A lot of people think that great singers are just "born with it". Of course, natural talent and ability will help you go a long way, but rest assured that great singing takes a lot of hard work and practice, even for the best in the world. One of the things a singer needs to constantly work on is their singing posture. Learning how to stand correctly while singing is of utmost importance as it optimizes your breathing, which in turn allows for better voice control.
How To Know If You Are Standing Correctly
There are several things to keep in mind when focusing on your posture:
Chin position
The ideal standing position for achieving a correct singing posture starts with you keeping your chin up.
Your chin should be level with the floor. Try not to lift your chin whilst singing higher notes and, equally, do not lower your chin whilst singing lower notes. Keeping your head level and steady will help improve the overall consistency of your posture, voice, and tonal quality.
Shoulder back
A lot of people tend to unconsciously tense certain areas of their body while attempting to stand up straight, which can lead to back- or headache. So try stay as relaxed and natural as possible, but don’t slouch!
Make sure your shoulders are back and down in a relaxed position. You should find that as soon as you put your shoulders back, your chest will lift and your back will straighten.
Knees straight
Your knees should also be relaxed and not locked straight. Try stand with one leg slightly more forward than the other and don’t rock backward onto your heels but, instead, keep your weight slightly forward.
Ask Your Teacher For Help
Sometimes it can be incredibly difficult to sit or stand correctly without consciously doing it. Sometimes it just feels different that what it actually looks like.And sometimes when you think you are actually standing correctly you're not.
One of the best ways to help improve your singing posture is to have your teacher (or whoever you practice with) keep an eye on how you stand.
Your teacher may notice that your left shoulder is slightly forward or that you drop your chest or chin in certain areas of a song.
If you have a bad habit of standing a certain way, it is extremely helpful to have someone remind you to stand properly. This may be frustrating at first but persevere. Your hard work will pay off in time.
Work On Some Exercises
There are also several exercises you can do to train your body and help you maintain the correct singing posture:
Stand against the wall
Make sure your heels, buttocks, head and shoulders touch the wall. Place a hand on your abdomen and breathe deeply, ensuring the rise and fall of your hand. Gently shift your weight forward until you are almost on your toes until you feel like you may fall forward and then relax again. Next, allow your body to slouch, then straighten your body again so that you can feel the difference between the two. This will help you to recognize the difference between good and bad posture as you start to create muscle memory.
Stand as tall as you can
Make sure you are barefoot or in flat shoes. Lift your arms and reach them up as far as you can, then slowly let your arms fall back to your sides while keeping your back and chest in the same place. This should help you get into the correct standing position.
Place a book on top of your head
This is an old fashioned posture exercise, but it works!
With the book on your head, try to turn your head left and right without the book falling off. Then, when you can do that, try to walk around slowly. If your posture is correct the book won’t fall off so make sure you are standing correctly.
Working on your singing posture is an ongoing exercise and not something you get right once and you're set. If you're serious about achieving good singing posture, you need to work on it every day for at least 10 minutes.
Immediate Change in Vocal Quality
As soon as you start standing in the correct singing posture it will immediately have a positive effect on your singing ability and overall vocal quality.
But not only will you sound better, but standing well also improves your overall image, decreases singing fatigue and reduces body aches because of less tension being placed on your body.
Don’t be discouraged if you are not able to achieve and hold the correct posture at first. Keep practicing, and in good time you will be standing correctly without even realizing it.
About the Author: Julie Adams
I am a mom, a music lover and teacher from Tampa, FL. After completing a Bachelor of Music in Performance Arts, I traveled for several years before returning home where I started offering private piano and singing lessons as extra income. I met my husband in 2009 and 2 years later moved to Dallas where we settled down and I started focusing on vocal training to aspiring singers and performance artists of all age groups. I still enjoy playing the piano very much, and in my spare time you will catch doing some horse riding, drawing, doing some light reading, or just spending quality time with my family.