How do we making singing “easier”?
In the perfect world that all singers dream of (shall we call it La-La Land?), every time we open our mouth to sing, the sound we are hoping to make comes out AND it doesn’t feel like it took any work to make it happen. Yet in most of our everyday life, we experience all kinds of hang-ups in our singing…
Notes that don’t sound or feel the way we want them to
Breath that seems to run out just when we need it most
Feeling like our voice is working when no one is listening, but then it seems to go away as soon as we sing in front of other people
Is there any bridge that can be built between the vocal La-La Land we dream of and the actual world we live in? How do we make singing “easier” without unrealistic expectations of perfection?
Does the bridge exist?
In my own singing journey and in the experiences of the singers I teach/coach, I have witnessed something that continues to encourage me that “easier” is in fact possible. However, it requires something of us that I consider a bit counter cultural to what we often hear from all of the buzz constantly coming at us.
Singing is a physical activity, and usually when we think about doing something physical we think about exerting a certain amount of energy or force to make something happen. Singing’s primary power source is our breath, which is at its best and most powerful when the body is able to relax and expand. When we gear our bodies up to “try” to sing, we often create tension in different areas of the body that make it harder for our breath to come in, and also make it harder for the breath to flow out with even, balanced support.
We live in a world that is constantly reminding us of how much we need to “do”—it’s natural that our brains keep us in a pattern of tension, ready to jump into action, protect ourselves or others, and be constantly on in such a way as to not be found lazy, unprepared, or out of control. Yet singing teaches us that if we want to sing freely and with ease, we have to allow ourselves to first let go and trust our body’s relaxed, natural state.
Who wouldn’t want to sing here?
This is usually where singers panic…
”If I just relax everything, where will my support come from? I won’t sound strong at all!”
”I don’t have time for that. I can’t afford to just be a limp noodle, I have things to do!”
”I have no idea how to actually relax. I’m afraid if I try to, I’ll fail at that as well.”
Every one of these thoughts has run through my own head at different points of my own singing journey. But I’ve learned the lesson well for myself—our bodies are incredible, and there is so much the body can do without extreme effort when we start with learning to re-wire the thought patterns and physical habits that attempt to create more control than release. Only from this place of relaxation can we learn how to slowly add back in the efforts that are going to help our voices more than hurt them in the long run.
Have you experienced your own hang ups with tension that is holding back your voice? Curious as to how to sing more relaxed and live with more relaxation? Book a FREE 30 minute call with me to discuss your specific goals and I would love to help you find your next right step!
Sydney is a voice teacher and voice coach offering singing lessons in Austin, TX and virtual online lessons. Check out more of her work at singingwithsydney.com .
