Vocal: Posture

Posture
Good posture is essential for a singer. Quite apart from wanting to appear, and feel, poised and confident in front of an audience, there are technical reasons why good posture is the most fundamental requirement in singing. What is good posture? Good posture is optimal vertical alignment of the various parts of the body, with minimum tension. A concept used in jazz and ballet is that of having an imaginary string attached to the top of the head. The string pulls straight up, causing head, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles to become vertically aligned. A similar result is sought by the Alexander Technique's 'forward and up' direction for the head. We want the body to be erect, but as relaxed as possible. For singing, the sternum is also slightly lifted to expand and elevate the ribcage, and rotate the lowest ribs downward and outward. Probably the most common student faults are a forward slump of the shoulders and sternum, which collapses the ribcage, and elevation of the chin, which pulls the larynx out of position. Why is it important? Three reasons: 1) Correct vertical alignment with minimum tension leaves the vocal mechanism (the larynx and surrounding musculature) in as relaxed a state as possible. The larynx is suspended in a web of muscles which are attached to the skull and chin above, and the sternum and collar-bones below. Any unusual tension or alteration in the position of these muscles (such as lifting the chin) affects the functioning of the larynx itself. 2) Having the ribcage lifted and expanded frees the diaphragm to contract and descend as fully as possible with a minimum of resistance. This means you get a maximum inhalation with the least possible strain, and your breathing is as swift, easy and silent as possible. 3) Having the ribcage lifted is also optimal for the contraction of the oblique abdominal muscles and internal intercostal muscles. In combination with the natural elasticity of the ribcage, these muscles exert pressure upon the contents of the torso, and give the singer control of the air pressure being applied to the vocal cords. This control of air pressure is sometimes referred to as 'Support'. How do I teach good posture? Good posture is crucial because without it, the singer cannot breathe or support efficiently. I use demonstration, some simple exercises and continuous feedback to encourage the singer to adopt good posture. The student's best friend while working on this area is a mirror and/or video camera with which to monitor themselves, in addition to the teacher's correction and feedback, and all of these are provided in my studio.

Vocal Lesson 3: Breathing

What is proper breathing? Breathing must be swift (sometimes a piece doesn't allow much time to take breath) and quiet (the sound of a singer gasping for air is distracting for the audience). In addition, breathing must involve minimum disturbance of a balanced, relaxed posture. The mechanism of breathing To induce air to enter the lungs, the air pressure inside them must be reduced. This is done by expanding the lungs themselves, which are elastic and attached to the inside of the ribcage and to the diaphragm at its base. Any expansion of the space within the ribcage causes an increase in the space within the lungs: lifting the sternum, expanding the ribs or lowering the diaphragm all expand the lungs, and therefore decrease the air pressure within them, causing an inflow of air. Breathing for singing Good posture for singing already includes a lifted sternum and expanded ribcage, therefore for singing purposes the diaphragm is the chief muscle of inhalation. The diaphragm is a domeshaped horizontal muscle attached to the spine, the ribs and the sternum. When it contracts it descends, decreasing pressure in the lungs and causing air to flow in. Due to displacement of the liver, stomach, etc. by the descending diaphragm, the abdominal wall tends to protrude forward slightly, and maximum descent of the diaphragm is accomplished by allowing it to do so, leaving the abdominal muscles relaxed. This is called "diaphragmatic breathing", and you can satisfy yourself as to the naturalness of this way of breathing by lying on your back and simply observing how the breathing mechanism behaves when you are completely relaxed. Exhalation can be accomplished by elasticity alone. All of the body parts described have a natural tendency to return to their original position, including the lungs themselves. However, singing demands greater levels of air pressure, and greater control of those levels, than speech. The internal intercostal muscles, in combination with the oblique abdominal muscles, are able to contract progressively and, with practice, provide this fine control of air pressure in the lungs. This control of air pressure is called 'Support'. How do I teach proper breathing? New students in my studio are often startled, within a few lessons, by being requested to lie down on the floor. In this position, the natural breathing mechanism of the body at rest can be observed. Getting that same mechanism functioning in an upright position can take minutes, or weeks, depending upon the student. I use a number of exercises to help those in difficulty, including yoga-type breath-counting exercises, breath suspension without closing the glottis, and the support of a convenient wall as an intermediate step. Good posture is a prerequisite, as is the ability to relax the abdominal muscles (sometimes a problem for dancers).

Tips for Ensuring Good Posture during warm up practice include:

Sing with head in balance with base of spine, eyes looking straight ahead. Keep balance on balls of feet, rather than heels, this relieves pressure from base of spine, keeps pelvis aligned. Stand with feet in line with shoulders

Warm-ups should take between 15 and 30 minutes in the morning, take small breaks and drink water. Useful points to note include:

Practice in front of a full length mirror, where ones posture and breathing technique can be watched. (Put one hand on side of ribcage and the other hand over diaphragm) Record sung scales to practice. Audacity is free recording computer software. Online scales in different keys that can be saved are availabe at Vocalist.org and Sam West, a vocal coach, has vocal exercises and scales that can be downloaded. Try to train the mind to relax, use imagery technique. Have a glass of water handy. (It is recommended to drink 6 to 8 glasses a day to keep hydrated)

The Handbook for Working Singers by Roma Waterman, Published by Schirmer Trade Books, (ISBN 0825673291) covers good practice techniques in more detail, and includes tips for singing in a choir, live work and for recording sessions.
Types of warm-ups

Breathing Warm up exercises are used to control and support airflow and to build-up the diaphragm using abdominal breathing. Breathe in deeply and make ssh sound as you exhale, as if blowing out a candle. Do this exercise three times, then use vvv sound, repeat three times. Then use zzz sound, repeating this technique three times. Vibration Warm ups are for exercising the vocal cords and include: humming scales and using Vee, and Oo sounds going up and down the scale. Resonance warm ups are used to facilitate vocal delivery. For Chest resonance try a dark angry shout (operatic sound) scale. For mouth resonance sing an Aah sound up and down the scale. For Head Resonance sing a Far Away Shout scale. For Nasal Resonance try a nasally na, na, na, na, na, scale (this is used alone used for character voices, but normally is blended with Head Resonance). Resonance exercises are useful in placement techniques where the different resonances are used to change vocal tone.
Scale Warm ups

Agility Scales used to expand range. (Increasing interval scales and Octave Scales) Arpeggios the notes of a musical chord are sung separately but quickly one after the other Chromatic Scales - notes ascend and descend in semitone (half step) intervals

Legato Scales Smooth, flowing Staccato Scales Short, detached notes Legato & Staccato Scales combination of smooth and detached notes

Singing World has online music tutors that use internet facilities so lessons can be taught online. If you find you have a problem with a dry mouth due to nerves or having to take antihistamines or from travelling a Dry Mouth Mixture of 30 ml glycerine, 10 ml aloe vera juice and 10 ml honey placed in a small spray bottle, shaken well and sprayed into the mouth can be useful.

How to Maintain Good Posture for Vocal Exercise

By an eHow Contributor

Singing well is somewhat of a mystery to the general public. Many people say they can't sing, even though they're perfectly able. Learning proper singing technique is a great way to reduce this anxiety and to help discover a good singing voice. Vocal exercises are a great way to improve your voice, but you'll need to maintain good posture while doing them to get results.

Instructions
1. Sit on a firm, but comfortable seat. Couches are too mushy to support good posture during vocal exercises, so look for something like a stool or a piano bench. 2. Position your knees above your ankles and your shoulders above your hips. Each part of your body should help support its weight. Avoid leaning forward or backward, as this throws you off balance and ruins your posture. 3. Hold your head high, but don't push your chin out or into your chest. Think about placing your chin on a table parallel to the ground to find its correct position. 4. Relax your shoulders and allow them to drop down and back. This not only gives your ribcage room to expand, but it also prevents your jaw and neck muscles from tensing up during the vocal exercises. 5. Raise your chest so your ribcage tilts backward, opening up your abdomen. This creates space for your diaphragm to move and draw air into the lungs, which is crucial to controlling your breathing. 6. Let your arms hang loose at your sides. If you're tense, shake them out and then allow them to relax.

Vocal Training Warrior

Correct Posture for Singers, Public Speakers, Actors and All People. Vocal Training Warrior: Vocal Training, Voice Lessons, Singers Voice Lessons, Speakers Vocal Training, Actors Vocal Training, Home Recording Studios, Quality Microphones, Podcasting, Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises, Clear Diction Exercises, Vocal Training Videos, Vocal Training E-books. Before we can Breathe, Sing, Speak or just walk around, we need to create good posture in our body. Good posture is demonstrated when your body is standing straight up with no "hunch back." Imagine standing or walking while balancing a book on your head and this will create the effect I am talking about. This type of posture provides a few positive things for you. The most important result is an open Lower Abdominal Cage so you can consistently inhale a full breath and an Erect Stance that communicates to others that you are Confident and Positive. Posture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The word "posture" is derived from the latin verb "ponere" which is defined as "to put or place." The general concept of human posture refers to "the carriage of the body as a whole, the attitude of the body, or the position of the limbs (the arms and legs)." Good posture is the stance which is attained, "when the joints are not bent and the spine is aligned and not twisted." In this position, a person is thus able to completely and optimally attain balance and proportion of the body mass and framework. Good posture optimizes breathing and affects the circulation of bodily fluids. Padmasana or the Lotus Position is a central stance in yoga which is used to enhance breathing through good posture. The word padmasana is a combination of the sanskrit words padma (lotus) and asana (posture). During my 26 years of private coaching Singing Voices in all styles, directing Choirs, working with Rock and Pop vocalists and coaching Public Speakers and Actors, here is one simple physical attribute which is often lacking and can easily be improved. That is the performance of Correct Posture. When I make mention of the need to improve to many students when I see they have bad posture, I often get that "look" like "are you kidding?" No, I am not. How often do you see people when you are out and about walking around that are walking, sitting or standing with dropped shoulders, a slouched back and a dropped chin with the head tilted forward? Be honest about how you perceive somebody like this. Does this person appear confident, happy, interesting, important, friendly or approachable? Are they somebody you would like to get to know? Probably not. How about taking a personal inventory of yourself, because maybe you are doing the same thing. When was the last time that you watched yourself walk, stand or sit. I suggest that you do and if your posture is not good, make some changes. Because, if this condition is unchanged, it can become a permanent condition as we age.

For Singers, Speakers and Actors, it is even more critical that the body perform good posture. It is not only for the prior mentioned important reasons; it is also because it is more difficult to breathe properly when our abdominal cage is compressed and not erect. Try this. To breathe correctly, you should know that the style of belly breathing is the correct one. This is when your lower abdomen is extended when you inhale oxygen. Try to do this with slouched posture. You will find that you cant extend your abdomen as far. If you straighten up, you will be able to. As you will learn in my book Singing and Speaking on the Edge of a Grunt, the amount of oxygen we breathe in and the position of our abdomen prior to coordinating our abdominal muscles to expel the air in a controlled and power manner is probably the most critical aspect of singing of speaking properly. Lets first define good posture.

Do you remember the old technique that was used by models to work on their posture as they were told to walk while balancing a book on their head? The truth is that this "old" technique is still a "great" technique. Try it. Stand in front of a full-length mirror, put a book on your head and try to stand and walk. Its a real challenge, isnt it? While you are doing this, look at how your body responds and creates good posture. Dont you look great? Sure you do. The trick is to file away this memory into your subconscious so that it becomes an automatic way of presenting yourself and not a conscious way that you always have to think of. That can only be accomplished through dedicated practice. What is good posture? Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities. Proper posture: 1) Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly. 2) Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis. 3) Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together. 4) Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions. 5) Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy. 6) Prevents strain or overuse problems. 7) Prevents backache and muscular pain. 8)Contributes to a good appearance.

What contributes to bad posture? 1) Bad attitude 2) Obesity 3) Depression 4) Lack of Confidence 5) Pregnancy 6) Weak muscles 7) High-heeled shoes 8)Tight muscles; decreased flexibility 9) Poor work environment 10) Poor sitting and standing habits Lets review the negative aspects of performing poor posture. 1) You look ill 2) You look depressed 3) You dont appear confident 4) You do not appear approachable 5) You look shy Lets review the positive aspects of performing good posture. 1) You look confident 2) You look happy 3) You look approachable 4) You look healthy Correct posture is obviously a very important part of presenting yourself. Think of all the things we do that will be affected. 1) Talking with your boss or co-workers with personal power. 2) Speaking to one person or a group with confidence. 3) Singing or performing in general with confident energy. 4) Standing or walking with confidence. 5) Communicating to others that your are approachable.