Posture and Relaxation – Alexander Technique

This page gives much more detailed directions about posture and relaxation while singing. Please don’t be impatient to get to the pages on singing  – any time spent here will be amply rewarded.

This page gives insight about posture for singers which comes from Alexander Technique, which is a technique is to help people become aware of, and remove, muscle tension that comes when performing habitual actions. Since bad habits can develop over time, it is worth revisiting this page occasionally.

All the videos on this page are by Alexander Massey. More details related to his videos can be seen on his web site, http://www.oxfordsinginglessons.co.uk/, and he gives more tips and guidance on his resources page.

There is more information about the Alexander Technique at http://www.alexandertechnique.com/

1. Introduction

A short chat, getting to know the man.

2. How the Voice Works

A basic model for how the voice works – talking about breath, the larynx and resonance, and making singing easier and less physically stressful.

3. Aligning the Neck for Singing

Tightness is the neck muscles restricts the voice. It was actually this problem which inspired F.M. Alexander to develop Alexander Technique in the first place.

Lengthen and relax your neck for a better, more resonant sound.

4. Relaxing the Jaw and Throat

This video shows the importance of keeping the jaw and throat relaxed. Basically, get your head in the right position and keep it still.

5. Posture in Singing

Keep your knees “soft” and unlocked, tilt your pelvis to make the small of your back flatter, and relax and lengthen your spine.

Sing in front of a full-length mirror to help you relax your posture.

6. Warm-up exercises

Make sure that you are relaxed while you are warming up (even if you don’t actually do this particular exercise), because your muscles “remember” this pattern and will carry it over into your actual singing.

Try always to exercise in a way which does at least one of three things: improves the breath flow, helps the larynx, or promotes resonance.

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