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Vocal Myths Dispelled, Part III: "Support Fixes Everything!"

In our last vocal myths post, we discussed the role of the diaphragm in breathing. We learned that the diaphragm is involved in every breath you take, whether you are singing or not, and that the difference between a "regular" breath and a "singing" breath mostly has to do with how you manage the air pressure in your body, and how you control the pace of the diaphragm's movement.

So today, we are going to tackle a related, but much more multi-faceted issue: "support." What it is, what it isn't, and why - although essential for good singing - it is not an all-time problem-solver.

Most singers know that support is supposed to come from the body somehow. Most understand that the abdominal muscles are involved in some way. However, I've found that many inexperienced singers' ideas of "support" involve clenching or tensing the abdominal and torso muscles in an effort to "control" their instrument. News flash: This method of clenching and/or tensing is not support, and is not healthy for your voice. This way of "supporting" usually results in a tense body, a tight throat, too much air pressure underneath the vocal folds, and thus often a pressed, tense sound devoid of color and resonance. Singing with this much tension too frequently can lead to serious vocal problems down the road.

So how do we achieve real, good support then?

Good support begins with good body alignment. All that boring posture stuff your teacher repeatedly nags you about? It all has a purpose, and that purpose is to provide you with a strong base, a solid center, and the ability to use your air in a way that aids in free vocal production. You cannot have optimal support without optimal alignment. Period.

As we learned in the last post, your diaphragm descends when you inhale, making room for all the air that will be filling your lungs. We also learned that the ribs move outward and upward, expanding your chest cavity. So, when you take a "singer's breath," you should also feel the sides and back of your lower torso expand. That's right, your lower body expansion should not just be in your tummy area - you should be expanding all the way around your middle.

During the exhale, the diaphragm ascends back to its original position. In singing, this happens very slowly, as we need to make our air last through an entire musical phrase. As it ascends, you see your tummy area tuck back into itself.

As you exhale, all those other muscles - the ones that run along your rib cage and down the sides of your torso - should stay strong and contracted. In other words, your ribs should stay expanded, and the muscles around them should stay engaged. These muscles are the ones that give you your support.

Now, don't misinterpret "strong and contracted" to mean " tightened and tensed." When you support, your muscles are working, to be sure, but they are never tightened. They are contracted, but should never be tensed.

So you see now (I hope) how good support is directly related to good body alignment. If you slouch or cave your rib cage when you exhale, your are cutting off your support. If you stand with a curve in your back, you are cutting off your support. I've said it before and I'll say it again: bad posture = bad breathing = bad singing.

Now, any good singer or teacher will tell you that your body and breath are the basis for all of your technique. If you're experiencing a technical problem, the first thing you should check is your alignment and your breath support. Yes, your throat should be open, your jaw relaxed, your soft palate lifted. But none of it is going to matter if you're not set up to support properly. Think of a car: it doesn't matter if the car has brand new tires and brakes - if the engine doesn't work, you're not going anywhere.

HOWEVER - and this is very important - support cannot solve every technical problem.

BUT, you just said...!

Hold up, now. I said that your alignment and support should be the first things you check in the face of a technical problem. I did not say that they are the only things you should check. Increased support can solve, or aid in solving, a myriad of issues, to be sure, but some - I would venture to say many - technical problems are much more multi-faceted than that. Think about it: your breathing and support can be very coordinated, but it's not going to matter if your throat is tight, your neck is tensed, your jaw is not released, your tongue is depressed, or your soft palate is not lifted. Consider another car analogy - it's obviously essential that the engine be in good shape, but a good engine is not going to do anything for your car if it has a flat tire.

A couple more caveats as you consider this topic:

1) In order to develop good support (and good technique in general), it's essential that you work with a knowledgeable teacher. As with many things involving a specific use of your body's muscles, you should not attempt to hone your support system on your own. While online resources (like this post, or others like it, or various YouTube videos) have their place in a singer's life and can sometimes be helpful, the only way to truly become a good singer is to work with a teacher who knows what the heck he or she is doing. So please, if you are confused about anything I've said, please talk to your teacher about it. Or, if you don't have one, leave us a comment or drop us a message via our website, and we'll be happy to help.

2) It is important to note that the finer points of support will vary slightly from style to style. A classical singer uses her body a bit differently from a musical theater belter, for example. And it's also important to keep in mind that every teacher, even those within the same style, will talk about support a bit differently. What I have attempted to outline here is merely a simplistic version of the physiological process - the descent and ascent of the diaphragm, the expansion of the ribs, and the engagement of the lower side and back muscles.

But, the more you know, right?

So keep practicing. Keep supporting. And keep changing the public perception of singing, one pedagogical factoid at a time.


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