Handbook - Vocal Tips
Posture Checklist
Posture is a key ingredient of good singing:
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Feet are hip-width apart and with one foot slightly forward.
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Spine is long and straight, from bottom to top.
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Head is centered over shoulders; chin is parallel with the ground.
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Shoulders are back but down and released. If you are hunched over at any time, your lungs cannot fully inflate. Sternum up!
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When standing, knees are unlocked with weight evenly distributed.
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When standing without music, arms are hanging at your side.
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Keep Stephen's hands in view
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Folders up!
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Eyes up!
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Breathing Checklist
To maintain better breathing from your diaphragm:
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Each breath should drop low in the body.
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Open your throat to prevent gasping.
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When inhaling, body movement should be the lower abdominal area and ribs expanding, not the chest.
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When exhaling, body movement should be the abdominal area moving in as air is slowly released.
Checklist for a Nasal Sound
How do you determine if you have a nasal sound? Here’s one way to tell. Sing a favorite song while holding your nose. If you are singing with a balanced, resonant sound, it sound won’t change while holding your nose. If your sound does change, you likely have a nasal sound.
Eliminating a Nasal Sound
The best way to eliminate nasality from your singing is to, yes, you guessed it, lift the soft palate. So, first of all, locate it by running your tongue along the back of your front teeth and then along the roof of your mouth. You will feel a ridge right after your gums, then the hardness of the hard palate, and then the soft tissue at the back. The soft tissue is your soft palate. If you want to see your soft palate move, shine a flashlight in your mouth while looking in the mirror. Yawn and the soft palate will lift. In preparation to sing, lift your soft palate by beginning a yawn or saying “Hung-ah.” Your tongue should release down at the beginning of a yawn as opposed to you pushing it down as you do at the end of a yawn. You want your tongue to release down as the soft palate moves up. You can exercise your soft palate in this way and learn to lift it on command.
Dropping the Larynx
Dropping the larynx also creates a fuller, less pinched sound. Use the beginning of a yawn but do not push down the back of your tongue. Pushing down with the tongue tightens the muscles under your chin and reduces the full sound you are trying to achieve. One suggestion: Inhale slowly as if smelling something absolutely marvelous. Your throat opens and your larynx drops. Use this exercise to become proficient at dropping your larynx.