Ila Siliga- Singing Basics: Posture, Breath, and Tone

I have been singing since before I can even remember. Most of my singing was due to my church choir. I still am a very active member in my church choir and have started singing in choir at school as well and because of it I have developed a very colorful music background. However, it is hard for me to know whether or not I am singing correctly. When I say this, I mean in a way that will prevent harm to my voice. Even with the help of choir directors I have had in the past and other experienced singers I have been taught by, I have always had the concern of damaging my voice.


The book I'm reading titled Singing for Dummies, describes different techniques that will help prevent this from happening, as well as some of the basics of singing. My goal with this book is to reteach myself to sing correctly and efficiently. Posture, breath and tone of voice all help with finding your voice and producing your sound: "Posture is important in singing well...The big key to great singing is knowing how to use your breath to make the sounds... Vocal tone is important because you want the best sounds to come out of your mouth" (Phillips 12).  Posture is improved by putting your shoulders back and removing pressure from your lungs, then parting legs slightly to improve balance (which isn't shown very well in the picture, but it's there). Breath is improved by "breathing into your stomach," which is basically breathing in and feeling your stomach expand so that you voice can be projected when pressure is applied by your diaphragm. Lastly, tone where the other two are applied to make your sound. These basics of singing all bring attention to how sound should be made and how it is going to apply to what I am singing. In the picture below I am shown using all the techniques I have learned  to sing the notes (musical notes) in my book, which are going up and down the scale. With these basics I have found my sound on my own and can now direct them into more music. Also, I will be able to find my "category" of voice on my own with the help of these techniques.


Before reading about posture, breath, and tone I already had an idea of how to use them, but relearning them helps me capture it into muscle memory. This really  brings my attention to everyday life, and how my breath, posture, and tone of voice while speaking affects my power and volume. Overall, singing is a very easy thing to do once you learn the basics and apply them the right way, which are going to be revealed as I read on. If I were to leave one of these techniques out would my singing be negatively impacted?