Maintaining Vocal Relaxation

How to create vocal relaxation while singing?

If you've been taking singing lessons with me this spring, you've been working on lots of stretches and movement as you sing. Although at times it feels awkward for new singers, there's no better way to improve your tone than with a little movement. As a voice teacher, I often experience a bit of resistance convincing singers to move as they sing, but the results in tone improvement are instantaneous. Furthermore, this is a natural progression since as you sing since on stage, you want to develop a freedom and confident posture rather than standing on stage with locked knees & stiff hands.

Keep your body Loose

Remember, if you have a tight throat, you will have a tight sound. If you're squeezing your abdominals too hard, you will have a stiff sound compared to the desired free tone in singing. Ever heard someone sound a bit like kermit the frog, it's likely their tongue is tight.

Tips to Stay Physically Relaxed

Touch your toes

Next time you're singing, try to touch your toes. See if you notice a difference and feel the expansion and breath move through your body. Is your waist line expanding? Make sure your neck is also relaxes and you're trying to hold your head up as you lean over.

Touch your toes while singing

Draw Arm Circles

Stretch your arms out to your sides and draw circles with your hands. Make sure you do this while you sing. Especially while warming up. tretch your fingertips towards the walls on each side of your body.

Sigh

Take deep breaths and sigh to soften your body. Notice if you're creating deep breaths as you do so. is you breath reaching your abdominal area or is it stuck in your chest? You want the breath to sink into your belly.

Sigh with an audible Sound

Now try to sigh, but make noise like a "huh" or "ah" as you do so. Connect the breath relase to the voice to prepare yourself to the act of singing.

Walk around the room as you sing

This often feels very silly to new singers, but i recommend walking around the room as you sing. Many sutdents get hung up on the concept of technique or habits they've performed in the past. Breaking out of your physical rut can be a game changer for vocal relaxation.

Walk and Sing

Drink warm tea

This might sound silly to you, but drinking some warm herbal tea might promote the sensation of softening the throat. For some peopel it just relaxes the mind too. Remember your whole body is use in singing. From the top of your head down to your toes you needs to feel conencted both physically and mentally.

Warm tea for vocal relaxation

Gentle Self Massage for your Voice

Try some self-massage for your throat. Gently knead the muscles around your neck or even along the jaw. Many singers carry tension in these two areas. (are you grinding your teeth at night and feeling it as you sing?!?) Take your hands and gentle rub the muscles in the area. You can do gentle yawns occasionally to make sure it's all stretched out within your throat. I have a gua sha tool I even love to use to release tension along my jaw.

Gua Sha Tool for Self Massage

Take Voice Lessons with me!

Want to take a voice lesson with me? Come to my music studio in West Los Angeles (in Venice) or sign up to work with me online. I will give you more tips for vocal relaxation based on what I assess about your own singing. Can't wait to meet you!

60 Minute Voice Lesson

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Ariana Grande is a very relaxed singer!