Breathing should be the simplest thing in the world. Except, sometimes is not. During our lives, we unlearn the most effective way to breathe and we use muscles that can create unnecessary tension. But there is a way to make breathing more effective and efficient, especially when singing. That way is Diaphragmatic Breathing.
Using your diaphragm correctly in order to breathe may help you improve your vocal range and sound.
First things first, what is the diaphragm? It is a muscle located below your lungs, attached to your lower ribs, which helps the process of breathing. If used correctly it can help regulate the way you breathe, and subsequently your overall mental and physical health.
One of the most widespread myths about singing is that you need to “sing from your diaphragm”. But singing FROM your diaphragm is just not possible! And these are the main reasons why:
1- The main sounds of your voice are created by the vocal folds, in the larynx (which is in your neck). Once the sound is created, it can be modified by many other articulators and modifiers located mainly in your larynx and mouth. This means that it is impossible to NOT sing from your throat!
2- The diaphragm is activated during inhalation (when you breathe in), but we sing when we exhale (breathe out). This means that we can’t directly activate the diaphragm to help singing and that it cannot directly “push out” the sound.
It is true, though, that using the diaphragm correctly can help avoid unnecessary tensions and constrictions, and it can definitely help support the voice, but just know that some vocal methods don’t even consider it as a variable in the equation of a good voice.
Breathing properly is fundamental for your general wellbeing and learning to breathe from the diaphragm can definitely help your singing, but it is not, like many people think, the main tool we need to use to sing correctly.
Although some singing methods completely overlook it, using diaphragmatic breathing may help reduce tension and just generally your posture, pressure, effort levels, and also your overall mood! In fact, using your shoulder or chest to breathe, may result in hightened levels of anxiety for example. Using the diaphragm, instead, we tend to be more relaxed and use our body more mindfully.
A holistic singing technique must also take this into account.
So let’s see how that works!
Diaphragmatic breathing is a form of deep breathing that involves using the diaphragm to draw air into the lungs, rather than shallow chest breathing. When used correctly, diaphragmatic breathing can help singers to increase their vocal range and volume, as well as improve their overall vocal sound. Diaphragmatic breathing is important for singers because it helps them to take in more air, which can help with singing longer phrases and notes, and it also prevents the build up of unnecessary tension. It may also help singers to produce a more powerful sound.
Diaphragmatic breathing also helps singers to stay relaxed while singing. When singers take a deep breath from their diaphragm, it helps them to relax the muscles in their abdomen and chest, which can help them to avoid tension while singing and in turn, this can also help to prevent vocal fatigue and strain.
The first test we can do to check if you’re breathing correctly is this:
Lie on the floor on your back. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Then take a deep breath, making sure the abdomen expands and the chest stays relaxed. My suggestion is to use the nose to inhale, as it pushes us to breathe in a more relaxed way, thus inducing the diaphragm to be activated. Once you have taken a full breath, slowly exhale using an “s” sound and notice the belly slowly deflating. Exhale until you can do it in a relaxed manner. When you start feeling your muscles contracting, start from the top and inhale. This can be repeated several times to get used to the feeling of diaphragmatic breathing.
Once you have learned how to breathe using the diaphragm, you can practice using it while singing. Singers should draw in a deep breath from their diaphragm and then slowly release it while singing. This is important as it helps to support the voice and keep it from becoming strained. Diaphragmatic breathing is a great technique for singers to use to help improve their vocal range and sound. When used correctly, diaphragmatic breathing can help singers to take in more air and produce a more powerful sound. It can also help to keep singers relaxed and prevent vocal fatigue and strain. With practice, singers will be able to use diaphragmatic breathing to help them reach their vocal goals.
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