Looking for advice.
For whatever reason, I’ve always practised playing standing up or resting against a window sill (I’m pretty tall). I’m getting along nicely, but the last time I went to a session I took the flute and found I couldn’t play sitting down. If I start standing up and then sit down whilst playing, I’m kinda okay, but I can’t get the alignment of flute, body and head right when sitting down and it’s a pain in the a** because you never play standing up in a sesh… I also struggle to control breathing sitting down.
According to all my teachers form my time with formal voice training, it’s easier to get better breath support while standing. That’s why choirs perform standing, while orchestras sit (I’m sure there are other reasons, but that’s no relevant…). But, you CAN sing well while sitting, IF you sit at the front of the chair with a straight back. Not so far forward that you’re having to really focus on balance, but certainly not relaxing against the back of the chair. The same attention to posture might help you out - it works for me so far.
Adding to the previous poster, if you’re a tall person, your average chair may be too low. The angle between your torso and your upper legs should be no less than 90 degrees. You can increase that angle by crossing your feet under your chair, sitting on its end, like in meditation position. This liberates your diaphragm, and, as an extra, straightens your back. So it may also help if another part of your posture caused the problems. Good luck!
So that’s why I sit like that. I never knew. Thanks.
If you’ll get older, you’ll find sitting down works better and better. I always have some kind of flute in the living room on the coffee table and I’ll play lounging on a couch and depending on which couch I’m sitting and watching TV, I’ll play left or right handed. What are you going to do when it’s summer time and you want to play a flute floating on a raft in the pool?
There is an organization here in NYC called Adaptive Design. They make custom furniture for children with special needs. I recently went to a workshop of theirs and found a simple chair/stool design that I thought would work perfectly for me playing the banjo. Don’t worry, I mention it because the chair is particularly designed to allow for the opening of the diaphram, alignment of the back, etc. Check them out on the web. I bet you will find something to assist with your issue.
Arbo
Along the same lines as the suggestion for sitting forward with a straight back, sometimes I sit on the right side of the chair with the right knee down near the floor and the toe back on the floor. This straightens the torso a bit on that side and allows a little more volume between the ribs and the hips.
Lewis
Here is Phillipe preferring to play in another position altogether !
He plays brilliantly in other more typical positions such as standing up with Niall Keegan too!
