In the beginning, there was no one advising me both on my technique and well, how uncomfortable I looked and most likely was. It took my own experience to figure out the best way to go about singing. The best way meaning how to get the most out of my voice, sound more open, treat my voice better and last, sing more comfortably.
Now that I have time, touring & experience under my belt, I do everything I can to sing standing up. Unfortunately, this doesn't always matter if the situation insists I have to sit down. So what's a singer to do in this case? How do we get the most out of our voice while sitting down?
OK, before I get into how to get the most out of singing sitting down, let me start with standing up and why it is better.
Sit down, bend over and try to breathe in. Notice how it is harder to breathe? This is an extreme example of how our muscles and tendons get over restricted and cause a lessening of depth and ease in breathing. OK, maybe you aren't hunching THAT much while sitting and singing, but chances are, you will at some point.
This also restricts your esophagus, phrenic nerves, aorta, trachea, brachiocephalic vein, but most important, breathing volume and ease.
So what is the correct way to stand, getting the most out of your singing?
Relax your shoulders and let your jaw drop. Keep your tongue relaxed toward the front of your mouth. Now lift the roof of your mouth in the back as if you were going to yawn. This opens up the throat and allows more air to flow through. When you stand, your legs should be shoulder width apart, and back straight. Don't forget to tighten your abdominal muscles. Get into position, sing and touch your abdomen. If you're doing it correctly, you'll feel it tighten while singing.
Now, if you find yourself in a singing situation which requires sitting, just remember the following points:
* Sit up straight -- DO NOT hunch.
* Position the microphone so you are not tilting your chin down or up to sing -- make it level with your position.
* Continue drinking plenty of water (no ice, room temp) or whichever herbal tea you prefer. This will keep you hydrated which is important while sitting or standing.
So there you go. Easy peasy right?
Remember, do your best to stand if possible (you have plenty of time to sit on the ride home), but if you must sit, no slouching please.
