Jamie Walker

LHA

Principles of Singing
Key Principles of Sound Production:
There are three main parts of the body involved in sound production:

The Mouth

The Voice Box

The Diaphragm and Lungs

In reverse order, the diaphragm and lungs are essential for vocal support due to their role in the respiratory
system. When you inhale, the diaphragm lowers to allow the lungs to expand, thus letting more air into the
lungs. Conversely, when you exhale, the diaphragm rises, forcing the air out of the lungs and into the
trachea, sending the air to the voice box.

The voice box (otherwise known as the larynx) contains two vocal folds that create the actual sound of
singing. The air from the lungs passes through the folds and causes them to vibrate thus creating the sound.
The larynx are responsible for the pitch created which is caused by the length of the folds themselves: larger
folds produce lower pitches, hence why men (typically) have larger folds than women. There are exceptions
to this rule, one such example is Kathi Moss, the Broadway actress who originated such roles as Cha-Cha in
Grease and Saraghina in Nine who was known for her tenor voice caused by her unusually large vocal folds
which allowed for the creation of the rousing number “Be Italian” in Nine.

The mouth is responsible for the ‘release’ of the sound. The mouth is where the pitch resonates and is then
shaped into a sound. The sound is produced by the shape of the mouth itself with particular importance of
the lips and tongue.

Role of the Body and Breath in Sound Production:

Breathing:
During inhalation, the diaphragmatic muscles contract causing the diaphragm to lower creating a vacuum in
the lungs that air rushes to fill. During exhalation, the diaphragmatic muscles relax causing the diaphragm to
rise to force the air out as lung volume decreases.

Simply, breathing is pivotal in singing to supply all of the muscles with oxygen to function properly in order
to produce a full sound without cracking or wavering on notes due to breathlessness. Without the
regulation of breath, a singer will become more easily fatigued and possibly lightheaded due to the lack of
oxygen going into their bloodstream.

Breath can additionally be used to soften the vocal, aiding a singer into easing into the words particularly
when a lyric begins with a vowel. An ‘h’ sound can be used to soften the harsh sound of the vowel to make it
easier for the singer by opening the vocal folds and throat more to allow easier airflow and prevent tension
and constriction in the throat.

Nasal Cavity:
The nasal cavity can greatly aid resonation in singing due to the fact that all air passes through it. Most
vowels are completely non-nasal in the English language, though other languages such as French include
nasal vowels and the English language contains completely nasal sounds like the “n”, “m” and “ng” sounds.
However, nasality can cut like a knife with people either loving or hating it for instance Charlotte Church
criticised Jenny Douglas for her nasal tone on the TV talent show Over the Rainbow.
Jamie Walker
LHA

Sirening:
The application of nasal tone can be extremely useful when warming up the voice

Popularised by the singing practitioner Jo Estill, sirens are an integral part of warming up the voice as well as
developing vocal range and flexibility. The exercise involves producing an ‘ng’ sound that ascends and
descends in pitch to fully explore all areas of the singer’s vocal range to warm up the whole range and to
identify areas needed to be worked on to “iron out” the strain. Additionally, sirening can help singers work
on their breaks between head voice/falsetto, chest voice and belt to make the transition smoother.

Sirening is a common and popular feature of many singers’ warm-up ritual as it involves all areas of the
voice as it transcends all areas of a singer’s range.

Muscles:
During diaphragmatic breathing, intercostal muscles are worked on. These muscles are located between the
ribs and are usually felt during coughing.

To engage these muscles, a singer can utilise practices involving staccato to feel the diaphragm working
through fluxes in the lower abdomen. Furthermore, various breathing and vocal exercises that involve short
and sharp breaths and sounds engage the diaphragm to snatch a breath quickly and expel it with equal
speed which can aid the power behind the voice.

These muscles are often fatigued by diaphragmatic exercises especially among new singers however,
repeated practice can allow increased vocal support and often aids belting due to their role in exhalation to
release air quickly which is integral for belting. Alternatively, regular exercises to work on these muscles can
aid softer tones and singing as it can aid breath control by strengthening the muscles to allow for greater
control and smoothness in breathing to create a rounder tone and resonance.

Abdominal muscles:
Transversus abdominis: Used for forced exhalation

External obliques: Can flex or twist the spine through contractions and, by compressing the abdomen, create
higher pressure in the abdomen and chest for forced exhalation. The relaxation of these muscles makes the
action of the diaphragm more easily felt

Internal obliques: Used to compress the abdomen for exhalation

Forced exhalation: The internal intercostal muscles lower the rib cage and decrease the lung volume while
the abdominal muscles push up on the diaphragm causing the lung cavity to contract

Importance of Physical Body Positioning:

Posture:
The positioning of the body is integral for every singer, therefore posture is of the highest importance.

Chin up and parallel to the floor. This prevents the obstruction of the windpipe and throat to ensure
that breathing is not hindered to ensure full inhalation and controlled exhalation mixed with a stronger
tone. It also reduces the risk of strain and cracking. The problem of an improperly placed head was
highlighted by vocal coach Zoe Tyler when commenting on Abi Finley’s performance of “The Closest Thing to
Crazy” by Katie Melua in TV talent show How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?”. Tyler stating that Finley’s
cracking and flat notes were caused by her raising her head to high during prolonged notes. This was
because Finley was straining her windpipe which obstructed the passage of air meaning that the notes
didn’t form as they should have due to the tightening of the passage.
Jamie Walker
LHA

Shoulders are down and pushed slightly back to open up the collar bone and the chest for easier air
flow. To relieve tension in the shoulders, bunch your shoulders up so they’re almost touching your ears then
just drop them down. This will allow for all the muscles in the shoulders and upper chest as well as the neck
to be engaged and tightened so that the release will allow the muscles to fully relax preventing tension in all
areas.

The hands should be relaxed and by your sides. As well as adding to the positives of good posture in
the fact that no additional tension will be create, this will make sure that a singer can have a default
position to go to when in doubt and also make sure that they’re not awkwardly moving their hands in
meaningless gestures or just making needless movements out of fear of being uninteresting.

You knees should be slightly bent in order to aid relaxation and comfort in the body due to a
relaxed posture with the singer not locking their knees which will add tension in the legs.

Feet should be hip/shoulder width apart. This is possible the most common advance given to
singers as it establishes a strong stance which reflects confidence and assurance in performances, but also
prevents developing tension throughout the body by ensuring the body isn’t shrunk unnecessarily.
Furthermore, this develops centring to ensure that a singer is strongly stood and not restricting themselves
in an awkward position to deliver a strong vocal due to the absence of tension.

Avoid slouching or sitting on your hips. Slouching or sitting on hips creates obstructions in the body
which can affect breathing due to obstructions in the windpipe as well as adding tension to the chest, hips
and legs which affect the quality of the vocal. A singer must retain a strong and straight physicalisation to
produce the round and full vocal required.

However, posture may be compromised for acting purposes in terms of characterisation, though a strong
stance with a straight back is still considered ideal to prevent obstructions in the windpipe and respiratory
systems to ensure strong resonance and projection.

One of the easiest ways to check is to stand against a wall with your head, heels, calves and shoulders
touching the wall to ensure you have the correct posture. Possibly have someone there to check you do
have the correct posture as well as to laugh at you when you walk away from the wall and reposition
yourself in the room trying to retain that posture.

Anchoring:
Anchoring allows a singer to find their comfortable centre of gravity, this also prevents the awkward
swaying, pacing and switching from foot to foot by planting the feet firmly. Anchoring, therefore, allows a
singer to not be restricted by awkward or obstructed posture to confidently and accurately project which
will also strengthen a singer’s ability to belt due to the open and strong positioning of the body.

Articulation:
Articulation: The formation of clear and distinct sounds

Similar to diction, articulation denotes the formation and clarity of words in speech and song. This puts
stress on the singer to actually use all of the letters in the lyric to make sure singers don’t drop the end
consonant.

Articulation relies upon a singer’s ability to control their articulators: the jaw, lips and tongue.
Consequently, the skill of articulation depends heavily on the shaping of the mouth to produce the correct
sound accurately and successfully.

This skill is especially important for musical theatre performers in order to successfully portray meaning and
emotion as poor articulation wouldn’t create a clear message, but rather garner a confused reaction from
the audience.
Jamie Walker
LHA

Articulation Techniques:
Tension, as always, needs to be gotten rid of to enable successful articulation. To relieve said tension a
singer can do a facial workout which entails scrunching up the face and then releasing again in a similar way
that the posture exercise relieves tension in the shoulders. These exercises engage facial muscles,
particularly the articulators to ensure that these muscles are warmed up and can perform to the fullest of
their ability to ensure a singer won't be restricted by tired or fatigued muscles.

Tongue twisters are equally frustrating and effective for articulation. The sequences are designed to make a
singer struggle due to the use of similar sounds and words making the singer focus heavily on the sounds
they produce. This emphasis stresses key sounds through the need for over-pronunciation so that the
articulators are put to work in order to warm them up for general performance purposes.

More simply, a singer could just go through the lyrics to their song normally. Repetition is key and will also
aid in learning a song. Furthermore, over-pronunciation is a key tool to make you stress sounds especially
when performing in a large auditorium to ensure that even those at the back of the theatre can clearly hear
and understand what you’re singing. Articulation also boosts projection and volume by making the sounds
sound clearer and louder even with a quieter dynamic.

Types of Breathing and Breath Control:

Breathing from the Diaphragm Breathing from the Belly
Regulates airflow Stressed airflow
Steady stream of air Forceful expulsion of air
Large amount of movement in abdominal area Expand all areas of the torso to the pelvis

To ensure that a singer is properly breathing from the diaphragm, they can identify a few physical indicators.
For example a singer can see whether they’re chest or lower abdomen is expanding; the latter is ideal as it
shows that the lungs are being properly filled to ensure that the optimum amount of breath is being
obtained to enable proper projection without a breathy tone.

Other physicals signs of improper breathing and general practice are raised shoulders when breathing or
singing which obstructs the respiratory system and creates needless tension in the shoulders and upper
body which, further, obstructs the voice. Rather, a singer should aim to keep their shoulders down and
slightly back to open up the collar bone which will aid projection and prevent tension.

Breathing Exercises:
Controlling breath in terms of allowing a set number of beats for inhalation and exhalation allows for singers
to improve their breath control and, in some cases, their lung capacity.

Very simple exercises can be used for example breathing in for four beats, and breathing out for four again.
Depending on what needs to be worked on, the singer can shorten the time allowed to inhale to work on
the snatch breath. On the other hand, a singer may choose to increase the length of time to breathe out to
work on sustaining breath and preparing for long notes. This strengths the muscles surrounding the lungs
such as the abdominal muscles to train them for stronger inhalation and exhalation and allowing for more
control over both processes. Furthermore, it trains the lungs to take in more air more quickly in addition to
being able to expel it more quickly which can train a singer to become stronger with longer notes and
phrases that require greater breath support. These practices also allow a singer to regulate their breathing
to make sure that they are also not taking in too much breath too quickly and allowing them to increase
their ability with gradual and controlled breathing over a longer period of time.
Jamie Walker
LHA

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