Singing and posture–see Categories, About, Launch 4-2014

Getting back to this important topic, now that I’ve made several adjustments in my singing methods.  Man, this was a lot to read from this support group.

This makes more sense to me; and, to incorporate into my vocalposture.com frame of reference:

“Support” as used in the above postings, other than Pete’s support as in meaning musical-hearing, is defined as mostly muscular power sources focusing on the lungs and vocal cords.   According to the above, these muscular sources can counterpose each other.   My opinion is that this approach misses several factors.

First, there’s the skeletal structural support, which supports all the other tissues.   If the skeletal system’s posture isn’t correct, there is continual tension on some muscles and excessive relaxation on others.   It is these muscles that then supports and then powers the air emitting organs, including the lungs and vocal cords.

Having correct posture results in the muscles stretched in tone; this is what is meant by good muscle tone, and I suggest that it might be more than coincidence that the word “tone” reflects both vocal and muscle states.  The ancients probably thought about this, and said of a singer with good tone meaning that he or she has good muscle tone.

With good muscle tone, the above-described counterposing muscles described work properly; without good muscle tone, the singer always has to consciously exert forces fighting muscle tensions.

We’re dealing with a lengthy resonance and sound emitting tract, and it is not only counterposing muscles on a specific organ, but also entire muscle groups.  The only way, it would seem to me, to attain good muscle tone is first attain good posture.

Also, I tend to believe in the above postings, there is too much focus on the vocal cords.   People are very good, in my opinion, at producing the right pitch with the vocal cords—because this is primarily a nerve channel from the brain to the vocal cords.   The evidence for this is overwhelming, as it is how children learn to talk.

What’s difficult about singing is how to amplify and control the resononance of the vocal cords’ pitch.   It is here that the quality of the voice is primarily assessed.   And because the vocal tract and head resonance involve so many points of muscular controls and, as stated above, having bad posture means there are innumerable unresolved muscular and skeletal tension areas.

Some have said the body is like a standing tuning resonance fork.   Proper support would then suggest to mean setting up the structural bones to resonate with the mood being expressed.   This means, if sad song, head tends to drop a bit; if rhythmical, body moves in rhythm; if strong, bold chested.   Not just for the visual effect, but because the resonance patterns and power sources immediately change to reflect the intended sound desired.

Having good posture means that the muscles are in tone; this is another way of saying relaxed yet being able to have power potential.   One can stiffen oneself into good posture, but this will tighten already taut muscles, and not produce desired sound effects.   Toned good posture is appropriate here. 

As it relates to what does support mean—my opinion would be:

1. The tone of the muscles is a major influencer on the counterposing muscles sound effects.
2. The tone of the muscles affect resonance.
3. The structural support affect the tone of the muscles.
4. Hence, a major part of singing boils down to in-tone posture, which is what is good support should mean.

This entry was posted on July 13, 2010 at 7:18 pm and is filed under posture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.