Quite a lot of students that come into my studio have neck tension when singing. This is largely due to poor breathing technique, lack of proper breath support, and/or excessive use of breath on exhalation. And usually it’s done in an effort to achieve better projection.
But you don’t want neck tension when singing for these 4 reasons:
Impacts freedom of the voice;
Affects breath efficiency;
Directly affects the vocal cords; and
Increases the risk of vocal injury.
Whilst you want to work on the bad habits that are causing muscle tension, in this blog post, I’m sharing 5 easy upper body exercises that you can do before, during, and/or after your singing practice to help you relieve upper body, shoulder, and neck tension when singing.
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Hi, I'm Rebecca! And I truly love everything about the art, science, and teaching of singing. If you're looking to build an effective and healthier singing technique so that you can sing with more ease and confidence, then you're in the right place! Here's a few other blog posts you might also like to read:
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EXERCISE #1: HEAD ROLL
Standing with your feet hip width apart, tuck your shoulders comfortably down, back, like you’re putting your shoulder blades into your back pockets.
Drop your head forward so that your chin rests on or as close to your chest as possible.
Roll your head slowly as far left as you can without rolling your head over your spine, and then roll it back to the centre. Now, roll your head slowly to the far right, and then roll it slowly back to the centre.
Repeat this 3 - 5 times on each side.
EXERCISE #2: DOUBLE SHOULDER ROLL
Standing with your feet hip width apart, roll both shoulders slowly upwards and forwards in a circular motion.
Repeat this 5 times.
Then, roll both shoulders slowly upwards and backwards in a circular motion.
Repeat this 5 times.
EXERCISE #3: SINGLE SHOULDER ROLL
Still in a standing position, with your feet hip width apart, allow the left shoulder to lie quietly down and back. Roll the right shoulder up and forward in a circular motion.
Then, allow the right shoulder to lie quietly, and roll the left shoulder up and forward in a circular motion.
Alternate between each side and repeat 5 times.
Now, allow the left shoulder to lie quietly down and back, and roll the right shoulder up and backwards in a circular motion.
Followed by rolling the left shoulder up and backwards in a circular motion.
Alternate between each side and repeat 5 times.
EXERCISE #4: FORWARD BEND
Taking a wide stance, unlocking the knees, allow your upper body to fold forwards from the waist - like a rag doll.
You can either allow your hands and arms to hang loosely or you can grab either elbow.
Gently sway your upper body from side to side for a few moments.
When you’re ready, roll your upper body up one vertebrae at a time.
Allow your hands to hang freely at your sides, your shoulders should be down and back and your neck long.
Your head should be the last part of your body to regain an upright position and you should feel like you have a string pulling you towards the ceiling.
Repeat this 3 times.
EXERCISE #5: RIB CAGE STRETCH
In a standing position, raise both arms above your head as high as possible without over stretching.
Ensure that your shoulders are down and relaxed and your rib cage has a lifted feeling.
Take a couple of deep breaths and then slowly lower your arms to your sides maintaining the poised/lifted position of the rib cage, and rock the upper body gently from side to side.
Repeat this 3 times.
Let me know in the comments below if you found these upper body exercises useful.
