CHOOMEJ - Singing in Overtones.

CHOOMEJ - Singing in Overtones.

    In Tuva and in Mongolia there are two famous bands which are well-known throughout the world for their excellency in khoomei, the siberian way of singing overtones - Huun Huur Tu and Egschiglen. Khoomei is traditional in central siberia and there are many styles and songs known. In europe Stockhausen developed the vocalic style of singing overtones, which emphasizes the formants in the various vocals of our langauge. Michael Vetter and Christian Bollmann are the most famous Masters of these technic. Both styles, the european (or western) and the siberian have their own characteristics. I am practicing the siberian khoomei and only use occasionally the western styles.

    Steve Sklars pages on khoomei and overtone singing are very good for learning on the physics and the technic of singing in overtones. Another starting point for research is the Site of the Friends of Tuva. Please refer to these pages when you want to learn khoomei. There is no necessity to do things twice. One technical hint I am giving here, however: It is said to learn Khoomej you should stand in front of a waterfall and listen to the waters roar. The nature is full of overtones. Every bird singing is using the natural overtones, the wind singing somewhere does it in overtones. Everywhere you can encounter them. An easy musical instrument - the jew´s harp - can be utilized to learn various positions of the tongue to produce some overtones. The monochord (or a synthesizer) can be used to make the overtones audible. Of course you have to practice the khoomei style, as any other musical instrument, too. Attending a seminar on overtone-singing is just the beginning.

    A second voice can be heard over the first, the base-voice. It is said that this voice is the spirits voice, through which the spirits get into contact with us. It is a bridge between our world and the world of the spirits, made audible.

    Those among us actually singing khoomei will agree on the following facts: The awareness is being influenced strongly by singing khoomei or overtones. Physically and physiologically this can be explained by the sinus-wave of the overtone vibrating in the entire body-structure of the singer - the bones, the blood, the muscles, the brain. Neurotransmitting substances are being influenced and intensifying awareness and even hallucinogen effects can be experienced during and after singing overtones. This effect is similar to the effects of monotoneous drumming, but much more intense. Singing Khoomei influences our awareness - a clear entheogen effect, without use of any mind-altering substances. Synesthesia and other hallucinatoric effects are common. Therefore a warning: Never drive a car after singing overtones. Green colors can in reality be red colors and so on. Stay away from those activites until you earthened the energies by a meal or a walk.

    There exists many various styles and techniques of chomej. I have taped two styles as mp3 to demonstrate two of the significant styles, known to most people, fascinated by chomej. The first example is sung in sygyt, the whistling style. Hearing the example explains why it is called 'whistling'. The other two examples are sung in kargyraa. In Example 1 and Example 2 you can hear even three voices overlaying. Kargyraa produces the deepest tones the human voice apparatus can create.

    Shamans which use overtones in their technical repertoir are extremely individualistic in utlizing them. It depends on the spirits, the traditions and surroundings of the shaman using them. You can use overtones for healing, to call the spirits, to interact with them, as a medium for your intention, to bannish, calm down or cleansing, as a energizer or way of consecration, as musical entertainment and form of art.

    The vocalic overtone technic is a part of central european traditional magic´s secret lore of the power of voice and vibration. Israel Regardies recorded attempt to emphasize the formants in vocals of divine names proofs a secret transmission among the ceremonial magicians. The vocals a,e,i,o,u were and are holy for the practical cabbalist and in the hebrew scripture these vocals are only hinted as dots over and under the consonants.

     At last I want to share three examples of my own overtone singing. The first one is a meditation in Sygyt-style and the second one another one in Kargyraa-style, mixed occasionally with another style. Both were recorded at a concert in a church with excellent acoustics. All three examples are part of my power-songs.

sygyt meditation
kargyraa meditation
A shamanic session