Voice

Full Deep Breaths

Learning how to take a full, deep breath is the one thing you can do to improve your singing immediately. Breathing is the foundation of singing. If you cannot breathe correctly you cannot sing correctly. You will always be lacking in control, energy and stamina.

Just think about the inner workings of the human body. The lungs extend from just under your shoulders to the very bottom of your rib cage.

How much air could you fill those lungs with if you were really concentrating?

In between each rib is a muscle called an intercostal muscle (shown above). By concentrating on the intercostals, you can cause them to open more fully and therefore take deeper breaths. Let me explain.

Deep breathing improves one’s singing because it allows you to sing longer lines, with more control and power. When you don’t have to breath as often, your singing sounds a lot more refined. With every student I am with, regardless of age, we always concentrate on breathing as the first order of business.

Some excercises you could do to improve your breath capacity are:

1. Take a deep breath taking 10 seconds long and then hold for 10 seconds that breath. Breathe out for 10 seconds. This is a challenge at first because it teaches you how to take a deep deep breath and to control the exhale slowly. Also, it teaches you how to control the intercostal muscles and get them to move slower.

2. Brethe in very deeply as if you are breathing into your hips then exhale the air slowly, like a deflating balloon. "Hiss" until all the air is gone. When you feel like you are about to pass out, take a deep breath. You will notice how deeply the air goes into your body.

3. Place your hand lightly on your stomach, with your middle fingers just touching, not overlapping. Take a deep breath so that your stomach moves your fingers apart and concentrate on your shoulders not moving up. This eliminates the tension in your shoudlers and causes your lungs to do all the work. Repeat with your fingers slightly apart on your back, so you can feel your intercostals moving your ribs apart.

Good singing requires deep breathing but also a high awareness of your body’s functions.

Try these and give me a call for more details!

Elaina.