Week 1: Awareness and Observation
The Primary Pattern Challenge; A 2-Week Alexander Technique Awareness Challenge for Musicians
Explore your head-neck-spine relationship through 14 days of mindful awareness and mini-movement resets.
These prompts can be done in under 2 minutes-perfect for before practice, during a break, or simply as part
of your daily routine.
Share your observations in the Reply section. You can record a "before and after" video or simply share an idea that helped you develop awareness.
Week 1: Awareness and Observation
Day 1 - Notice Before You Move
Before you reach for your instrument or take a breath to sing, pause. Notice your head's position. Is it
balanced on top of your spine-or pulled forward, down, or tense?
Day 2 - The Gentle Nod
Let your head slowly nod forward and back-very small, no tension. Can you feel your neck stay free as your
head gently moves?
Day 3 - Support from Below
As you sit or stand, imagine your sit bones or feet supporting you. Is your neck freer when you let the spine
lengthen up from that base?
Day 4 - Pause, Then Sing
Before beginning a passage or exercise, take 5 seconds to pause and invite freedom in your head, neck, and
spine. Notice if it changes how you begin.
Day 5 - "Up" Instead of "Effort"
During a challenging phrase, replace tension with intention. Think: head leads upward, spine follows. Can
you release effort while staying active?
Day 6 - Mirror Check-In
If you're comfortable, take a look in a mirror. How is your head positioned on your spine? Is your neck
working unnecessarily? Invite softness.
Day 7 - Midpoint Reset
Take 30 seconds to stand in place and gently remind your body: My neck is free, my head is poised, and my
spine can lengthen and widen.
25 replies
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https://youtube.com/shorts/_izjm27c6to?si=v_fhfb6OHIKAG9uV
Hi, I’m Patricia, and I’m a singer. Here is a short video where you can see my neck before singing, during singing an octave, and after. There is a slight difference between the low and the high note, and another position when I rest. I wonder if this is a problem or not. If you have some observations to deal with me about this video, I’m interested.
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That position looks really good. The Alexander directive is "forward and up." Looks like you hit the mark there! Also, great to have you film in profile (so much easier to see). Also great to hear that gorgeous voice again!
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, thank you fir your message !
It is difficult to me to understand what Alexander means by "forward ". For me " forward " means "like a chicken". But this certainly not what Alexander meant...
If you can access Instagram, here is an interesting short video about the wrong "forward" position.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJQDVFXR870/?igsh=ZHdneTVuanFldG1r
This is posted by a specialist of head and neck. Can you watch this to see what I mean ? Thank you !
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That video looks pretty good. In Alexander Technique, they are talking about having an orientation to your "top joint." If you are on tonebase music, there is a full course on that. Here is an image that might help clarify further:
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, Thank you, it's more understable for me. I'm currently watching the Alexander course. I had already watched the overview and the constructive rest.
I practiced the constructive rest this morning and I liked it. It helps to feel and release the spine and I felt a place where it was more stressed than the rest of the vertebrae.
When I practiced this morning, I thought that my atlas was forward and upwards. I felt then my neck widening higher than I used before, my neck was becoming vertical but in a different way. Very interesting.
After that, I paused while singing a higher note and I felt some tension somewhere in the rear sides of my neck at a given height. These are muscles that wants to put slightly my head in "chicken position". Because I felt these tensions, I was able to feel when they begin to contract and I focused to release them at this moment. This is a focused and patience work, but this is so good to finally understand what happens ! I was able to sing a semitone higher than normally.
After that, I watched the lesson about the primary pattern exercise, and I discovered a new freedom at the join between atlas and skull, this is so pleasant to feel ! I found the explanation very clear. It was more easy too, to release the jaw.
When I practised in the afternoon I felt for the first time really more clear resonance in the cheekbones, because my jaw was more released.
So it was a good day of discoveries for me !
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This is wonderful! SO glad this is helping with that tension 😄
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I'm no expert... but that was good...
You didn't raise or dip your nose.
... though you rocked a little back.
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Hi Roxanna,
Thank you for your observations. You’re right I know that I rock a little back. I do this because it feels so good to me having a wide neck. But I don’t know if this is the ideal position for me or not.
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Yes... I tried rocking my head back to... it let's in air opening the back of throat.
I suppose its natural to rock back to project voice... ( better than dipping head forward n back )
Try the Alexander technique Whispered Ahs... dropping the jaw and sighing a Whispered Ah. ... then try the singing.
... I don't know, just an idea to feel and observe something different. 🤔
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About day 2 :
In the Alexander posture of neck and head, when I tilt my larynx, I can feel my head slightly nod forward, but staying free.
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About day 3
When I let the bottom of my spine lenghten due to gravity, I can feel my thighs twist open, and my knees and ankles unlock. I can feel the torsion (direction of pelvic and leg muscles) explained by Barbara Wegher-Thompson. I feel more support on the outer part of the doles of my feet. In my case, having flat feet, I suppose this is good !
When I have more support on my feet, I can feel the energy pass more easely through the entire lenght of my body. My neck feels a little more freer, there is a need for less compensation. But I need to have both directions that strech my spine : up and down.
In combination with this lenghtening of my spine, letting my back widen, gives me the power needed to support well my voice.
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About day 5
Yes, keeping constantly that upward direction of atlas and head, like a motion, helps for higher passages to not go towards that "chicken" direction of the neck.
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Hi, Heidi,
I have a practical question : I can access this page from my e-mail box, but I can’t find it directly from the website Tonebase.
Could you tell me what is the way to access it from Tonebase ?
Thank you !
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Go to the 'menu' click Community
Scroll down to Community Challenges
Select topic
Week 2 is out now
... have fun 😄
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Thank you SO much for helping :)
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..yes go in menu 'Community Forums '
'Scroll' down to Community Challenges, Performances and Intensives (I don't think you scrolled down')
'Click' on list of Community Challenges
'click'... Primary Pattern Mini Challenge?...
...the current one is about Alexander technique
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Ok, but on Tonebase music, I don't see "community" but I have " forums". If I on forums I see ,", general discussion," but no challenges . I don't understand how to access...
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Ok, thank you very much., I found it in Tonebase voice. Because it is about Alexander, I thought I had to look for it in Tonebase music, where the Alexander course is.
