Singing is different from playing a musical instrument because your body is the musical instrument. With an instrument like the drum set, we learn to sit in a proper posture so as not to hurt the back. Also, you can learn how to hold your guitar in a way that does not twist your hand and hurt it in the long term. As an aspiring singer, a proper posture is what you need to work with your body. What is the correct posture for singing?
You Don’t Have to Stand to Sing
New aspiring singers may think that standing correctly helps with proper singing. It is true what your posture is your number one priority as a singer, but there is no correct way of standing while singing.
If standing is the only posture for singing well, how do you explain performers who sing while grooving to different dance moves? How about singers belting out beautiful tunes while sitting such as Chris Colfer and Lea Michele in Glee?
Therefore, there is no proper way of standing in order to sing properly. All you need is to know how to breathe correctly and to have a tall spine.
What Is Good Posture for Singing?
A good posture for singing can be defined as keeping your spine aligned - straight and relaxed instead of twisted and compressed. Learning to keep your spine tall helps you to enhance your breathing and results in a better-sounding voice. You can try the following exercise:
We often breathe wrongly through our chest. Practice breathing from your diaphragm and abdomen. Your lower abdomen should rise and fall as you breathe in and out.
Keep your spine relaxed (letting go of tension in your back muscles) while standing tall and breathing through your abdomen.
After getting used to breathing from your abdomen with your spine tall, see the difference when you slouch.
You will find that a slouched posture does not allow your abdomen to expand fully as you breathe in and out. As long as you keep your spine aligned and breathe from your abdomen, it allows you to sing to your best potential.
How to Prevent Slouching
Keep your upper back aligned with your neck to keep from slouching. Beware jutting your lower back out as it may overarch your lower back causing back pain. You can also check your chin and be mindful of not keeping it overly tucked in or jutting out where there is stress in your neck.
It may be difficult to know if you are keeping your alignment to breathe properly. If you have a full-length mirror, you can check how you are standing and sitting. You can also do the following:
Stand against the wall. With your face away from the wall, make your heels, calves, shoulders, and head touch the wall and hold this position for a few minutes.
Check your weight distribution against the wall. Ensure you are not standing rigid and purposely pushing yourself hard against the wall. Stand with your feet apart.
While standing up straight, place your hand on your abdomen to ensure that your abdomen is rising and falling while breathing in and out.
We hope you find these exercises helpful. Check out Ritmo Music Studio’s vocal lessons. You can consider learning together with your friends or family members as a way to bond in a recreational activity together.