Breathing: A Foundation of Singing

www.vocalist.org.uk/breathing101.html
www.your-personal-singing-guide.com/breathing-for-singing.html
www.expertvillage.com/video/49273_voice-tips-breathing.htm


The voice is a beautiful instrument that most people use on a daily basis. People are able to scream, talk, whisper, laugh, and sing because they have a voice. Although not everyone was blessed with the gift of singing, I strongly believe that each person has the ability to learn how to sing. No "Joe" may not be the next Josh Groban, and "Jane" won't ever come close to Whitney Houston but, they can probably hold a note. And when one can hold a note, one can sing. I just think it's all about learning how to do so.

Breathing. Breathing has been a human's way of living, of surviving. It is much more than a fact, that when someone is no longer breathing he or she is no longer alive. So, just as breath is essential to each human being, it is definitely essential for singers. But, there is a correct way of breathing. And when there is a correct way of breathing there has to be an incorrect way as well. Now although babies are young and don't do much but smile and cry, they are great examples of how to breathe correctly. If you, or someone else, were to observe a baby's breathing their stomach region is going up and down, up and down. (I say "stomach region" because one's stomach is for food, not for air.) They breathe using their lungs and their abs. More importantly when one, breathes as a baby does, one is not taking shallow breaths. And that would be the correct way of breathing. It's just funny how adults, for the most part, raise their shoulders when the breathe, or take in a deep breath. That is incorrect. Anytime your shoulders lift when you breathe, you are taking in shallow breaths of air and then breathing incorrectly.

So, since breathing correctly is a foundation of singing, a good exercise to try out is simply standing shoulder width a part with one foot slightly in front of the other. Make sure you have proper posture. A good way to check proper posture is to stand against a wall, making sure your head, your two shoulder blades and your bottom are touching it. Now, with your proper stance breath in through your noise, only allowing the air to flow to your lungs and your abdomen area. You should feel your lungs expanding (almost sideways) and your abdomen area filling up with the air like a balloon. When you're all filled up release the air through your mouth as if your blowing out something. While blowing the air out, you want to suck your abs in. Both the breath and the sucking in of the stomach act as proper support for the voice.
Now, after you have done that exercise do the same thing, only breathe through your mouth, and then blow the air out through your mouth as well.

By now, or after doing the exercise for a while, you should be breathing the correct way. Also, even if you're not singing breathing the correct way all the time is good practice because it creates a habit of proper breathing. But, I let's try one more exercise. Now, I want you to, in your proper stance, take in your breath through both your mouth and nose. I know, I know, that sounds silly and impossible. But, as you learn how to sing you'll find that the silly things is what helps the most. The point, however, with breathing through both nose and mouth is to allow more air to enter the body, therefore releasing more air as you sing. And the more air, the better the support, the better overall. Try it, you will feel as though you took in more air (which you will).

Breathing is a foundation of singing, but there is much more too. Maybe in another blog I'll just go over all the basics of singing. But, never be afraid to learn new things. And just because you aren't a soloist, that doesn't mean you can't learn how to sing and enjoy just as much as a soloist does. If you can hold a not, you can sing. =)