Like trying to blow up a balloon during an asthma attack . . .

[shniggens]

. . . hope that caught your attention.

 

Silly analogy for a frustrating problem I am having -

 

In my band, I am trying to sing along on alot of songs . . . which is alot of fun, but can also be very painful for me. I mean, when I'm standing up, singing is easy (probably not very pretty, but easy). When I am sitting down at the keys I feel as if I'm trying to puke up a bowling ball.

 

Popular singers that play piano seem to make it look easy (Elton, Stevie, Ray, Axl [just kidding ]) What's the secret. Any tips?

 

I have considered raising my keyboard stand and play standing up . . . but I am not used to that, and I don't think I would be too comfortable in that position.

 

Is there anything else I can do as far as mic position or posture? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

[SolipsismX]

can't you just position the mic to where your head regularly sits? And sticking your head out isn't that hard. Maybe you just need to get used to it for a while. Are you more concerned about how you look, or how it feels?

[shniggens]

Oh, definately how it feels. I know I look like a dumb-ass

 

The mic is positioned right in front of my face.

 

I just feel like I have to strain more to sing sitting down than I do standing up.

[joegerardi]

Absolutely make sure your posture is proper and upright while trying to sing sitting down. Slouching will compress your diaphragm, giving you little air, and making it harder to hit and hold notes.

 

Arch your back slightly, and make sure your shoulders are square. Be conscious of your breathing, because the bend at the waist already constricts your airflow slightly. Keep your head fairly level so as not to compress your vocal cords.

 

..Joe

[Pat Azzarello]

OK, I stand when I play, so this may not help, but I use a headset mic... makes a big difference. I was starting to have hand problems because of the contortions I was going through to get my head to the microphone.

 

I've seen a lot of "singing" keyboardists who sit high (Billy Joel being one of them). You'll also notice that a lot of them actually stand up to sing at time (especially when they belt out the big parts. It helps a lot with air support (as opposed to Air Supply, but that's a bad 70's flashback that we can all do without) to minimize your "lap" when singing.

 

"I'm all out of air,

Cause I sit when I play.

I feel like I'll puke,

Out a bow-ling ball."

 

OK, enough bad humor.

[Superbobus]

And sticking your head out isn't that hard.

Not that hard if you want to have lasting neck and back problems. A good posture is the only way to go. The feeling of puking out a bowling ball probably has to deal with not sitting relaxed and straight up at the same time.

 

Soulstars

[Dave Pierce]

Your mother gave you the answer and you didn't even know it:

 

"Sit up straight, young man!"

 

--Dave

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Another vote for posture.

 

My vocal coaches were all very explicit about the effects of bad posture on the voice. Think about the physics...proper singing uses the diaphragm muscle in your abdomen to push air out of the lungs, through your vocal chords, and out of your mouth. Obviously, with your body bent at that point from any slumping while you sit, you won't have the same performance as when you stand straight. Like a bellows, you'll move more air through a stright pathway than a curved one. See "Bernoulli's Principle" if you want a more scientific explanation.

 

Sit up with the upper half of your body as straight as when you stand. It may not feel comfy at first, but get used to it, and I guarantee your voice will be stronger and you'll feel more confident about sittin' and singin'.

 

- Jeff