BAMBINI TIP NUMBER ONE

Here is a tip to help you discover how to take a good healthy breath that will help you become a better singer.

It is important to sit or stand upright when you sing, having a caved in droopy chest posture won’t be helpful to singing and make a nice sound for you. So instead of trying to throw your shoulders back to correct this which might be our first thought of what to do, instead just put your thoughts to the front of your body and zoom in on the middle point of your chest which is known as your breast bone. Now think about gently lifting up from this point.This is a much easier way to have a good open posture than forcing yourself to stand up straight like a board! Remember always be gentle, don’t in your enthusiasm to ‘do it’ and ‘get it right’ do the instructions too quickly, be present and watch yourself in a mirror as you do it. That way you will be present and learn at the same time. If you just rush through, your thoughts have been somewhere else. Slowing down is another big tip!!! No, not slow motion, that might be fun to try but that is not we are talking about. Just be there! Just the same as when you are eating a really tasty strawberry or your favourite fruit. You are thinking about how it tastes not about riding your bicycle. If you are thinking about riding your bicycle you won’t really be tasting your strawberry. It takes practice to be focused on singing but if you keep trying and don’t let your mind wander, you’ll get better and better at doing it and be able to move your mind very quickly to doing many tasks at what seems to be at the same moment or in a very short period of time. Here is an exercise to help you think of one thing at a time.

Listen to your heart beat for 30 secs

Listen if you can hear any outside noises like birds chirping or a plane flying overhead.

Now lift your big toe up and down 10 times.

Now move your thumb up and down 10 times

Watch your belly move in and out as you breath….slowly please!

Close your eyes and smile with your mouth shut, feel how your cheeks how they feel lifted up, they will feel a bit tighter. Hold that smile for 10 secs.

Rub your hands together for 10 seconds and feel how warm and tingly they feel afterwards.

Let you jaw go floppy with your lips together. Notice how relaxed you feel compared to when you  grip your teeth together.

Now say I was present with my thoughts, we done me! Congratulations.You are on your way to being a singer. 

Practice this exercise daily as often as you like, maybe 2-4 times a day. But don’t do them automatically with no intention or thought, that is just a waste of time.

Good Thought Number 1: 5 minutes of focused, being present with your thoughts practice is far better than 2 hours of scattered thinking practice. See you soon for tip Number 2