One of the questions I get most often in lessons and workshops is, “How do I support my voice?”
For many singers, especially beginners, it’s really hard to imagine what supported singing would feel like. This exercise uses something you already know how to do – sitting down on a chair – to engage the lower body and core while you sing.
Grab a chair and give it a try!
How to do the Chair Support Exercise:
The musical pattern here is quite simple – sing a 9 note scale (Do to high Re and back) on “Vee – ee – vee – ee – vee – ee -vee – ee -Vee – ee -vee – ee -vee – ee -vee – ee -vee.”
As you sing, use every “V” to turn on your awareness – feel the natural engagement of the low belly muscles and the buzz between the top teeth and lower lip. Just voicing that consonant is already engaging your support and guiding your resonance forward.
On the “ee” vowels, check in with the tongue and lips. You do not need to spread the mouth horizontally or smile to say an “ee” vowel (Check out this video to find out more about “ee” and the other vowels!). Keep the middle of the tongue soft as you sing.
Now, grab that chair and stand in front of it. Be sure it’s not wobbly or a spinny chair – safety first!! A standard dining chair works great, as does a piano bench.
We’re going to sing that scale and, about half way up the scale, begin to slowly sit down into the chair and then stand back up. I won’t dictate a specific timing, but you should be lowering your body downward as you reach the top of the scale. As you lower, your leg and core muscles will engage to keep you upright, and you’ll find yourself singing into the top of the voice with strength and flow.
Thanks for practicing!
