As part of the Alexander Technique Music Conference 2021 which I’ve helped organised, one of the most popular contributions has been Lindsay Wagstaff’s ‘Alexander Technique basics for singers’.
The video is an excellent short introduction to how the principles of the Alexander Technique can provide the basis for eliminating habits that interfere in the efficient and well-supported use of the voice.
In the video, Lindsay introduces two experiments that vocalists can try on their own. The first involves experimenting with the voice lying down, and the second uses a wall to bring awareness the unhelpful habits of lifting the chest on the in-breath and dropping the chest on the outbreath. She summarizes some of the helpful and unhelpful habits of breathing (in singing as in everyday life) as follows:
Signs of poor breathing habits
- sucking in the air
- tightening the neck
- pulling the head back
- lifting on in-breath
- collapsing on out-breath
- locking the leg joints
Signs of good breathing habits
- head remains in balance
- spine continues to lengthen
- ribs expand and contract freely
- legs are not rigid
Lindsay’s presentation is only around 10 minutes long, but it’s pure gold, and very helpful as a starting point for anyone looking to improve the way they sing.
