• Registered: 2011-05-23
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Technique question - hip tension/left vs right side strength

I've been singing for a while. One of the things that I've found helps me a lot is to practice the "connection" with different parts of my body when I sing, by doing a stretch in that part of the body, to relieve tension and make it easier to establish a connection.

So, some of the exercises I've been doing include stretching the hip joints. Here are some examples (which I found putting "hip stretch" into google images):

http://www.allaboutweybridge.co.uk/...hip-stretch.gif

http://www.tracis.info/tracis.info....ith%20Strap.jpg

They stretch one hip at a time. What happens is when I stretch my right hip, and try to "sing out" of my right hip, I get a very noticably stronger sound than when I stretch my left hip. I don't know whether this is because my right side is stronger and more in control than my left side, or because my right side has more tension than my left side. Does anybody have any ideas about how to work it out?

Whatever the problem is, I want to practice to even it out, and I have to do the opposite thing in each case (practice more on my left to improve strength and control there, or practice more on my right to relieve tension).

I guess it's probably not going to turn out to be some crucial thing if I do work it out, but does anyone have any ideas about this?

  • spgpt
  • VC Member
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  • Registered: 2011-11-28
  • Posts: 1

Re: Technique question - hip tension/left vs right side strength

Since your psoas major muscle attaches to your spine at about the same level that your diaphragm also attaches to the spine I would think that you might have a psoas imbalance. The psoas is a hip flexor and lateral stabilizer for the spine so the hip stretches you are doing would effect that muscle and if one is tighter than the other you would find that it will affect your diaphragm on that side and thus possibly influence the strength of your sound. The fascial connections can be related to either stability or mobility and if stretching doesn't change the balance try the complete opposite by making it(the hip, so full flexion instead of extension) as short as possible for a fee minutes and then try again. That may help reset the muscle pattern that is imbalanced.

  • Registered: 2011-11-22
  • Posts: 6

Re: Technique question - hip tension/left vs right side strength

Hi,
What you are experiencing is simply through concentrating on stretching that body part it takes your mind off your singing and relaxes your throat a bit in coincidence.  Essentially it's the same as bend over as you approach high notes - try it if you haven't already.  There is some helpful stuff I found useful below.

Your vocal cords are the engine and your breathing is the gas.  I have posted here:
http://voicecouncil.com/forum/topic/173 … -problems/
and here:
http://voicecouncil.com/forum/topic/302 … r-opinion/

My best advice is that you can't rely on these stretches to get you through if you are at a gig because it's gonna look pretty strange.  If your vocal cords are let to do their work, open up your throat and you work at steady connection slides with vowels and learn to feel the pharyngeal resonance you'll forget about any aids you once needed for the most part.

All the best