Singing – The Importance Of Posture

Christopher Anderson-West teaches individual Voice Lessons, as well as a weekly group Singing Class and a class on Musicianship For Singers, at Raise The Barre dance studio.

Here is an interesting article from takelessons on posture for singers. In my Group Singing Class, that will be commencing on Wednesdays at Raise The Barre dance studio, we will be exploring the importance of your body and posture. There is something to learn, and keep learning, for everybody here as we cannot watch ourselves perform … your posture and the way you use your body have a very direct effect on the sounds you produce. Enjoy!

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Before you learn how to breathe, sing, or play any kind of instrument correctly, you need to ensure that you’re creating the proper posture with your body. New singers frequently make the mistake of thinking that singing starts with controlling the vocal cords – those hard-working vocal folds we love to exhaust – but the secret to great singing is understanding how to use your whole body effectively. This starts with proper singing posture, enhanced by correct breathing techniques, and then further clarified by the use of almost every other body part.

As a singer, you need to realize that you, in fact, are your instrument. In this article we will explore the importance of having proper singing posture, and also share a few tips on how you can improve your posture at home.

Why is Singing Posture so Important?
Proper posture is probably the most common trait that most singers lack in their early years. Making a few minor changes to your singing posture will result in an instant improvement of your singing voice. Good posture can be defined as the stance achieved that allows for an aligned spine (not twisted) and joints that are not bent.  Not only does proper singing posture enhance your breathing, but it also optimizes it – resulting in a better-sounding voice. To help you understand, here’s a quick exercise to try:

1. Practice breathing from your diaphragm or tummy – this means that your lower abdomen should expand when you inhale.
2. Breathe this way while straightening your spine.
3. Now try the same style of breathing, while adopting a more slouched posture.

While slouching, you’ll find that your tummy can’t expand as far as it could initially. This ability to optimize the intake of oxygen is extremely important for singers.

What is Good Singing Posture?
There are a few key components that make up good singing posture. Most new singers think that they don’t have any sort of posture-related issues – it’s not just about performance confidence, this is actually basic anatomy. Believe it or not, the positioning of your head, hands, arms, chest, abdomen, feet, and even knees play a part in improving your voice’s quality.

Take a minute to evaluate your singing posture and ask yourself: are both of my feet planted steadily on the ground? Are my shoulders relaxed? Is my spine straight? If you’ve answered “Yes” to these three questions, then you’re already off to a great start – but there’s still much more. Here’s a more detailed checklist to help you get your singing posture just right:

• Starting from the top, your chin should be parallel to the floor and slightly tucked in or back.
• In an unstrained position, hold your chest high and your shoulders down or slightly back.
• Keep your tummy both firm and expandable at the same time. You will need to practice controlling these muscles while learning how to breathe using your diaphragm.
• Your hands should be relaxed and held still at your side. Keep them slightly away from your body to allow air to flow around you.
• Even if your nerves are building up, remember never to lock your knees – they should be in a loose position.
• Leaning the weight of your body slightly forward, you should stand with your feet shoulder-length apart. You can put one foot just a tiny bit in front of the other for balance.

If you’re new to the singing world, this probably sounds like a lot to digest at once, but don’t worry – once you nail the correct singing posture, you’ll become more aware of its day-to-day effect on your voice.

How can I Improve my Singing Posture?
Here are a few exercises that you can try at home to help you out:

Stand up straight against a wall:
Facing away from the wall, make your heels, calves, shoulders and head touch the wall simultaneously. Hold this position for a few minutes.

Increase your buoyancy in one position:
To understand how your weight distribution impacts your voice, stand with your feet apart, and shift your body weight until you’re nearly standing on your toes. Repeat a few times.

Expand and contract your tummy:
While standing up straight, place your hand on your tummy to ensure that your abdomen is expanding upon inhalation and relaxing when you exhale.

There you go! By perfecting your posture, you’re now on the way to improving your singing voice and optimizing your body. It won’t be easy to correct naturally slouchy posture habits, but keep practicing – the returns will be well worth it for your voice and overall image.

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Christopher Anderson-West is a conservatory trained operatic tenor and voice teacher currently living in Southern Orange County, California. Christopher is pleased to be working with Raise The Barre dance studio as a Vocal Instructor and teacher of a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers.

Christopher studied both voice and composition for five years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has had the honor of performing in England, France, Italy, China, and around the United States.

As a voice teacher, Christopher’s method is primarily based on the operatic bel canto technique; meaning “beautiful singing”. This technique is currently employed in not only opera, but virtually every form of singing from Pop, to R&B, to Broadway and more … the principles can be carried over as a basis for just about any style of singing.

Christopher’s goal is to impart a healthy vocal technique that will allow you or your child to progress confidently into whatever field of music you or they enjoy.

The Voice – a review on Team Adam’s recent acquisition

Christopher Anderson-West teaches individual Voice Lessons, as well as a weekly group Singing Class and a class on Musicianship For Singers, at Raise The Barre dance studio.

Another week and another round of singers eliminated from the hit TV show, “The Voice”. In the Battle Rounds, singers go “head to head” and the winners are selected by their coaches.

In some cases the judges’ selections seemed kind of shocking and clearly they were a result of what the coaches have seen of each singer behind the scenes (that we aren’t privy to) … as opposed to how they performed on the actual song.

In other cases it was crystal clear who won, and in only a couple it was a virtual tie … these resulted in steals; swapping singers from one coaches team to another. The “Steal of the Week” that I am going to focus on is the steal that landed Jake Barker on Team Adam’s team. The reason I am calling it the steal of the week is not so much because he was the top singer stolen (that honor goes to Britnee Camelle in my opinion) but rather that he happened to land with the PERFECT coach to fix what seems to be his most glaring issue vocally.

By adding both of these singers Team Adam looks strong moving forward. Let’s learn what we can from the technical issues that caused Jake Barker to be available for the steal in the first place.

If you listen to Jake in the video above you will hear that he has a breathy, silky-smooth delivery that reminds me somewhat of Justin Timberlake … high praise. Jake utilizes some fluid work with his runs (what is referred to as “coloratura” singing in classical technique). There are a few times where he looks a little strained in incorporating his runs into the differing style of this particular song and this resulted in him falling behind the beat a tiny bit in one spot. That, however, was extremely minor and could simply be written off as stylistic license … maybe he WANTED to play with the rhythm a bit (often referred to as “rubato” in musical circles).

What troubles me about Jake’s voice as a listener, and why I am excited about him working with Adam Levine to see how Adam tackles this issue, is his falsetto singing … or rather, his lack of a supported head voice. Since he relies on such a breathy sound the way that he achieves his high notes is by flipping into a falsetto voice (as you can hear more of in his audition below). He uses this to great effect with his runs, but at times he tends to get “pitchy” … in other words, he does not sing every note accurately on pitch.

The reason for this is what I am going to call un-supported singing. In flipping from chest voice to falsetto, and basically bypassing any head voice, Jake creates a challenge for himself in terms of supporting his sound “on the breath”. Basically, as singers, you want your sound to primarily be supported by your breath (i.e. allowing your natural breath to vibrate your relaxed vocal cords, as opposed to “muscling” the support and forcing breath through tightened vocal cords). You can see at various points in Jake’s singing that he is clearly “muscling” things by his facial expressions and strained neck muscles.

There is a time and place for everything … but a singer should be using things like straight tone (achieved by “muscling” the sound), falsetto, or other vocal affectations (even true with vibrato for certain song styles) as one of the many skills on their palate to vocally paint with. When a singer uses one of these affectations as their primary way of singing, they can run into problems.

For instance, I have been trained to sing opera and thus sing from a relaxed voice that has vibrato present all the time when I am singing in an opera. When I go to sing karaoke and select a rock song, if I were to try and sing with the exact same type of support it not only would sound ridiculous but it could actually be painful … it doesn’t FIT that song choice. So I choose a different style of support that matches the song that I am singing and support my voice in that manner … a “rock sound” is achieved with more muscling and straight tone involved. So I incorporate that style into my technique for affect … I am still coming from the core base of my usual vocal technique however. I am not “muscling” every single note of the song … if I were to do so I would be straining and missing notes (i.e. “getting pitchy”). I pick and choose where I am going to incorporate this style for effect and thus produce a rock sound that still is supported from my core technique of “on the breath singing”.

Enter Adam Levine. Listen to his hit song “Moves Like Jagger” and note how when he goes into the chorus his high notes have a stronger quality.

This is a perfect example of a seamlessly blended head voice as Adam goes up the scale on his “Mo-o-o-o-oves like Jagger” run … he does not go into a full falsetto but rather uses a head voice and falsetto mix. Adam probably could sing the high note full voiced, but he uses the mixed head voice as a stylistic expression that is part of his style and what has made him a star. He doesn’t sing like this ALL the time … he uses it as an effect. This blended head voice also allows him easier access to his full head voice and chest voice … it’s not such a drastic “flip” to and from different registers. That flip in between registers is what is very apparent to me in Jake Barker’s singing.

If Jake Barker can learn breath support from Adam, and how to blend his registers together … he could go a VERY long way in this competition, and possibly win it all. He has a lot of learning to do, however, before the proverbial horse gets in front of THAT apple cart.

Best of luck though, Jake … I truly wish you the best and hope you are able to learn all you can from the very skilled technician who is your coach!

If you would like to learn how to blend your registers, so that there is not a noticeable “break” between your registers, give me a call and we’ll set up a one-on-one voice lesson.

(949) 613-0143

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Christopher Anderson-West is a conservatory trained operatic tenor and voice teacher currently living in Southern Orange County, California. Christopher is pleased to be working with Raise The Barre dance studio as a Vocal Instructor and teacher of a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers.

Christopher studied both voice and composition for five years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has had the honor of performing in England, France, Italy, China, and around the United States.

As a voice teacher, Christopher’s method is primarily based on the operatic bel canto technique; meaning “beautiful singing”. This technique is currently employed in not only opera, but virtually every form of singing from Pop, to R&B, to Broadway and more … the principles can be carried over as a basis for just about any style of singing.

Christopher’s goal is to impart a healthy vocal technique that will allow you or your child to progress confidently into whatever field of music you or they enjoy.

Beginning Class on Musicianship For Singers

Christopher Anderson-West teaches individual Voice Lessons, as well as a weekly group Singing Class and a class on Musicianship For Singers, at Raise The Barre dance studio.

 – A change in the start date for this class occurred and thus I am re-submitting this posting with the new start date below.

Have you ever found that you really would LOVE to learn a new song? It could be to sing for a wedding, or at church, or just to have fun times with your friends at karaoke. Ultimately what you find yourself doing is listening to the song over and over, probably, and then just “parroting” what you have heard. That is fine, it certainly is one way to sing and learn music.

If any of you have watched American Idol or The Voice, you know that one of the most praised attributes of the top singers is that they really have made a song their own … how DO they do that???

If you really want to learn how to make a song your OWN, you need to learn how to read music and learn the structure of how that song is laid out.  Once you have that structure solidly in your head, THEN you can improvise and harmonize in whatever way best suits you … and still goes with the way the song has been written.

Starting on Tuesday, March 25th, I will be teaching a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers. This is a ten week class, and the person who gets the highest scores on the exams will receive a free one-hour voice lesson. The class will be taught at Raise The Barre dance studio. If you would like to reserve a spot in the class, please call: (949)340-9070.

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Christopher Anderson-West is a conservatory trained operatic tenor and voice teacher currently living in Southern Orange County, California. Christopher is pleased to be working with Raise The Barre dance studio as a Vocal Instructor and teacher of a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers.

Christopher studied both voice and composition for five years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has had the honor of performing in England, France, Italy, China, and around the United States.

As a voice teacher, Christopher’s method is primarily based on the operatic bel canto technique; meaning “beautiful singing”. This technique is currently employed in not only opera, but virtually every form of singing from Pop, to R&B, to Broadway and more … the principles can be carried over as a basis for just about any style of singing.

Christopher’s goal is to impart a healthy vocal technique that will allow you or your child to progress confidently into whatever field of music you or they enjoy.

– pic shared from Idolator.

via Beginning Class on Musicianship For Singers.

Group Singing Class

Christopher Anderson-West teaches individual Voice Lessons, as well as a weekly group Singing Class and a class on Musicianship For Singers, at Raise The Barre dance studio.

Christopher Anderson-West as Canio in Pagliacci – Washington DC.

I will be teaching a weekly Group Singing Class beginning Wednesday, March 12th at 4:00 pm. The class will be held at the Raise The Barre dance studio. Ideally the class is for everyone who wants to learn the basics of singing. However, I will be working with the fabulous dance instructors at Raise The Barre to put together a performance group that can sing and perform throughout the Orange County area.

If either of these ideas interest you, improving your singing voice or you are interested in performing with a group, call Raise The Barre dance studio at: (949) 340-9070.

If you are looking for private voice lessons I am available for half hour or hour long sessions. I will be conducting most of my lessons at Raise The Barre, however, if you would like a lesson at your house I am willing to do so if you have a piano or keyboard (for one hour lessons only).

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Christopher Anderson-West is a conservatory trained operatic tenor and voice teacher currently living in Southern Orange County, California. Christopher is pleased to be working with Raise The Barre dance studio as a Vocal Instructor and teacher of a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers.

Christopher studied both voice and composition for five years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has had the honor of performing in England, France, Italy, China, and around the United States.

As a voice teacher, Christopher’s method is primarily based on the operatic bel canto technique; meaning “beautiful singing”. This technique is currently employed in not only opera, but virtually every form of singing from Pop, to R&B, to Broadway and more … the principles can be carried over as a basis for just about any style of singing.

Christopher’s goal is to impart a healthy vocal technique that will allow you or your child to progress confidently into whatever field of music you or they enjoy.

Beginning Class on Musicianship For Singers

Christopher Anderson-West teaches individual Voice Lessons, as well as a weekly group Singing Class and a class on Musicianship For Singers, at Raise The Barre dance studio.

– pic shared from Idolator.

 

Have you ever found that you really would LOVE to learn a new song? It could be to sing for a wedding, or at church, or just to have fun times with your friends at karaoke. Ultimately what you find yourself doing is listening to the song over and over, probably, and then just “parroting” what you have heard. That is fine, it certainly is one way to sing and learn music.

If any of you have watched American Idol or The Voice, you know that one of the most praised attributes of the top singers is that they really have made a song their own … how DO they do that???

If you really want to learn how to make a song your OWN, you need to learn how to read music and learn the structure of how that song is laid out.  Once you have that structure solidly in your head, THEN you can improvise and harmonize in whatever way best suits you … and still goes with the way the song has been written.

Starting on Tuesday, March 11th, I will be teaching a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers. This is a ten week class, and the person who gets the highest scores on the exams will receive a free one-hour voice lesson. The class will be taught at Raise The Barre dance studio. If you would like to reserve a spot in the class, please call: (949)340-9070.

***

Christopher Anderson-West is a conservatory trained operatic tenor and voice teacher currently living in Southern Orange County, California. Christopher is pleased to be working with Raise The Barre dance studio as a Vocal Instructor and teacher of a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers.

Christopher studied both voice and composition for five years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has had the honor of performing in England, France, Italy, China, and around the United States.

As a voice teacher, Christopher’s method is primarily based on the operatic bel canto technique; meaning “beautiful singing”. This technique is currently employed in not only opera, but virtually every form of singing from Pop, to R&B, to Broadway and more … the principles can be carried over as a basis for just about any style of singing.

Christopher’s goal is to impart a healthy vocal technique that will allow you or your child to progress confidently into whatever field of music you or they enjoy.

 

 

Fight or Flight …

Christopher Anderson-West teaches individual Voice Lessons, as well as a weekly group Singing Class and a class on Musicianship For Singers, at Raise The Barre dance studio.

A very interesting post on overcoming performance anxiety: Fight or Flight …

Christopher Anderson-West is a conservatory trained operatic tenor and voice teacher currently living in Southern Orange County, California. Christopher is pleased to be working with Raise The Barre dance studio as a Vocal Instructor and teacher of a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers.

Christopher studied both voice and composition for five years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has had the honor of performing in England, France, Italy, China, and around the United States.

As a voice teacher, Christopher’s method is primarily based on the operatic bel canto technique; meaning “beautiful singing”. This technique is currently employed in not only opera, but virtually every form of singing from Pop, to R&B, to Broadway and more … the principles can be carried over as a basis for just about any style of singing.

Christopher’s goal is to impart a healthy vocal technique that will allow you or your child to progress confidently into whatever field of music you or they enjoy.

How Your Voice Works

Christopher Anderson-West teaches individual Voice Lessons, as well as a weekly group Singing Class and a class on Musicianship For Singers, at Raise The Barre dance studio.

Here’s an interesting article on how your voice works; shared from The Guardian.

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The power behind your voice

Think of your lungs as bellows controlled by your diaphragm and abdominal muscles (“support”). You breathe by lowering your diaphragm, which pushes your stomach downwards and forward and the ribs outward, drawing air into the lungs. Good breathing in requires a relaxed abdominal wall (allow your tummy to get slightly fatter as you breathe). When you sing, this system goes into reverse, with the support muscles controlling the outflow of air through the larynx (your voice box).

Where sound is made

Your larynx contains a pair of vocal folds (or cords). When you bring them together on the out-breath, they beat together hundreds of times per second, creating sound. To make a higher note, your vocal cords are stretched, making them beat faster (think of stretching a rubber band). When you sing louder, the cords become thicker. The basis for all good singing is to make sound efficiently using as little air as possible.

From sound into song

Slightly lowering the larynx produces a more classical tone; pop and other commercial styles use a neutral or even raised larynx. Tilting the larynx forward makes the sound warmer. The soft palate (from which your uvula dangles in your mouth) is a valve that diverts air either through the nose or mouth. Nasality must be avoided when singing vowels. Try pinching your nose while singing an “ah”: if there’s a difference in sound, you’re letting air escape through your nose. In combination with the lips and jaw, the tongue creates the vowels and consonants. A relaxed jaw and tongue are crucial for a good sound, because any tension can give an unpleasant tone.
Stuart Barr

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Christopher Anderson-West is a conservatory trained operatic tenor and voice teacher currently living in Southern Orange County, California. Christopher is pleased to be working with Raise The Barre dance studio as a Vocal Instructor and teacher of a weekly class on Musicianship For Singers.

Christopher studied both voice and composition for five years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has had the honor of performing in England, France, Italy, China, and around the United States.

As a voice teacher, Christopher’s method is primarily based on the operatic bel canto technique; meaning “beautiful singing”. This technique is currently employed in not only opera, but virtually every form of singing from Pop, to R&B, to Broadway and more … the principles can be carried over as a basis for just about any style of singing.

Christopher’s goal is to impart a healthy vocal technique that will allow you or your child to progress confidently into whatever field of music you or they enjoy.