The human body is a treasury of skills. It communicates with the surroundings by movement, dance, singing, sports, handy skills and many other possibilities of expressing. The singing starting point is an improvement of the warmed and relaxed body that has to enthuse already at its basics. An unforced face of clear lines causes open singing and at the same time it guarantees a genuine contact with the audience. For the shown confidence you should also during the applause show an appropriate level of respect and thanks. The singers often forget about this important segment of the appearance because we burden ourselves with mistakes in the just sung song.

With the exercises for relaxed singing and mastering the singing starting point you should a little bit exaggerate and repeat them many times. Only like that it would be possible to pass on the honest message, with the content of the lyrics as well as with the wealth of musicality and harmony.

Exercise

Mutual happiness about the presence of other singers the singer can show an exaggerated expression of enthusiasm with a deep breath. The motion strengthens the cooperation, exceeds the emotional obstacles and softens the whole vocal body.

Exercise

Watch the level of relaxation during performing different paraphrased expressions. The purpose of the exercise is to reach awareness in co-dependence of the body as a whole. In anger the pressed eyebrows necessarily cause a defensive tense whereas in happiness a lifted forehead allows active singing openness and relaxation.

Singing expression: explosion of feelings – interpretation of the lyrics

In the vocal concert field is the performance of vocal music often subordinated to the awareness about the meaning and severity of the sang lyrics. Either it is about insufficient concentration or about clumsiness of expressing the feelings, an important moment of musical and contentual communication.

The singers should not overlook the wealth of the presented contents and possible breadth of the inner expression. To a complete stage performance you should never forget to say thank you for the applause which the audience will not overlook.

Paradox of the singing expression: motion – motionless?

While singing there occurs a question in which intensity you can support the common expression of the inner message. When doing pedagogic work with children’s choirs there is a rule that says during singing you have to strive to extreme expression of the body motion. We could say that the motion and the singing are totally unified.

The later period of performing requires at allowing singing “swinging” some more caution. When the children’s songs touch some funny and light topic at children’s songs you are with the choice of “mature” musical literature faced with earnest and deep expressional topics. They do not allow wrong forms of expressing, too much motion is on the stage mora a disturbing element than a helpful tool for light singing.

Let’s compromise on an adjusted single choice of the song. Character expression adjusts to the content and the diversity of the style. Funny and dinking songs allow more body motion whereas dirges and earnest literature a little bit more reserved approach. All have an open and stable body posture in common, the eyebrows are lifted, the feet hard on the ground and balanced.

The song from the period of the renaissance requires a somehow other approach like for example a song from the treasury of folk music or so to say a choice of the romantic style period. Performing renaissance sacral literature (motet) is strictly connected with the character of the of the fluent, continued music flow where retaining of an adjusted and calmed vocal body is very important. Eventual body motion can occur only in the sense of supporting intense breathing or so to say when restoring a maximum stable balance. Later music styles allow some more body motion expression which are classified especially for modern, popular production.

Let me warn you that calming down cannot be connected with motionless standing. The body must keep in spite of retaining the musical level, a healthy amount of relaxation and appropriate motion.

Upright and self confident singing personality

Concert singing performance requires an upright and self confident singing personality. Because the main part of singing performances is in standing position and it is recommended to exercise also in an upright position. But if the singers sit they should move to the edge of the chair (a correct singing posture forces us that the spine is upright) the legs should be slightly apart and moderate flexed. In that way the singing power gets the most necessary support. When singing between breathing you shore up on each leg rotation where you simultaneously regulate the balance and stay as active as possible. A folder for the material is by appropriate music motion an excellent help to control the open body posture. At advanced melodious processes or by leaps the music material is being moved in direction for open singing performance.

Correct singing posture

– relaxed neck,
– soft, lowered chin,
– friendly singing expression and lifted eyebrows,
– slightly lowered and directed look into a remote point,

– upright back,

– relaxed and lowered shoulders,

– hands with palm turned outside (when exercising singing),
– balanced standing in slightly shored up position,
– the power centre for singing is concentrated on abdominal muscles (at the diaphragm).

Maybe you are interested in your prior singing knowledge? Get to know how to warm up the vocal body, correct breathing when singing, articulation of vowels and consonants, correct posture, about singing in polyphony, phrasing, vocal extent (singing high and low tones) and about solfeggio… More about problems with singing and finding solutions is written in the handbook of basic vocal techniques.

A group of singers, choirs and singing teachers develops an interesting controversy about the most common singing and solutions. You can join us and add your contribution to the mosaic of opinions. Invited to a Singing (Vocal Technique).

Did you find the note of singing expression “is a treasury of abilities” some useful advice for yourself?

Robert Feguš
www.petje.pro