Breathing for Singing: A Comprehensive Guide

When we're thinking about breathing for singing, it can be an area of real confusion. What we're aiming for is the right amount of breath for what we need.

Understanding Breath and Sound

• The breath passes through our vocal folds, and that's how we create sound.
• Many people associate singing with terms like "singing from the diaphragm" or "belly breathing."
• Key points to remember:
  • Avoid lifting your shoulders when you breathe.
  • Don't lift the chest too high.

Your habit might be to lift your shoulders at first, but let's try to make it a little easier.

The Diaphragm and Breathing Mechanics

• The muscle most closely associated with breathing is the diaphragm.
• Other muscles involved include the intercostal muscles around the ribcage.
  • When we breathe in, we feel an expansion in the rib cage.
  • As we breathe out, the rib cage narrows.

You're not trying to force this to happen; it's a natural consequence of breathing in, much like air going into a balloon. As you breathe out, there is a returning to the normal shape.

• With belly breathing, there's often confusion:
  • When you breathe in, a softening happens around the ribcage.
  • As you breathe out gently, abdominal muscles move in towards the spine.

This is a natural process, so you don't need to worry too much about consciously controlling it.

Applying Breathing in Singing

When we're applying breathing techniques, it usually occurs in the context of a song or vocal exercise. A great way to monitor your breath is to experiment with unvoiced fricatives. These include:

• S sound
• Sh sound
• Theta sound (θ)
• F sound

Exercises to Enhance Breath Control

1. Warm-Up with Voiced Fricatives

   • Difference: An unvoiced fricative (e.g., s) has no phonation, while a voiced sound (e.g., z) involves voicing.

   Let's practice! Breathe in for two beats and hiss out for eight beats.

   • Aim for a nice, even hiss out.

   Example Exercise

   • Breathe in and relax.
   • Hiss out for eight beats.

   Monitor how controlled your breath feels. Avoid the urge for it to burst out then tail off.

2. Increasing Exhalation Length

   • Breathe in for two counts, hiss out for:
     • 8 beats
     • 10 beats
     • 12 beats

   If you can't reach the full count, that's okay. This practice will extend your outward breath, which is essential for singing.

3. Experiment with Different Sounds

   • Let's try the same exercise on the sh sound next.
   • Breathe in for two, sh out for eight, then adjust counts similarly as before.

Building Rhythmic Skills

• Practice adding rhythms to your breath control:
  • For example, do a 4 count followed by a sustained 4 count.

Let's try that together:

• Breathe in for two and let's ring that out.

Final Tips for Your Practice

• Use different rhythms:
  • For instance, try S, S, S, S, S, S, S, S followed by a long 2, 3, 4.

This rhythmic exercise will help you keep control over your breath as you sing.

Conclusion

• Keep experimenting with what works best for you.
• Pay attention to how your body feels while supporting your breath.
• Over time, you'll discover what techniques help you most effectively as you continue to develop your singing skills.

Great work so far! Let's keep building on these concepts together.