Vocal Technique

This page is an optional resource for vocalists who want additional guidance on healthy and effective vocal technique. These principles can help improve tone, consistency, and endurance when singing.

Posture

  • Relax your body. Ask yourself if there are any tense muscle areas you can release.

  • Imagine a straight line going from the crown of your head, down to the heels of your feet. Align yourself to that line.

  • Always: Your chest is comfortably up, lower abdomen comfortably in, and upper abdomen (below rib cage) free to move.

  • Common posture errors to avoid:

    • Lifting chin or stretching neck out to “reach” for high notes

    • Tension in your neck and shoulders

    • Chest drops when exhaling (singing)

    • Upper abdomen is pulled in to look thinner

Breathing

  • Good posture precedes good breathing.

  • When you have time, breathe through your nose – as if you’re smelling a rose.

  • Otherwise, breathe through both your nose and mouth – as if you’re beginning a yawn.

  • Feel the air go down into your body, down into your lungs, and out around your middle.

  • Even when your lungs are empty, your chest should remain raised.

  • Breathing is noiseless and without tension.

  • Your chest is comfortably high before, during, and after taking a breath.

Phonation

Phonation: To produce a vocal sound

Characteristics of Good Vocal Sound

  • Good pitch – deliberately singing in tune

  • Loud enough to be heard easily

  • Energy flows smoothly from note to note

  • Consistent sound

  • Vibrant, dynamic, and alive

How to Sing a Phrase

  • Attack:  Starting well prepares the way to continue well.  Pitch originates in your mind – think the note before you sing it.  Try not to scoop or slide up or down to the pitch unless it is stylistically appropriate.

  • Sustain:  Keep the energy going, giving extra emphasis to the dynamic peaks within each phrase.  Sound should be steady and consistent.  Your throat should feel relaxed and open.

  • Release:  Taper at the end of phrases but don’t let your breath support sag before the sound is completed.  Even when volume is decreasing or a phrase is ending, intentionally keep breathing muscles engaged.

Vowels and Blend

  • Keep vowels speech-like.

  • Beware of Southern vowels – think taller vowels, rather than wider vowels.

  • Intentionally listen to yourself and others.

  • Be aware of your vowels and tone, modifying your sound to blend with other singers – singing confidently and conscious of others.

This material is adapted from principles taught in The Diagnosis & Correction of Vocal Faults by James C. McKinney.