Singing Technique

Singing Technique in Choir

by Rebecca Feeny

​Choral Singing

​Foundation for good choral singing begins with good posture

Multiple Choice

The foundation for good choral singing begins with 

• good pots and pans

• good typing skills

• good posture

• goodness gracious

​Good posture involves awareness of:

• ​shoulders

• ​rib cage

• ​knees

• ​weight distribution

​Remember:

• ​Shoulders comfortably back

• ​​Rib cage lifted and open

• ​Flexible knees

• ​Weight on both feet

Multiple Choice

In good singing posture, the shoulders should be 

• comfortable back

• slumped down

• rigidly thrown back, like a soldier

• dipping back and forth

Multiple Choice

The legs are straight and the knees are _______.

• at a 90 degree angle

• flexible

• rigid

• raised up on the chair in front of you

​Sound production

​Sound is produced as air passes through the vocal cords which are located in the larynx (or voice box).

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Multiple Choice

The larynx (or voice box) houses the ______ which produce our vocal sounds.

• tongue

• diaphragm

• spine

• vocal cords

Diaphragm​

​The diaphragm is a thin muscle that separates the chest and the abdomen. It contracts and flattens when you inhale. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes, and the air is pushed out of your lungs.

​Diaphragm function in singing:

• ​assist with breathing

• ​allow for plenty of air inhaled

• ​provide support to the tone

Multiple Choice

The diaphragm's muscle function is to:

• assist with breathing

• allow for plenty of air inhaled

• provide support to the tone

• all answers shown here

​Creating a Beautiful Singing Tone

• ​Jaw is comfortably dropped

• ​ Beauty in a choral singing tone is in producing unison Vowel sounds

• ​Know what pitch you need to produce by thinking it in your head first-before making a sound

Multiple Choice

When singing, your jaw should be comfortably _______.

• rigid

• chewing

• dropped

• clinched

Multiple Choice

When singing in a chorus, a beautiful sound is achieved by creating unison _____ sounds.

• consonant

• vowel

• number

• vociferous

​Vowel sound "ah"

​A beautiful choral "ah" sound is most like that of a beginning stage of a yawn - with a relaxed, open jaw.

​A person's ability to Sing with others depends on:

• ​balancing their voice volume with others

• ​singing with a rounded, resonant tone

• ​making sure their vowel matches others

Multiple Choice

A person's ability to sing with others depends on

• balancing their voice volume with others

• singing with a clinched jaw and rigid knees

• making sure they don't match their vowels with anyone else

• singing with a weak, unsupported sound