Singing Technique for Beginners
So, you want to be a vocalist? Well, it is not as easy as it looks. Famous singers such as Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti may make singing appear to be effortless. But, in reality, there is a lot of technique involved in order to achieve the desired sound. Proper technique is very important when vocalizing. If you do not practice proper technique you could risk damaging vocal folds, it will also help you to reach your full potential as a vocalist.
In order to sing correctly, one must learn to use proper breath support. It is a common misconception that when we inhale our chest or stomach should expand. This is not true; when singing, neither of these areas should expand. Expansion should actually occur in the back and the sides. A way to test if you are doing this correctly would be to stand and bend 90 degrees at your waist. Put your hands on your lower back then breath in. If you feel your back expanding then you are breathing properly. Once you have mastered this fundamental of singing you can move on to the next: posture.
Posture is the alignment of the body. It is important to keep your spinal cord straight and align your rib cage when vocalizing. Beginning singers often “assume an exaggerated upright stance or “swayback” position. This restricts the upward pull of the abdominal muscles necessary for correct support” (Klein 17). One way to make sure your posture is correct is to sit on a stool and adjust your lower back against a wall to fix any sign of the “swayback” posture. Then make sure your shoulders aren’t thrust backwards to a point that makes it uncomfortable. Proper posture allows all the breathing muscles to work correctly to relieve any tension that would interfere with singing.
Proper breath support and posture are required to have resonance. Resonance is also known as timbre or the quality of sound. It also has to do with the placement of sound. In order to accomplish good resonance, all vowels...