A Guide to Singing Musical Theatre

The singing voice is the most individual and versatile instrument which throughout the ages has been a popular pastime. A person’s voice is strictly unique regardless of their level of skill, whilst other instrumentalists such as flutists or trumpeters must master their instruments to develop a recognisable and personal sound. Essentially, everyone can sing! It is simply a matter of training the voice, developing stamina and preventing pain and strain, much as an athlete must do if they wish to become a professional. However, as opposed to building up muscle mass or reducing their race time, a singer can improve their tone and push the limits of their range so that they can sing higher notes. Whilst training is not necessary for a person to enjoy the benefits of their singing voice, professional artists do require very specific vocal technique and care to survive in a demanding and competitive industry. Musical theatre is one such field which places a large amount of stress on the voice, and the body in general, over an extended period of time, including an average of five shows a week and an intense rehearsal period in the lead up to opening night. How do they do it and still maintain high performance standards?

The character of Elphaba, from Wicked, is required to sing a lot throughout a show, across a massive vocal range.

 

Breath support is arguably the most important aspect of singing technique as it results in less strain being placed on the voice and allows the vocalist to better maintain pitch, particularly on a sustained note. Incorrect breathing technique is the most common error made by aspiring singers and often results in the performer being slightly below pitch. Therefore, singers must be very conscious of how they breathe until correct breathing technique becomes second nature. This is particularly relevant to a musical theatre performer who would be focussed on portraying a character and producing emotional believability during a song as opposed to the techniques that must be used.

 

There is much controversy over the best breath support techniques and so many vocalists approach it in a different way, however, regardless of the means it is important to engage the lower abdominal muscles whilst singing. This is done by expanding the belly and sides whilst inhaling and dropping the diaphragm which is a large, dome-shaped muscle that separates the lungs and abdomen. There is no use worrying about looking ‘fat’ whilst singing because if the stomach does not fully expand then the singer did not inhale enough air for sufficient support. As singing is essentially sustained speech, the air cannot be let out in a rush. The diaphragm must remain low and the sides expanded whilst exhaling, using a steady air stream to set the vocal folds in motion. A common mistake for untrained singers is to raise their shoulders whilst breathing. This shallow, upper-chest breathing is only superficial and doesn’t supply sufficient air to sing long phrases. For musical theatre performers who must develop a great deal of vocal stamina, taking a full and supported breath is paramount as shallow breaths makes it significantly harder to maintain a steady air stream and relax the vocal instrument, placing much more stress on the voice and exhausting it very quickly.

For anyone wanting to give singing a go, I hope this is slightly helpful and gives you an idea about how to get started!