Breathing for singing
Breathing in ordinary life is simple, instinctive, and usually outside of our awareness. We do it to survive. But breathing for singing must be intentional. In order to facilitate the shift from unconscious to conscious breathing, here are a few tips to help you be more focused on breathing for singing:
With conscientious practice many of these steps will become automatic over time, but most singers find that they need to remind themselves periodically about some of the steps. It is important to note that this method of breathing is advantageous for all styles of singing.
For a more detailed discussion of breathing, including topics such as the phases of the breathing cycle, the influence of posture on breathing, the role of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, respiratory muscle training, breathing while dancing and singing, and breathing exercises, see Vocal Technique.
- Stand or sit with good posture; sternum should be comfortably elevated and shoulders relaxed into their sockets.
- Place tongue, mouth, and jaw in the position of the next vowel to be sung.
- Open the vocal folds; your throat should feel open and relaxed (Vennard, 1967).
- Inhale silently and without extraneous movement.
- As you inhale, relax your abdominal muscles so that the diaphragm can descend and the lungs can expand downward; your rib cage should also expand so the lungs can expand outward.
- Shift to exhaling by engaging your abdominal and rib (intercostal) muscles.
- Close the vocal folds and exhale simultaneously; try to resist the tendency for the abdomen and ribs to collapse too quickly.
With conscientious practice many of these steps will become automatic over time, but most singers find that they need to remind themselves periodically about some of the steps. It is important to note that this method of breathing is advantageous for all styles of singing.
For a more detailed discussion of breathing, including topics such as the phases of the breathing cycle, the influence of posture on breathing, the role of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, respiratory muscle training, breathing while dancing and singing, and breathing exercises, see Vocal Technique.