It helps to understand on a human, biological level exactly what is happening when you are/are not singing- it can help you to understand others’ voices as well.

This will be a beginner’s guide/starter kit into the world of the voice.

I would like to note that in this article I will be mostly focusing on what is happening in the head and throat, I will not be delving into what is happening with the chest down as extensively, but I will touch on this subject.

It is important to know that singing would not be possible without the help of the chest, lungs, back, abdomen and diaphragm.

Vocabulary

Before describing how the different muscles and pieces interact with each other, I’ll start by describing what each of these things are, and their general function in the body.

Larynx

A hollow, muscular organ that creates a passageway from the mouth to the lungs. The larynx contains the:

• Epiglottis: A flap of cartilage behind the root of the tongue. This covers the opening of the windpipe when swallowing.
• Thyroid cartilage: Commonly known as the “Adam’s Apple.” It is important to note that everyone has this (female and male), while it is more prominent in men, women still have them as well. This is a shield- shaped structure that forms the anterior and lateral walls of the larynx.
• Vocal folds: Folds of membranous tissue that slant inwards from the sides of the larynx to form a small slit across the glottis in the throat. Their edges vibrate when air passes through, which produces the voice.
• Cricoid Cartilage: a crucial structural foundation for the larynx.

Hard Palate

The bony front part of the palate (the roof of your mouth)

Soft Palate

The soft tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth. When raised, it forms a seal between the mouth and the nasal cavity. During swallowing, this action prevents food from entering the nose.

Cricothyroid Muscle

Attached to the front side of the thyroid cartilage and outer sides of the cricoid cartilage.

Arytenoid Cartilage

Two cartilages attached to the back of the cricoid cartilage. Responsible for your vocal folds opening and closing.

Thyroarytenoid Muscle

Muscle within the vocal fold, attached to the front of the thyroid cartilage and the back of the arytenoid cartilages.

Mucosa

Inner lining of some organs and body cavities.

Trachea

Commonly known as the windpipe. Extends from the larynx to the bronchial tubes, bringing air too and from the lungs.

Uvula

That little dangly thing in the back of your throat. It helps prevent food and drink from entering the nasal cavity when swallowing. It lubricates the throat with saliva production, and also is responsible for some specific speech sounds. (yeah, that little thing is actually super important!)

Esophagus

A long muscular tube that helps transport food and drink from the mouth to the stomach.

Bronchial Tubes

Commonly known as the Bronchi, they filter warm and humidify air, which protects the lungs with mucus.

Diaphragm

The primary muscle of respiration. It’s a dome shaped skeletal muscle that separates the heart and lungs from the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm actually moves involuntarily (like the heart pumps on its own). When you hiccup, it’s actually your diaphragm spasming !

Abdominal Cavity

Where your liver, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, liver, digestive and reproductive organs, and kidneys are located.

What Happens When We Sing? How Does Everything Come Together?

Air comes out of the lungs, through the trachea and into the larynx.

The vocal cords touch and then are forced apart by air pressure from the lungs, and this produces sound, which is called phonation.

That’s all singing really is!

When singing higher pitches our vocal cords vibrate faster, and when we sing lower our vocal cords vibrate slower.

This is why I really don’t like the vocabulary that we use when singing; “High notes” and “low notes”.

This gives a false notion that we are moving our voice up and down, when really we are technically just producing different levels of pressure.

In Farsi, they say “thick notes” and “thin notes”.

These would be my preferred choice of words.

When our vocal cords vibrate slower, the actual folds become shorter and thicker- more loose.

When they vibrate faster they are longer, thinner and tighter.

Think of the strings on a guitar, the low E string is thick and tied just a bit looser, and the higher E string, which is thinner and tighter.

This is much better imagery for singing.

Because we say “high note” and “low note”, this causes an association in our mind that physiologically we are using our throat to go up and down to hit notes.

When we sing and our larynx is raised too high, this can actually cause us to strain and create tightness in our throat that can have negative implications on our vocal cords.

Our larynx raises and lowers naturally, but ever so slightly.

For more healthy singing, we should try our best to keep the larynx lowered as much as possible – to maintain comfort.

When the larynx is raised too high, this can lead to a choking sensation: the tongue is not relaxed and there is overall tension surrounding the vocal folds, which makes a “squeezed” sound.

So How Do We Control Pitch?

The main muscle used when singing higher is the cricothyroid muscle.

This muscle contracts and pulls the thyroid muscle down and forward on its hinge, pulling them away from the arytenoid cartilage.

This then pulls the vocal folds in a way that makes them longer and thinner.

So, when there is air pressure coming up pushing through the folds, it creates a higher frequency.

The main muscle when singing lower is the thyroarytenoid muscle, which scrunches the vocal folds up by pulling the arytenoid end of the vocal cords closer to the thyroid end.

While the thyroarytenoid muscle is contracting it becomes firm.

This causes the mucosa that is covering the vocal folds to become looser, which is why they then vibrate slower and create a lower frequency.

Connecting the Dots

To maintain a relaxed feeling in our throat, this is where using the rest of our body comes in.

Singing does not only include mechanisms in our throat.

Vocalising comfortably is about trying to feel relaxed in the throat, neck, and jaw, while having an engaged core.

Singing should never hurt, it should feel like a sigh or a yawn.

When one yawns, the larynx is lowered and relaxed, as the soft palette raises
and creates room for vocal resonance.

Breathing deep and low (meaning that you allow the lungs to fill completely and your stomach to expand) into the body is important when engaging the core.

Many times, the phrase “take a deep breath” causes singers to raise their shoulders and chest – this creates tension on the neck and further disrupts singing.

I like to say that learning how to sing is like learning yoga for a beginner.

You can’t do a split on your first try, and balance takes time to internalise.

We learn how to slowly stretch our vocal chords, and manipulate our voices and resonances in new ways as well.

It can be very helpful to physically see exactly what is happening in your body and throat when singing.

Try to sing or speak and see if you can imagine which muscles are moving.

Put your hand on your neck and feel how with every word or note, it can shift. Get to know your body and your voice in a new way.

Citations:

• Anatomy for Vocalist
• Anatomy of the Voice
• Glossary of Singing Voice Terminology
• University of Minnesota – Physiology

A lot of adults, and even people in their late teens are timid about approaching learning this new skill.

It can be intimidating, but it’s all about starting small.

Like learning a new language, one starts with learning vocabulary and slowly adds on until there are full sentences and conversations.

Starting Singing as an Adult

When I work with adult students who have not yet had voice lessons I reassure them that while it seems like a goal that is hard to reach, with the correct steps it is possible!

One thing that is important to note is that bodies and voices are forever changing.

Even if someone has been singing their entire lives it is important to check in on how they feel in relation to their voices.

Generally speaking, we speak about puberty and the voice dropping of men.

Women actually experience a “voice drop” as well during puberty.

Women and men’s voices change again during their mid-twenties, which is subtle but still present.

Throughout our lives there is a hardening of our laryngeal cartileges, which creates a better support for the tension in our vocal folds.

There is also a vocal shift in women during and after pregnancy, as well as during and after menopause.

For each woman it is different, but this is important to note, considering the change in sensation when singing but also speaking.

All of this to say, don’t be discouraged. No matter what age you are, it is never too late to begin singing.

It is only a plus to be aware of the shifts in your voice and muscles that support it.

Understanding the Mechanics of Singing

Before diving straight into actually vocalizing, it is important to understand the mechanics of singing.

What are the body parts and muscles that make up a voice?

There are three separate Systems to focus on.

We have the Respiratory System (or Air Pressure System), the Phonation System (or Vibratory System), and the Resonating system.

In the Respiratory System we focus on diaphragm, chest muscles, ribs, lungs and abdominal muscles.

In the Phonation System we focus on the larynx (the voice box itself) and the vocal folds.

And in the Resonating System we have the pharynx (throat), oral cavity, and nasal cavity.

Everyone has a different facial structure, which means everyone has a different resonating system.

This is a major factor in why everyone’s voices are so different.

Already this is a lot of new information if you were not already previously familiar with the anatomy of the voice.

Think of it this way; learning how to sing from scratch is like starting at the gym.

I think it is important to start with talking about this so that rather than thinking of the voice and singing as a new alien feeling, we can dissect and isolate each sensation and look at singing more scientifically.

Everyone has these muscles, and has the potential to learn how to better control these muscles.

Connecting Breath and Body

After introducing the technical idea of singing, I like to work on connecting the mind to the body.

Working on controlling breath is a great way to do this.

Many people when they start to sing believe that it only has to do with their throat- but to sing comfortably and correctly, we must connect to our whole body.

Breathing correctly is a great first step.

To breathe deeply we take in air and our stomach expands, it feels low in the body.

I have discovered that a lot of new students when asked to breathe deeply actually suck in their stomach.

Our stomach comes out because our organs make room for the lungs to expand, and when breathing and sucking in, we prevent the lungs from properly taking in sufficient air.

When students have trouble with this sensation, I have them lie down on their backs and breath naturally- the stomach expands as they inhale, and collapses slowly as they exhale.

If uncomfortable with lying down, leaning up against the wall with the entirety of the back in contact and aligned can be just as effective.

Developing Healthy Vocal Sensations

The next step after working on correctly breathing is adding vocalization.

First I like to take a big yawn. When we yawn, our larynx lowers and our soft palette rises, while also loosening up the tongue.

While I yawn I take a nice big vocalized sigh.

This is a great way to make the connection in our brain between what it feels like to create space in our throats and heads for sound to come out.

When the larynx is lowered and the tongue is loose, this is the perfect situation for healthy singing. And everyone yawns!

Adults sometimes have trouble getting used to singing because it can feel strange and foreign, but it is just a combination of many normal human functions – it’s just a matter of putting them together.

All singing really is, is an extension of speaking with melody and breath control.

We have to remember that singing is not just a special skill that some people either have or don’t have, it is a human ability that everyone has the potential to hone.

Only 4% of the population has congenital amusia, or “tone deafness”.

Many adults think that they are tone deaf when they actually aren’t, it is just a lack of training that can make singing feel more difficult than it actually is.

Many people also have trouble matching pitch with musical instruments but have an easier matching pitch with another human voice. This just takes some ear training and patience.

Choosing a Style and Building Confidence

There are many styles to choose from, classical voice, jazz, musical theater, pop, rock, metal, punk… the list goes on.

I like to advise those who are just starting out to stick to one style or technique and practice that, before moving on to other styles.

It can become overwhelming to try learning many styles at once.

I also advise that those who want to learn specific vocal styles like “vocal fry” or “screaming” wait to do this when they feel more comfortable with the basics.

There are many steps in between doing vocal training and warm ups, and being able to sing an entire song the way you envision it.

Remember that everyone’s voices are different based on their resonating system; the nasal cavity, throat and oral cavity – so trying to sound exactly like another singer is not an optimal goal.

Singers do sometimes focus on singing “from” different parts of their voice, for example a singer who sings very “nasal” is Britney Spears, and a singer who uses their chest and focuses deeper in their throat would be Adele.

Try listening to different singers and analyzing what resonators they are using as you explore using your voice in new ways.

Start with choosing which style you’d like to focus on, and picking simple songs from the genre to learn.

I like my students to memorize the lyrics of whichever song they choose so that when they sing they can focus on just the singing, rather than looking down at the page.

Listen to multiple different singers singing that song, sing along and have fun with it.

Singing is meant to be fun, not stressful- ease your way into it.

Progress Takes Patience and Consistency

If you’ve never had a voice lesson before and you are trying to learn, it is hard not to skip a bunch of steps to try and reach the finish line.

First of all, there is no “finish line” in singing, it’s a never ending ladder.

Just as you can learn a language but there will always be more words to learn.

Adults usually have trouble learning something and not being able to perfect it in a certain period of time, singing takes patience.

Try not comparing your progress to others’, we all have our own way.

Citations: The Voice Foundation

Now take another breath and simply exhale.

One more inhale and on your exhale say “mmm”.

When you make this “mm” sound, this sensation is called phonation.

Phonating is the production of speech sounds. We will be talking a lot about this today.

Pay attention to how it feels when you phonate.

Do you feel pressure on your vocal cords ? Does it feel comfortable?

Now say a couple words out loud. Say “Mother” and then say the word “Hand”, how about the word “Attention”.

When you say these words, what does it feel like for you when the first syllable is spoken?

Do you feel tension ? Does it feel easy to speak? Do the vowels glide like butter or do they feel like you are suddenly pressing the gas pedal?

The sensations you are experiencing are what is known as the “Vocal Onset”.

Before singing, we must first create the initial sensation of the vocal chords meeting.

The first note, and how we treat it, sets the path for the rest to follow in line.

In German, it’s called the “Vokale Ansatz” or the “Vocal attack”.

The beginnings of phrases are like waves, waves can crash on the surface, or merely roll in with the tide on the shore.

When we sing we can make the active decision to have our vocal attacks be more severe, or hardly noticeable at all.

Voiced Consonants and Smooth Vocal Onsets

When you say, for example, the word “Mother”, did you notice that the letter “m” is a voiced consonants?

When you say “mmm” you are making noise with your vocal chords .

Whereas if you were to say “ffff” there is merely air coming out of your mouth.

When you say words that have a consonant, especially voiced consonants like “m” “v” or “r” in the beginning, it is easier to vocalize more smoothly throughout the word.

You are easing your way into phonating.

Whereas when you say a word with a vowel in the beginning, like “attention”, the “ah” right in the beginning might have a slight glottal, or sudden start.

But how about “hand” ?

The first vowel is an “a”, but the vowel is said or sung more clearly because the “h” creates air that helps smooth out the attack.

Say “and” and then “hand”, over and over.

Do you feel the difference ? Do you feel that the “a” in “and” is more sudden than the “a” in “hand”?

The Four Types of Vocal Onsets and Their Stylistic Use

In some songs, singers choose to have more of a severe vocal unset by pushing the vowel. This is a stylistic choice. Just because a song starts with a vowel does not mean that it cannot have a smoother attack. You can choose to soften it by adding a slightly more air.

There are typically four types of Vocal onsets:

• Coordinated Onset which involves inhaling, then closing the glottis, (the part of the larynx, or voice box, consisting of the vocal cords and the opening between them) at the same time as exhalation of air. This onset is generally the preferred/common of the four, but also takes the most awareness or concentration.
• Glottal Onset, involves inhaling, closing the glottis, and then beginning to sing. Glottal tension is eased just enough to cause the vocal folds to vibrate and produce sound.
• Breathy Onset occurs when singers inhale and then start to exhale while leaving the glottis open or partially open.Think back to the feeling of saying “hand” vs saying “and”, of the two, the more breathy Onset would be “hand”. Some singers who has very breathy onsets would be Ariana Grande, Laufey, and Taylor Swift.
• Vocal Fry Onset (Growl Onset) – This onset is commonly used in more modern music, not usual for classical or opera singing. It involves relaxed vocal fold closure and high airflow. It is a technique used for growls and similar sounds in rock, gospel, and jazz styles and may resolve into a clearer tone with firmer vocal fold closure. Some singers who take advantage of vocal fry onset (in many songs but not all) would include Lady Gaga, Adele, and Amy Winehouse.

Analysing Vocal Attacks Through Song Phrasing

Let’s try to analyze a song and some vocal attacks.

If you take the song “Attention” by Charlie Puth, for example, and focus on the word “attention” in the phrase, there are two ways it can be sung.

1: “you just want attention” or 2: “you just want attention”.

In version one, there is a slight stop between the words “want” and “attention”, in this case, the vocal onset is more harsh, there is a slight glottal, and it can bring more of a mean spirit to the word.

In version 2, “want” and “attention” are smashed a bit together to create one word, and this makes the vocal onset to the word “attention” very subtle.

One word swoops into the other, making the undertone of what you are singing more nonchalant or chill.

Now let’s look at the first word of that phrase, “you”.

This is a funny word to sing because there are actually a couple different vowels.

Sing the word “you” slowly. “Eee-uuu” Two vowel sounds.

Because the word starts with an “e” the onset can sound harsh, but it is possible to change this and smooth it out.

In singing we change vowels all of the time so that it fits to the vibe or the music better.

Maybe if we just add a bit more air in the beginning of this word, not so much as to hear a clear “h” but just enough for the word to be rounder and softer in the beginning.

Try this out, sing the phrase with more air and less air, see what happens and what feels good for you.

Understanding Vocal Offsets and Phrase Endings

The next step is understanding the vocal offset, ending the phrase.

You can have three types of offsets; hard, soft, balanced.

One can sing a note until you run out of air, which would have a “slow fade” type of appeal, which is technically an offset but it is not the most controlled or elegant route.

Generally you can stop singing by closing your glottis, the same way that you can close your glottis and let out air when preparing to sing.

When it is closed again then the vocals stop.

It is as if a door is opened in your voice box so you can phonate, and then it is simply closed.

You can either slam the door, or slowly close it.

Offsets and Onsets are similar in that voiced consonants make them both easier.

Try taking the song “Attention”, again.

In the sentence “You just want attention,” there is one onset, the word “you” and one offset, “attention,” there is not an onset and offset for each word.

So the sentence would flow, and then be comfortable to finish because there is this vocalized “n” in the end.

That would have a pretty smooth ending.

But in the next sentence, where he says “from the start,” the word “start” has a more harsh offset as “t” is not vocalized.

The transition from singing to then offsetting is a bit more abrupt.

The Emotional and Physical Impact of Onsets and Offsets

The way vocal onset and offset can be used differently can change the entire feeling of the phrase and song.

Not only this, but having a more conscious approach to how you sing and with what attacks, is important for vocal health and maintenance.

Singing the beginnings of words too harshly can add stress to the vocal chords, and over time it is possible to cause damage when not careful.

Citation: https://www.vocaltechnique.info/onset.html

Related Articles:

• Understanding Chest, Head and Mix Voice
• Breath Management for Singers Appoggio Support and Air Control
• Vocal Health: Top Tips for Looking After Your Voice

The voice is made up of two different registers.

The chest voice, the head voice, and what I call the middle voice- which is a mixture of the two that lies in the middle.

In order to find these registers in your own voice/body, all you have to do is pay attention to how and where you feel your body vibrate or resonate while you sing.

When you are singing in your chest voice, if you put your hand on your chest , you can feel it vibrate.

You can also feel your chest voice engage when you speak.

Imagine you see your friend across the street and want to get their attention by loudly saying (not yelling) “Hey !!”

This is basically what it feels like to belt- which is singing in the chest.

When you sing in your head voice, you can’t feel anything in your chest.

As for the middle voice, you feel some vibration in the chest, but not as strongly.

Exploring Vocal Registers and the Siren Exercise

An important thing to acknowledge, is that, in singing, there is no clear cut “this note should be sung with chest” or “this note should be with head”, it is more about what feels good for you, what artistic decision you’d like to make, personal taste.

One person might want to sing a song with more chest than another.

A great way to play around with where one register ends and the next begins in your voice (as it is different for everyone) is to sing what I like to call a “siren”.

Start by singing any random note in the middle of your range, and then slide up to the highest note you can sing.

Then slide all the way down, and slide back up again.

If you put your hand on your chest, then you can feel the resonance change in your chest.

It’s also a fun vocal warm up. Don’t be afraid of when your voice “breaks”, this is simply your voice going from one register to another.

The vocal cords are muscles that need to grow and be stretched.

If you are not used to singing the notes that are cusping the registers, it is completely natural for your voice to get “confused” or “break”.

Your voice isn’t actually breaking, it is just switching and this rapid transition is what you feel/hear.

Try doing this exercise slowly. Make sure you are not straining or pushing your voice.

If your voice “breaks” or feels tired/uncomfortable, take a pause.

Then come back, take a breath, and try again.

Building Vocal Flexibility and Navigating the Passaggio

Think of your voice just as you would any of your muscles; your legs for example, how flexible are they?

If you have never done a split before, do you suppose you could get your body to do a split by the end of the day?

Growing your range is the same.

When strengthening your chest voice, mix and head voice, all you need to do is warm up a bit every day and be kind to yourself.

Learning technique comes with time.

So with time and training, you will be able to sing smoothly and healthily from one register to the other.

This brings me to…

The passaggio.

If you haven’t heard this term before, then I am glad to present it to you.

Meaning “passageway” in Italian, the passagio is the tunnel that brings us singers safely from A to B, or the chest voice to the head voice, rather.

While it is a dark tunnel, and one difficult to navigate in the beginning, there is a way – with some patience.

Balancing Technique Through Vocal Transitions and Overlapping Notes

Depending on if you are ascending or descending, the exact place that you switch technique on the scale can change.

It’s a bit of a balancing act between how much air and pressure you use, and how much of your head versus your chest you’d like to use.

As we go up the scale from the chest voice to the middle voice, we tend to bring up the chest voice, and from the middle into the head we tend to bring up the middle voice into the head.

As we descend it is the opposite, the head voice is brought down into the middle voice, and the middle into the chest.

If we go back to doing the “siren” vocalization, you can see for yourself where the voice transitions as it ascends versus as it descends.

I call these confusing transitions “overlapping notes.”

For me personally, I transition from my middle voice into my head voice around a G5 when I am singing classically.

As I ascend, I add slightly more air and head resonance on the F in order to prepare and “soften” the transition, so rather than changing abruptly, it is more of a gradient.

I tend to transition into the full head voice lower in my register when singing pop.

The upper passaggio is a bit more challenging to navigate than the lower passaggio- so much so, that many people are unaware that they have a transition in their lower register.

Register Choices and Stylistic Decisions in Contemporary Songs

For my chest voice I can bring down my middle voice all the way down to a C3 before changing into my chest voice.

However, I can make the choice to change into the chest voice a bit higher as well, and even sing up to a C4 with chest.

We learn with trial and error.

Depending on the song, we can choose to sing the same note in a different register.

Why don’t we check out a song together?

In the song “Good Luck Babe” by Chappel Roan, Chappel starts the song in her chest voice, with a little bit of air.

She likes to do a bit of a “yodel”, which is quite literally just changing from one register (the chest voice) to another (the head voice) rapidly, making an intense “break” sound-completely on purpose.

As the song progresses into the pre-chorus and she ascends “you only wanna be” Chappel sings into a mixture of the chest and head, then back to the chest ”the one that I” then back into mix “call baby”, until finally she sings fully in her head voice for the chorus, “you can kiss a hundred boys in bars…”

Later in the song for the bridge, she sings the same notes that she sings in the pre-chorus, only this time, rather than singing in her mix, she uses her chest voice and belts.

Experimenting With Registers to Personalise Your Performance

Now you can choose a song by any artist and analyze which registers you think they are singing in throughout the song.

You can sing along and try to make the same technical choices as them, or you can experiment with using different registers.

This adds texture, depth, and musicality to the song and your version. Have fun !

PS. Don’t be discouraged if you feel that you are not capable of belting the bridge like Chappel, she herself sings this song a step down when singing it live as it is difficult for her as well.

Not just a simple mechanism snuck away in the subconscious labyrinth of our brain, when brought to the main focus, breathing holds the answer to any of your “why can’t I sing that” or “why doesn’t this work” questions.

The “appoggio”, coming from the verb “appogiarsi” which means “to lean against” in Italian, is how we refer to the “support” of our voice in the music world.

Support does not just come from our breathing and our lungs, but our entire body.

It starts with our feet, our legs, our pelvic floor, the abdomen, our lower back and our ribs.

Like strong trees planted in the ground.

The Truth About Airflow and Phonation in Singing

A common misconception in singing is that to hit a note, whether high or low, you require more air.

This is false, you simply need to use your air more efficiently…

Air goes through the vocal folds to create phonation, but too much air can make the voice sound weaker or thinner.

The extreme of this is whispering- pretty much all air and no phonation.

Breathing in, of course, is important- but don’t misconstrue taking in more air with exasperation.

It’s the control of the release and the amount of pressure that is let out.

Think of a balloon. It has a lot of air, and the opening of the balloon represents the vocal chords. When you hold the balloon from the top and pull it open to let out a bit of air, it makes a pitch.

Depending on how far apart the lips of the balloon are, it changes the level of noise coming out, and if you open it completely, the air comes out all at once and makes no noise at all.

Correct Breathing Technique for Singers vs Shallow Breathing

First we have to talk about breathing correctly when it comes to singers.

What I see in a lot of my students is when I ask them to take deep breaths, I see them breathe high in their chests.

For example, their chests rise and their stomachs become smaller, creating tension in their shoulders and necks, which can make singing more difficult.

This type of breathing, shallow breathing, is common with athletes.

When training for a sport, especially a sport that requires plenty of running, people are trained to breathe in such a way that they can take in a lot of oxygen for it to be quickly released.

What singers do is the opposite, breath should be taken in low into the body so it can be held for longer- to sustain longer phrases.

To help my students find their lower breath, I ask them to lie on the ground and let their bodies breathe naturally.

The stomach rises with inhalation, and lowers with exhalation.

When we sing we should get used to our stomachs getting bigger, which is difficult when the societal expectation is for us to be as skinny as possible and to “suck it in”.

We have to be more comfortable with letting ourselves fully breathe and loosen the abdomen.

Finding Strength Through Breath, Posture, and Vocal Space

The next step is preparing ourselves to sing. After taking a nice deep breath, loosening the abdomen and feeling the ribs expand, we then find our strength.

• Feet should be shoulderwidth apart
• One foot slightly in front of the other.
• Knees not locked, but slightly bent.
• Spine straight with pelvis tucked in (no arching of the back)
• Neck aligned with your spine.
• As you sing, then engage your core.
• When standing in this position, if someone comes up to you while you are singing and tries to push you over, you won’t budge. This is what I mean when I say “singing strong”

With the initial inhale, I like to think of a “shocked” breath.

Imagine you were just told new information you had no clue about, the type of gasp you naturally take in creates a perfect space in your head and vocal passageway to sing comfortably.

Your larynx lowers and is relaxed. This, paired with standing in the right position, is the formula to have healthy support for singing.

If you aren’t sure what I mean, put your hand over your throat where your Adam’s apple is, and try to yawn.

You’ll feel that this part of your throat- the larynx- lowers. And in your mouth, the little dangly thing in the back of your throat (the uvula) will lift.

Now you’re ready to sing comfortably without pushing or straining.

Body Engagement Exercises to Strengthen Vocal Support

Here are some tips that I find really work to find more support in your body while singing:

Singing while planking.

I know this sounds really bizarre, but this is a great way to find strength in your core and also check in on your posture.

When an elbow plank is done the right way, the head, neck and spine are aligned, and the pelvis is tucked in.

You also find that you need to take deep and controlled breaths in order to maintain the position, and while you sing, you can feel the core working to get the notes out.

It is definitely difficult, and a workout, but it’s great training.

You can try this with some phrases in whatever song you’re working on. When you stand up to sing it again, you will sing the song much easier.

Wall sit

This is a great way to connect your mind with your body, and engage your legs!

When in the correct position for a wall sit, your back is flat on the wall with your head aligned- touching the wall, legs boxed out- as if you’re sitting on a chair.

Try singing some phrases you found difficult in the past, you’ll see how much easier it is.

Squatting as we sing

Do you have a note that just isn’t working? Try doing a slow low squat as you are singing the note, you’ll see that your body does all the work for you.

In Summary

As singers, it is easy to forget that singing is a sport. It’s a full body experience, it’s exercise.

We think a lot about what is going on in our throat, and forget to focus on our body and the strength it has.

When we let our body do the work, singing feels so much more natural and free.

Related Articles:

• Harmony in Body and Voice – The Alexander Technique Has Huge Benefits for Singers
• Vocal Health: Top Tips for Looking After Your Voice
• How to Sing Vibrato