For singers, good breathing is essential. What does “good” breath mean? Ask different singing teachers and coaches and you will likely get different answers.
Here’s what good breathing means to me:
o Your posture is upright, but you are not tense. Your shoulders are broad; arms loose hands soft and silent and you are erect.
Imagine that a stream of water runs down your spine. The water is warm and flows easily but firmly, in a straight path. This image should help keep your back straight, but not stiff.
o When you stand up this way, your rib cage will naturally open more.
o Next, you focus your mind on allowing your diaphragm (a large muscle just below your rib cage) to move downward, pushing your lungs down and forcing new air to flow deeply into your lungs. This method is called deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing as opposed to upper chest breathing, which is a type of shallow breathing and much less useful for singing.
o As you inhale, your rib cage will widen especially towards the sides and back.
The long, slow “Sssssss …”
o When you exhale, let the air out with a long SSS sound through your teeth (keep your jaw loose). (Your stomach muscles are gently pulling inward as your diaphragm presses down.)
Imagine that this SSS is a stream of sound (your wonderful voice) constantly navigating through the air in front of you.
Gently resist the collapse of your rib cage. Of course, it will return to its natural relaxed state, but by resisting a quick collapse, you are teaching the ribs and the muscles between the rib bones to get stronger.
o When you reach the natural end of your breath, breathe in again, this time even deeper, and breathe out again with a slow, steady SSS sound.
Different types of breathing
Dramatic breath
In a song, there is also the dramatic breath. In this case, the way you breathe is based on the expression or performance needs of the song. For example, you can take a louder gasping type of breath to give an effect when singing, in a moment of anger or disbelief. You can use a kind of slow breathing to express tiredness or despair. His use of the breath in these cases is “expressive.”
Silent breath
It is also important to know how to breathe quietly. In fact, you’ll want to use this type of breath more often when singing (and when recording). Breath enters quickly through the mouth (and nose) and goes deep into the lungs with very little sound. Your rib cage is open and expands easily as air enters.
Deep breathing exercise
You can do this exercise while walking down the street. Make sure your posture is strong. This exercise is in sync with your steps as you walk. Breathe in for 2 (or 4) steps and breathe out for 6 (or 8 or 10) steps, whichever is right for you. Repeat this exercise for about 5 minutes while walking. But don’t overdo your breathing exercises. If you are not used to doing this, the amount of oxygen reaching your brain can make you dizzy.
Relaxation breathing
When I do a deep breathing exercise with a student at the beginning of a lesson, it is not just to answer the question “How do I breathe?” but also to help calm the person’s mind; to prepare them for the concentration necessary to work in silence but with special attention to improving vocal technique.
So, as you do these breathing exercises, feel how your body is calming down, how your mind is becoming less distracted and more focused. Allow the breath to bring you into a calm but energetic state of mind. I suggest to my students that they keep a cool head and a warm heart when they practice.
At the end of your practice session, do a short relaxation breathing exercise. You don’t need to think about power now. Breathe in slowly and deeply, but the exhale is a free, uncontrolled flow of air. Just let the air out. Your rib cage closes as it will. You let your respiratory system relax. You let your mind be quiet. You thank your body for the work it has done and move on to your next task.
One final suggestion
Breathe in the trees
Many of us feel that being in nature can give us a strong sense of well-being. There are a lot of reasons for this. An unusual idea has to do with how nature reflects our own bodies. For example, when you look at a tree, you see in the lines of trunk, branches and leaves a system that is very similar to our own internal system of blood vessels, arteries and veins. Seeing trees can apparently have a calming effect on our bodies due to this similarity. When possible, I like to be near the trees to do my deep breathing exercises.
