RECOMMENDED STANDING POSITION

1. The feet may be slightly apart.

2. The general disposition of the weight should be slightly forwards.

3. The pelvis should be above the instep.

4. The torso should be directly above the pelvis; neither in front of nor behind it.

5. The abdominal muscles should feel braced without tension.

6. The torso should feel raised, but not stretched, away from the pelvis.

7. The shoulders should be directly above the pelvis and should be in line with the breast bone at the front.

8. The head should feel well balanced immediately above the shoulders. It should be neither in advance of them nor behind them.

9. The chin should be in a medial position, neither showing the underside of the jaw, nor pulled back allowing a 'double-chin' to form.

Where bad posture is habitual, the desired alignment of the body may feel very strange and tend to produce tension at first. It requires a good deal of conscious effort to achieve the position and then deliberate decision to retain it. All unnecessary tension employed to achieve that position should be eliminated.

EXERCISES TO IMPROVE GENERAL POSTURE

1. Stand on the balls of the feet, letting the arms hang loosely by the sides. Gradually lower the heels, keeping the weight slightly forward. Try to retain the feeling of being tall and well balanced as the heels are lowered.

2. Place a finger on top of the head and feel the spine lengthening to push against the finger. The sensation should be that one is growing taller without tension. The head should be well balanced on top of the shoulders, with no feeling of tension round the throat in an attempt to push against the finger. The whole effort of stretching should appear to come from the spine.

3. Bend from the waist, allowing the arms to swing freely, almost touching the floor. Gradually come to a standing position imagining that each of the vertebrae in the spine is placed slowly and carefully, one on top of the other, in a vertical position, rather like making a tower with building blocks. The head should be placed on top of the last vertebra.

4. Deliberately slump, allowing the ribs to sink towards the pelvis and the shoulders to round. Gradually feel yourself growing outwards and upwards as you come to a good standing position feeling taller and wider.

5. Stand against a wall and feel the back of the head and the whole length of the spine contacting the wall. Gradually move away, trying to retain the sense of alignment in the spine and head.

PROBLEMS OF VOICE PRODUCTION

Faulty Breathing

An adequate breathing method is fundamental to all good voice production. A high percentage of vocal difficulty is attributable to breathing which is undeveloped or erratic in application to voice.

It should be remembered that breathing can provide the voice with either Power or Duration. These are alternatives - you should not speak at your very loudest while sustaining long phrases; it will surely lead to strain. An adequate breathing method will develop the capacity of the breath, with an increase in control over the muscles, in order that longer phrasing may be sustained. It will also develop the strength of the muscles to allow the speaker to produce voice at varying volumes with ease.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 720