Singing with Good Posture
Singing with Good Posture
There are many ways to implement good posture while singing. At Peabody Conservatory we were taught Alexander Technique as a way to implement healthy standing and walking. Alexander Technique encourages a healthy stacking of your bones to realign posture and avoid unnecessary tension in your muscles. One of the biggest lessons I learned from Alexander Technique was that tension is EVERYWHERE in your body and if you are not mindful of it, it can wreak havoc on your voice. Usually tension in the voice starts with unhealthy singing posture. If you can find a relatively healthy way to stand, you can make huge improvements in your voice.
Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t think good posture throughout the day is easy, but at least you can take comfort in the fact that when you are singing, you have to stand correctly and in turn, you might see improvement in your overall posture. Here are some tips to start!
Take a minute to stretch in a way that makes you feel good! Yoga stretches and Pilates are great ways to do this. Having any kind of healthy exercise routine can really get you closer to good posture.
- Practice good posture in front of a mirror so you can see your whole body. Good posture is a kind of subtle dance you perform when you sing. A professional dancer would never practice a new routine without checking themselves in a mirror. You should do the same.
- Once you are loose, stand with your feet firmly planted on the floor, hip width distance apart.
- Find where your ribs meet on the front of your body and lift them up! That area on the front of your ribcage is called your Sternum. It should feel like the front of your chest is lifted up when you do this.
- Let your shoulders rest over that lifted space. Your shoulders should drape slightly back and feel heavy. Not engaged.
- Check if you are locking your knees. If they are locked, bend them slightly and then re-lift your rib cage. If you lock your knees for too long you can make yourself pass out, so please be mindful of this!
- Your pelvis should be slightly tucked in.
- Check in with your neck and pretend that you have a string lifting up the back of your head to elongate your spine. Your neck should be straight with your spine.
- Your chin should be level. Not too high and not too low. Find an eye level point in the room to look at so your chin stays level while you sing. Lifting your chin up and down will not help you sing those low and high notes! It will only create a bunch of tension in your neck.
Now you are hopefully standing with good posture. Are you uncomfortable? If the answer is yes, then this is something you will need to practice and that is ok! Creating good posture while you sing takes time and dedication. Your muscles might need to get stronger and you might have to cultivate more mindfulness in your body before you can sing and stand correctly at the same time. As a singer, your body is your instrument, so the time you invest in making your body comfortable and ready to sing is worth it! A healthy, happy voice comes from a body that is relaxed and correctly aligned. Enjoy and appreciate this body awareness every time you sing!