VOCALS
PHYSICAL FITNESS | Sheri Gould
How relevant is your state of physical fitness to BETTER BREATH CONTROL We’ve all seen people with poor posture and
your ability to perform your best as a singer? Having trouble singing through your musical noticed that it detracts from their appearance.
phrases the way you’d like? But with time, the habits of poor posture can
greatly affect our health and our ability to access
Pretty relevant I’d say.
Better overall physical conditioning can really our bodies in the way we need to. Poor posture
Ah, but you say, what about all the overweight help your ability to control your breathing output. can not only lead to considerable pain, but it
opera singers I’ve seen over the years? Well, Breath control is the process of controlling the can become a huge detriment to our ability to
although we do tend to envision a rotund amount of air you exhale at any one time. When breathe properly, to access vocal power and to
physique when we caricaturize a classical you’re in good physical condition, your body is create good tone quality.
singer in our minds, it may or may not represent able to work more efficiently, and your breath reality. However, regardless of how common it can go farther. Conversely, if you find yourself STAMINA
may actually be, the physical health and fitness out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs, Wish you had more stamina as a singer?
of a body can actually make quite a difference you can see how hard your body is working to in the way one sings. Here are some ways… complete a relatively simple task. Obviously, it There are really two types of stamina we can
will be easier to maintain control of your breath, have as singers. One is vocal stamina. This
BETTER BREATH SUPPORT as a singer, if you are in good shape. Although requires being in shape vocally. This requires
Wish you had more power and a better range? singing is not an aerobic exercise in the truest time invested in conditioning the vocal cords.
Better overall physical fitness will mean better sense, it does require a unique use and control Being in great physical shape won’t necessarily
access to breath support. Better breath of air flow. You will be able to utilize your breath affect vocal stamina. However, there are many
support equals more power in your singing much more easily if you are not constantly times when we are simply overcome with
and better access to all of your range. Being fit running out of it! However, just as with proper fatigue during a long rehearsal, or a series
doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have better breath breath support, being in good shape is not of rehearsals. Being in good physical shape
support if you don’t understand proper breath enough in itself to help your breath control. can help us to have more energy for singing,
support in the first place. But, if you are in your
rehearsing and performing overall.
best physical shape, you’ll be able to access Being in good shape and understanding how breath support much more efficiently. That to use your breath in the most efficient way will CONFIDENCE
said, you can be in great shape but have no lead to the best control. Lastly, being in good shape physically can
understanding of how to access proper breath
help our confidence level. When you feel
support, so it’s vitally important, as a singer, to POSTURE good it tends to reflect in your face and overall
understand and employ proper breath support. Wish your body worked more efficiently? demeanor.
The abdominal muscles play a key role during For your body to work as efficiently as possible, I hope this information will help to motivate you
the exhalation process. During exhalation is it needs to be in proper alignment (can you toward a healthier lifestyle in 2020. God bless
when we need to utilize power for support. hear the cheers from all the chiropractors out you as you sing for Him!
Having strong, conditioned abdominal muscles there?). Your body is put together in a perfectly can clearly give us an advantage as singers. marvelous way. Over time, with bad habits and Those muscles can then be better used and misuse, our posture can begin to sag. This can controlled. This does not mean you have to cause a myriad of problems with our health have a clear “six-pack”. It simply means that overall, but it can indeed affect our singing as the stronger those muscles are, the better off well. Our spinal health notwithstanding, our you’ll be. organs are all designed to line up when we
stand correctly.
80
February 2020
Sheri Gould
Sheri is an internationally acclaimed vocal coach.
She’s been helping artists and worshipers find their
voice for over 40 years. For help and resources visit
her site.
www.SheriGould.com
Subscribe for Free...