Got
Balance? - Mark Baxter
Singing
live often feels like walking a high-wire without a
net. With all eyes upon you, you negotiate through song
after song with nowhere to hide should things get shaky.
In reality, most of us would have a hard time walking
ten steps along the broad side of a 2 X 4. If this is
true for you, the problem may be hidden in your stance.
If you’re young, posture is something your parents
nag you about. If you’re older, the shape of your
body seems forged by nature, unchangeable. The reality,
though, is that posture directly influences the way
we sing. Never mind how many times your mother told
you to stand up straight, poor posture makes for poor
singing.
| Pitch
problems, lack of projection and longevity can easily
be linked to posture. Tension around the pelvis
causes us to overblow, making notes ride sharp.
Tension in the neck and jaw restricts the ability
of the vocal folds to stretch, making pitches flat.
Tension around the larynx also reduces the diameter
of the throat, meaning less resonance to project
the voice. Slouching restricts breathing and saps
muscle strength. You may look casual, but your body
is working harder than it should to sing. The result
is not cool. |
Singing
Lessons by
Mark Baxter |
The
key to posture is balance. Contrary to what you might
think, muscles hold our bones in place. Without muscles
constantly adjusting to the pull of gravity, our bones
would fall in a heap on the floor. To relieve the stress,
bones should be stacked one on top of another, like
the wooden pieces of a Genji game. Imagine your legs
as tall, slender cylinders bridged by a square block
representing your pelvis. Rising from the pelvis are
shorter cylinders, like the spools which hold thread,
a piece of foam placed between each one to absorb shock.
Balanced atop the column of spools is a flat board lying
horizontally, forming the widest section of the pile,
your shoulders. Your arms are cylinders hanging from
each end of this board and your neck a continuation
of spools crowned by a much larger skull piece. Keep
this pile of odd shapes from tumbling down with a minimum
of muscle activity and you win.
Muscle
fatigue is brought on by seemly harmless, unconscious
behaviors. Sit at a desk, a computer or even a piano
for a number of hours and the body starts curving forward,
placing stress on the back. Sitting for long periods
also causes rear leg muscles to tighten while front
muscles weaken, tilting the pelvis. The shoulder which
bears the weight of a guitar strap, especially a bass,
rises higher than its counterpart once the guitar is
removed. Singing into a microphone with your head extended
like a turtle tightens the neck. As the years add up,
these posture related tensions become so reinforced
that the body forgets how to turn them off. More force
is needed to over-ride the restrictions. Breathing and
flexibility, key components for vocal control, are compromised.
Hanging
from a bar is a great way to flush out accumulated tension.
You should try and hang out every day. Since gravity
is the force which pulls us out of whack, it makes sense
to use it to re-align things. When suspended, your bones
will naturally form a straight line, just like wooden
blocks dangling by a string threaded through their center.
The longer you hang, the more your muscles relax. If
it’s too hard on your hands and arms, address
your body in sections. Drape your head over the end
of your bed to release your neck, fan your ribs and
stretch your upper back. Pushing yourself up on a ledge,
the way you’d get out of a swimming pool, will
take the weight off your legs and allow them to hang
free. When you return your weight back to your feet,
look to maintain that free-floating sensation. Like
walking on tip-toes, you won’t weigh any less,
but the point is to feel that way. Look for simple ways
to suspend your weight throughout the day to keep your
posture stress-free. Learning to maintain your balance
while singing means never fearing another high-wire
performance again.
Study
SINGING
LESSONS with MARK BAXTER at home
with these vocal training products:
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