When I teach my voice classes and lessons, many students comment on how surprised they are to notice a difference in their sound simply from changing the position in which they are standing. Voice, as it is a physical instrument is strongly influenced by our posture. With the amount of time that we spend at computer screens, it is not surprising that many of us are developing negative posture habits. These are things we need to fix when we begin singing.
There are three great benefits to maintaining a strong singing posture:
- You create more space in your torso, which allows for better, lower breathing. This establishes better control over your sound. This is why it is important to keep your chest high and your shoulders down. Breath should fill the body from the belly up and it is harder to do this when your shoulders are hunched forward.
- You are more balanced, which helps the body focus on breathing rather than keeping yourself upright. This is why keeping one foot slightly in front of the other, and your spine lengthened. When you have a stronger balance, you are more likely to keep less tension in your body. Lack of tension = better sound.
- You present a more powerful image and message to your audience. Think of it this way, if you saw someone come out on stage with their shoulders hunched forward and their head down (and they weren’t performing a song by a character depicted as an old crone) what would your first impression be?
So the next time you are getting ready to sing, check your posture. Are you getting the most out of your position?
And for more information on this, stay tuned. I have been working on a free video course that will be available for people to access to get started on their singing journey. The series will be geared toward beginners who are thinking about lessons, but not quite ready yet. So keep a look out!
In Song,
Tim
TMWC Music Studio 