deep reedy didgeridoo sound that practically vibrates the building. I don’t know if he actually did it or they had somebody overdub, but I had to look it up. > > Turns out Mongolians have lots of open space and use all that countryside as sounding boards for their singing, so those elongated croaks can be heard for miles. Plus, there’s at least 8 styles. The Khoomei style produces a harmonic that sounds like a distant whistle, along with the grumbling bass notes. This [particular throat singer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx8hrhBZJ98) uses several of them, and it’s incredible. He has a range of at least 5 octaves. Now I wanna learn how to do it. 🙂 Check out this film about blind American Paul Pena … [http://www.genghisblues.com/](http://www.genghisblues.com/) I was fortunate to see/hear Hun Huur Tu (spelling?) in Anchorage, AK once. It was awesome. Whoops. I see upthread that Genghis Blues is already mentioned. So, watch it already 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/22 "2016-06-24T22:23:40Z")
I’m not very good at making the harmonics. I would like to be better. My efforts to practice are not appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/23 "2016-06-25T04:46:02Z")
Tibetan monks do the same thing. As do Mongolian monks. Tuva’s are a “cousin” of Mongolians or a sub set or something. Among the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had, was being in Tibet. Middle of freakin’ no where that took forever to reach, 10 - 13,000 feet in elevation, no road, no electricity, big brass horns booming out in the pre dawn dark with the most brilliant stars, hearing monks for their different huts waking and going to the great prayer hall, lit by hundreds of yak butter lamps, steam rising from the monks mouths as they chanted doing the throat thing, more steam from their closely cropped heads, and being completely mesmerized as dawn slowly broke across the high mountain valley. I was fortunate enough to experience this a few dozen times. Indescribable and incredibly awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/24 "2016-06-25T05:57:26Z")
And of course there is [Baby Gramps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWsNbk7TrKE). ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/25 "2016-06-25T11:13:11Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Tibetan monks do the same thing. As do Mongolian monks. Tuva’s are a “cousin” of Mongolians or a sub set or something. > > Among the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had, was being in Tibet. Middle of freakin’ no where that took forever to reach, 10 - 13,000 feet in elevation, no road, no electricity, big brass horns booming out in the pre dawn dark with the most brilliant stars, hearing monks for their different huts waking and going to the great prayer hall, lit by hundreds of yak butter lamps, steam rising from the monks mouths as they chanted doing the throat thing, more steam from their closely cropped heads, and being completely mesmerized as dawn slowly broke across the high mountain valley. I was fortunate enough to experience this a few dozen times. Indescribable and incredibly awesome. That sounds incredibly Wow. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/26 "2016-06-27T05:15:40Z")
pretty much. 😉 Ahhh, a most magical time in my youth. Still achievable but these days you can fly in to a lot of the places I visited, and I guarantee that 30 years later you won’t be the first white boy in them parts. I just loved the monastaries. Hiking from one to another through desolate uninhabited high elevation hill country with the odd nomad camp or small village in between. No wonder they figured out the throat singing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/27 "2016-06-27T18:49:46Z")
I saw what was claimed to be the first performance by a Tuvan throat singer in the United States – this would have been at the Smithsonian in DC back in the late 80s. It (he – was one guy whose name I don’t recall) was amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/28 "2016-06-27T20:46:33Z")
[Heck, I even like this version of Amazing Grace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO4Uh-Mini4) performed by a little girl in her bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/29 "2016-07-04T03:49:32Z")
I would love to learn how to do this! I’ve watched YouTube videos and I just don’t understand enough about music and my own vocal anatomy to understand the instructions. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/30 "2016-07-04T19:09:42Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Huun-Huur-Tu. I saw the them live in central Indiana. Worth every mile I drove there and back. Their rendition of a night by a campfire gave me goosebumps. Lucky! I really like Huun-Huur-Tu. A couple of the songs on the Orphan’s Lament album (Eki Attar and Aa-Shuu Dekei-oo) are my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063/31 "2016-07-07T23:25:01Z")
A selection from David Hykes & The Harmonic Choir - good example of ‘overtone singing’. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dBAF27BeTg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuvan-throat-singing/758063.md?page=1)