Should My Larynx Move When I Sing?

YES!

Last week (July 14th - 18th 2025), I spent an amazing week in the presence of Anne-Marie Speed at the Royal Academy of Music. I love the weeks I spend in her presence; her enthusiasm and passion for vocal work is contagious. You cannot help but feel inspired and encouraged just by being in a room with her.

Once again however, I was astonished by the number of people who have been told by vocal teachers/singing teachers and other voice coaches that their larynx should not move. This also seems to rile Anne-Marie!

I decided to conduct a simple Google search to see just how prevelant this advice is to voice users, as this is not something I had ever come across in my own training. What I found was staggering! The advise being peddaled, seems to be based on nothing more than vague metaphors and misunderstanding of voice use and anatomy.

Then I thought about the number of people doing a Google search to find information to help themselves become more confident or better voice users!

This is devastating! Like all muscle systems in the body; movement is key to appropriate and safe use of the larynx. It is made up of different parts, all of which have different types of movement. Without movement you have no control over your voice, what you produce in the way of sound and how to control the sound you produce.

Anatomy of the Larynx

• True Vocal Folds

• False Vocal Folds

• Thyroid Cartilage

• Cricoid Cartilage

• Aryepiglottic Sphincter

• Tongue

Larynx

I think part of the problem that comes with the ideas of a non moving larynx is that people confuse stabilising your movements - having consistency and control, with having a stable - non-moving larynx. This causes confusion, misunderstanding and eventually pain and discomfort when singing or speaking. All voice users should be aware of the difference and clarification of the use of voice anatomy.

Different Larynx Positions

Changing vocal tract length provides us with a variety of qualities for speech and song.

• Low Larynx provides a darker colour and emotion. Used for Operatic singing

• Mid Larynx position is a feature of Speech quality

• High Larynx creates a bright tone and is used for projection, a particularly clear feature of Twang and Belt qualities.

When singing, all of these movements are key, we do not stay in one position. When we change pitch, or vocal quality within a song, our Larynx changes position, this is not only inevitable, but essential.

I do not criticise the individual teachers who are telling people that their Larynx should not move, they are only teaching as they have been taught. We know what we know. However, I do criticise the methodologies that are perpetuating this by continuing to teach the teachers this misinformation. There is enough freely available information about the anatomy of our voices to correct these misunderstandings.

Anyone who is keen to develop their understanding should be exploring and investigating the physiological aspects of their voices. Vague metaphors and instructions such as "just be louder" are not constructive or useful for voice users whether they are professionals or amateurs. Once we understand how something works, we can begin to understand how to control and manipulate the outcomes we want.

Don't beat yourself up for not knowing something, just go out there and educate yourself so you can do better in the future!