"Stand Up Straight!"

The correct singing posture
By: Bettina Sheppard

Posture has always been an issue to me while singing. I would always slouch and not stand straight and my teacher would always get mad at me for it. He would always tell me to stand up straight and have my chest out because that is the proper way to stand. People always think that singing is just about the voice, but many of them don’t know that it also has a lot to do with your posture. With proper posture, you will be able to control your breathing, making it easier to sing. 

The first thing you should always do while singing is making sure your body is relaxed. According to The Secrets of Singing: Posture by Janak Ramachandran, we want our muscles and chest to be relaxed and loose, relax the muscles around the jaw, forehead,and cheeks because that will help you create a beautiful and powerful voice. Having your body relaxed will make it easier for us to reach the high notes and sustain our notes longer. 

While performing you want to make sure you never have a slouched back because it will be harder for the air to come out, making it harder for you to breathe. The chin should be parallel to the floor, shoulders held back and down, hands relaxed, knees should never be locked, and your feet should be shoulder width apart.You always want to stand up straight because it gives the diaphragm enough air for you to breathe properly.  Standing up straight is important because it will make your body feel more relaxed and lets the air for the vocal chords enter and exit properly.

It takes time and practice to get the perfect posture. According to Suzanne Brittania in Correct Singing Posture, you can do these exercise on a weekly basis and it will help you improve your posture, which can help improve your singing. 

• Standing up against a wall: Stand up straight with your back against the wall, keeping your shoulders back and not allowing them to rise up. Stand against the wall with your head against the wall, chin parallel to the floor, and your feet shoulder width apart. Inhale deeply to see how much air you can get and you should feel not only your abdomen moving, but you should feel your back rising against the wall. With this exercise, you should be able to breathe the correct way with the correct posture. 

• Lie flat on your back: Lie flat on the floor and try to press your lower back into the floor to straighten your spine, then breathe in expanding your rib rage. You can also place a book on your abdomen while you lay down. As you breathe in and out, watch the book as it rises and how it falls back into original position. You should feel that you are able to receive more air into the lungs.

• Balance a book on top of your head: This exercise will help you stand in the correct posture without getting too tired or too stiff. Balance a hard covered book on top of your head with your head straight up and feet shoulder length a part. If you are slouching and not standing up straight, you will notice that it is harder to balance the book. With a straight posture, you will notice that it is easier to balance the book.

Having the correct posture is essential in singing. With a correct posture, you will be able to have better breathing techniques. With better breathing techniques, you will become a better singer.

Try out these exercises and see you can feel the difference in the amount of air you are able to take in with a correct posture.