David's Tip of the Day: Parts of the Tongue, Part 6 - Root

The root of the tongue and pharynx walls are what move in the vibrato process. The tongue needs to be in a relaxed state as to allow the tremolo action of the throat (vocal folds) to move the tongue sympathetically... this is why it's important not to use tension in the bending process as one advances in their skills.

The root of the tongue is also used for ultra-low bending. As the wave-like action of the tongue moves the constriction spot of the bend further back in the mouth, the root of the tongue raises for the deepest point of the bend. The root should only be used at the very end of the process... if it's raised too early, the bend will jump to the bottom without any control of the bend that lies between the natural note and fully-bent note.