'Supporting the voice'(someone asked above)is using the diaphragm to support your breathin. Breath from the bottom of your lungs and sort of hitch your diaphragm up to support them. Takes instruction - a good singing teacher - and practice.

Any tensing of muscles is therefore only in the lower part of your boday and when you concentrate on that - eventually you just 'think' it and it happens (that's where the practice comes in) - it also has the effect of making you relax your upper body and throat, which puts you in the right place for singing. 'Thinking' the sound in your nose and front of the face is a useful trick too (again, away from throat) as is thinking of yawning just as you take in breath (opens the throat). From my singing lessons and singing in choirs I have also learned that planning where you breathe helps if there is a particularly long line to sing, or one with leaps to higher notes.

Yes, and Alexander Technique is brilliant too.

My personal downfall is probably not drinking enough water and drinking too much wine though. The great danger being that the more alcohol you drink the more you feel relaxed, but your critical faculties go out the window, so you THINK you sound great, but ...!

Sue Allan