Standing is the best position to record vocals in, allowing full opening of the throat and full movement of the diaphragm. However, the singer should sit or stand according to which position they feel most comfortable in. The position that gives the best performance is best.
The abdominal wall (or the abs) need to relax when we breathe in. Sitting down makes that difficult. As a result, we cannot take quick and deep breaths. There are times when sitting down to sing is unavoidable.
It would be to do with the way your diaphragm and thorax changes shape in a sitting position. I think you're right about the pressure. When sitting, the pressure of your thorax (chest cavity area) moves lower down perhaps producing this timbre you like the sound of.
Our voice therapists recommend that for every 60 minutes of voice use, you need 10 minutes of voice rest. Overuse can damage the vocal cords, and if you often find you have lost your voice by the end of the day or after an hour of singing, your vocal cords may be experiencing tissue damage.
The best thing you can do to improve your singing is singing regularly. “Practice makes perfect” is a cliché, but practice really does make you better. Singing every day strengthens your vocal cords, improves your vocal range, and will gradually lead you to a better vocal tone.
Standing is the best position to record vocals in, allowing full opening of the throat and full movement of the diaphragm. However, the singer should sit or stand according to which position they feel most comfortable in. The position that gives the best performance is best.
The best drinks before singing are warm drinks without caffeine or milk, warm water and herbal teas containing manuka honey, lemon and ginger are ideal. Warm or room-temperature water will hydrate your vocal cords, making them more supple and less liable to injury.
Bad Posture
When the body is out of alignment, it creates tension throughout the body and it will affect the quality of our singing voice. Other examples of bad posture: chin tucked into the neck/”texting” neck, rounded (slumped forward) shoulders, chest in a low position/arched inwards.
Singing may not be so much a natural talent as it is a learned skill—one that researchers say can decline over time if not used. The good news is that with lots of practice, just about anyone can become a better singer.
Your voice can withstand a certain amount of use without vocal fatigue, depending on the intensity of use and your level of vocal fitness. By singing too much, too loudly, or out of range, your vocal mechanism will begin to fatigue and your body will try and compensate.
The most common reason a vocalist can't sing on pitch and produces a flat voice tone has to do with what the vocal folds (cords) are doing, rather than the ear. If you're wondering how to sing on key consistently, know that hitting exactly the right notes is a quite complex task for the vocal cords.
Singing is partly innate, and partly a learnt skill. You can be born with vocal tracts that are physiologically sized and shaped to give your voice a more pleasing sound, naturally pathing the way to becoming a singer. But controlling and configuring your vocal muscles in order to sing well is a learnt skill.
“Everyone who can speak can learn to use a singing voice,” says Joanne Rutkowski, professor of music education. “The quality of the voice is dependent on many factors; however, barring a physical vocal disability, everyone can learn to sing well enough to sing basic songs.”
Like the rest of your body, your vocal cords slowly change and age over the course of your life. As you get older, the fibres in your vocal folds become stiffer and thinner and your larynx cartilage becomes harder. This limits the voice and is why elderly people's voices can sound “wobbly” or “breathier”.
Honey is known to have powerful soothing effects on your voice, vocal cords, and throat. It's rich in antioxidants and has antibacterial properties which help fight bacterial infections in the throat. Honey can help singers recover quicker from strained, sore, and lost voices.
It can cause your voice to crack, dehydration, additional mucus, and an impaired vocal range. Your vocal folds need proper hydration to function and perform well. Alcohol has a severe dehydrating effect on the entire body, especially the mouth, and will remove moisture from your vocal cords.
Hot fluids increase mucus that lines the pharynx which can affect your tone. Also, if you swallow hot fluids, this is likely to cause inflammation which will increase sensitivity and make singing overall more difficult and uncomfortable.
In short, the answer is that there is no “too soft” or “too loud” for vocal health–it's all in how you produce the sound. Here's the longer answer: When it comes to singing “freely” or even healthfully, it isn't really about singing loudly or softly—more about the way you're producing that loud or soft sound.
You should never sing from your throat—the power behind your voice is your breath, and your breath should be supported by your diaphragm. Sing from your core, allow your vocal cords to relax, and let your voice resonate in your chest, pharynx and face. Don't worry if this doesn't immediately make sense to you.
Practicing singing quietly can significantly improve your singing! Inside this video I'll tell you why quiet practicing is so powerful and how you can take advantage of it to immediately improve your practicing and singing success.
Humming is one of the best all-around vocal exercises. This technique helps stretch the vocal cords, relaxes your facial muscles, and improves breathing. Humming also develops your vocal resonance and tone quality.
Working with a microphone can help combat the natural inclination to start pushing harder when you're having a hard time hearing yourself. For more advanced vocalists, especially in the pop and rock world, practicing with amplification is absolutely imperative because you'll usually be performing with amplification.