Posture, Breathing & Speaking On-pitch
From: Your First Singing Lesson With Abramby Abram Poliakoff
Description:
Always start with posture because our body is our instrument! Good posture sets us up for effective breathing, less strain, and easier singing over all. Posture isn’t about a single correct position, but instead has to do with balancing our lower and upper body to allow freedom and flexibility in your spine. Standing is generally preferred, but of course remain seated if you need to.
If you’re standing, have your feet about hip’s distance apart. Keep your knees slightly bent and soft. From this position start looking from right to left . You can let your arms swing or use them as a support. Now gently twist your spine as your head turns. Roll your head and then your shoulders for a moment. Stretch up and over your head and let your hands fall to the side.
The next step is working on our breath. We make sound - whether speaking or singing - by air passing through our vocal folds and out our throat to varying degrees so working our breath is essential.
If you’re finding it impossible to match the pitch I'm singing with these exercises then, I encourage you to check out our “How to sing in tune” lesson series as well. Aim for loose targets at first and just know that it takes time for the muscles to coordinate appropriately and get a handle of matching exact pitches.
Exercises:
Body Centering Exercise
Belly Breathing Inhale/Exhale
ZZZ Siren
Yah/Wah (1,2,1)
ZZZ Siren
Yah/Wah (1,2,1)
Great work, and get ready for more singing in the next lesson.
Lessons:
Instructor: Abram Poliakoff
Abram Poliakoff is a singer, guitarist, pianist, teacher, conductor, and composer. He received a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Arts from USC’s Thornton School of Music and has been teaching music for 8 years. He is currently both the Associate Artistic Director and a tenor in the L.A. Choral Lab, which recently released its first studio album Sonic Visions in the fall of 2019. Abram teaches and performs a wide range of genres including Classical, Jazz, Folk and Popular music in the Los Angeles area. He has also sung with the San Francisco Opera and Pocket Opera in the Bay Area. His teaching mission is to help his students utilize vocal technique to find their authentic and healthy voice while maximizing genre flexibility and a naturalness of expression.