Arm Tension? Find Relief!
We have been talking to you about ways to relieve tension associated with singing and we want to add arm tension to that list! One of the best tests for determining arm tension is to grab a friend and have them stand behind you while you are singing and raise your arms. The goal of this exercise would be for you to just let them fall back down and if they do not, you definitely are carrying tension in your arms. To help you release that arm tension, try swinging your arms forward and back while you are singing or practice tossing something between your 2 hands. If you find yourself stopping the movement for a high note for example, then you are definitely using your arms to support your voice rather then your breath. You can also pretend to draw on the wall with your pointer fingers of both hands to help you relieve this tension. If your friend is willing, have them move your arms up and down while you sing and help you to relax there tension. We would love to help you release your arm tension. Check out our Instagram post on this subject for more information and contact us for lessons if you want us to help you build a strong, relaxed voice.
The correct position for your singing voice
To give yourselves the greatest chance at singing your best, think of always putting your instrument in the correct position for the best possible sound. This includes the position of your larynx. The larynx, which houses our vocal chords, should sit in a relaxed, low position at all times while we sing. When the larynx is low you will feel that yawnie, deep stretch in your throat. The problem with the larynx is it tends to rise with the pitch…pitch goes higher, larynx wants goes with it. When the larynx rises it tends to squeeze our throats producing that strangulated feeling that is not good for healthy, beautiful singing. So, in good vocal training we work to keep the larynx low and relaxed. For men, especially lower voiced males, you can see the larynx pretty easily. For women and higher voiced singers it can be difficult to see. Here’s what I suggest-Gently place your index finger on your throat and take a yawnie, deep breath. Most likely you will feel your larynx lower. Keeping your finger there can aid in revealing what your larynx is doing. When I learned about this critical aspect of vocal technique, my whole voice and world changed. I believe yours will too!!
Achieving the best Breath Support system ever for your singing!
Hi Singers, Joel here. I want to speak to you about breath support. When I was a young singer the word “support” was something I could not get my mind or body around! There are many ways to discuss support so let’s try and keep it simple. What we’re trying to achieve in support is to manage the flow or pressure of air from our lungs through our vocal folds…not too much and not too little is very important! Far too often we see singers use what I call their “valves” to manage or hold back air pressure that is built up in your lungs after you take a deep straw breath. We can think of our lips, tongue, jaw, larynx as valves that open or close. Let’s say you’ve mastered keeping your jaw down and relaxed, low laryngeal position, high and lifted soft palate in other words, everything is open and relaxed as it should be for great singing. What do you think is going to hold back the pressure of air in your lungs if you don’t tighten one of your valves? Hopefully your well built support system! Try this. Take a hard backed book and put one end against a wall and the other end in your lower abs-below your belly button. Breath in deeply. Your body should move backward from the wall. Exhale on “S” and don’t let your body fall into the book! This is the most important skill to master for good singing and good vocal long-term health. Contact us today to get started on your lessons!
A collapsed rib cage is wrong!!
One of the things we see a lot of singers do incorrectly is drop the rib cage. We call this collapsing and what that usually results in is a jutting out or sticking out of the jaw. Sometimes we say to students, “You’re leading with your jaw” It’s the wrong position to have your vocal instrument in. What you want to do is pick up your rib cage. It’s difficult to do this because under our rib cage is our abdomen and we don’t have a spine like we do in our back to hold us up. We can drop or collapse into the abdominal area which is really incorrect for great singing. Instead, imagine a string that is tied to your sternum and up to the ceiling pulling your rib cage up which automatically puts your head in a better position and gives you better posture through the vocal tract area. This will help you get a proper breath for singing and improve the quality or your sound! Make sure, by looking in a mirror you never collapse your rib cage while singing!
Don’t settle for pressure in your singing, learn about Jaw tension.
At JVS we see jaw tension hindering singers natural beautiful sound and want to help you eliminate the incorrect usage of your jaw. First of all, your jaw needs to be dropped from the back more than the front. An easy way to achieve this is to take your index fingers, place them on your cheeks where your back molars are located and gently push in. This allows the back of the jaw to drop open. If done correctly you should feel a slight yawning sensation. This is the perfect position of your jaw and the key to maintaining the opening you need to eliminate tension. Vocal science has proven that when we drop the back of the jaw, our throats open. Try singing any one of your songs or arias with your fingers in this position. You will quickly discover how often you close or compromise that space when singing. We feel this is one of the biggest problems facing ALL singers today! If you want to learn how to master this extremely important skill and stop chewing your words, please visit the link in our BIO to start your lessons today!