Breathing exercises that work for singers

Any self-respecting vocalist will appreciate the benefits of good breath control. Developing these skills enhances a vocalist’s ability to sing louder, softer, higher, lower, with controlled pitch, with more power, hold notes or phrases longer, with controlled dynamics and expression, as well as how to maximize the health of your vocal cords. All the fun stuff basically Breath control is one of, if not THE most fundamental technique to master for any vocalist. Whether she’s an ultra beginner or a seasoned vocalist, she needs to exercise her respiratory muscles regularly to improve. Good breath control comes from the “fitness” of the muscles, which must be exercised regularly to maintain themselves.

So if it’s so good, why don’t we all practice our breathing all the time? But why are the exercises we are doing not working? These are questions I have asked myself often, in relation to myself and my students. Here are some possible answers:-

It’s boring It’s hard work Some students get frustrated with slow progress Practicing incorrectly can develop bad habits Students find it difficult to find time within a busy lifestyle Students may have difficulty tracking progress on their own and therefore therefore losing motivation to do it Some students don’t know what to do or how to work their respiratory muscles without a tutor Many students lack privacy or space to practice Some students often find it more embarrassing than practicing other musical skills like playing scales on a piano, for example Some students cannot fully appreciate the benefit of singing Some students find it difficult to apply breathing techniques to sing songs The habit of many singing students is to practice songs, not singing techniques.

I think these reasons can be broadly divided into three categories: (i) not knowing how to do it (ii) not being motivated to do it (iii) practical problems like not having time or space to do it Any of these reasons will have an impact on development of breath control and will limit progress in this area. So how do we overcome all these obstacles to develop a fabulous breathing technique? My opinion is that a different approach should be taken for each type of obstacle.

Type (I) don’t know how to do it. If you are not sure how to breathe correctly or how to practice your technique, the most effective method is to have some personal vocal training. If you are already taking classes, ask your tutor to summarize it for you and give you specific instructions on what to practice. Try this exercise to access diaphragmatic breathing. Lie on the floor with your knees up and your feet flat on the floor. Maintain the natural curve of your spine, so you don’t squash your lower back into the floor. In this position, take a couple of deep, slow, relaxed breaths. Breathe in and out completely each time. Now place a book on the lower part of your abdomen. As you inhale you should see the book go up and as you exhale it will come down. This is diaphragmatic breathing. If the book doesn’t go up when you inhale, you’re just filling the top of your lungs when you breathe in. Focus on moving the book up as you inhale. Once you’ve mastered this, try repeating this movement in a standing position, and control your inhalation by inhaling for four seconds and then exhaling for four seconds. Build your control by increasing the number of counts. Be sure to maintain complete focus at all times to ensure that your respiratory muscles are moving correctly.

How can we address the second type of obstacle: not being motivated to do it? If you’re reading this article, I’ll assume you have at least some motivation to improve. But like many other things in life, motivation comes and goes, so how can we stay motivated when things start to go wrong? What breathing exercises work when our motivation is low? In addition to focusing on the multitude of benefits of good breathing, I find tracking progress to be a great motivator. Keep a practice journal or rehearsal schedule and record the development of your technique. A sample progress log is provided at the end of this article. One exercise is to breathe into the diaphragm and hiss as you exhale. Count in your head or have someone else count for you to see how many seconds you can hold the whistle. Record the number on your progress log. Do this once a week. When you feel unmotivated to practice the breathing technique, look back at the beginning of your log and see the difference in the number. Second, try a different tactic. Group classes like Pilates, Chi Kung, and Singer Breath Therapy can be an invigorating change of pace to re-motivate and focus your attention on your breath. Third, listen to your idols. Think of all the reasons you wanted to be a singer. This could be enough to get you stuck in that diaphragm workout.

So what about the last category of obstacles: not having time or space to practice? Finding the right time and space to rehearse is becoming a common theme among my students, due to the increasingly demanding lifestyle many of us lead. There is no substitute for finding regular dedicated practice time, but if this is not possible, or if there are periods when this is limited, vocalists need to find exercises that can fit into their daily routine. Since improving breathing technique is primarily about building muscle memory and fitness, singers will see more progress through a couple of minutes of practice every day, rather than longer irregular sessions with days or weeks in between. Little and often. If you’re really short on time, try these ‘everyday’ exercises scattered throughout your daily routine.

Breathe in bed: When you wake up or just before bed, lie on your back and repeat the floor exercise described above. Inhale into your diaphragm for a count of four, pause briefly, and exhale for a count of four and pause. Be sure to exhale fully before inhaling again. You should feel comfortable and relaxed at all times. Repeat, adding a number with each repetition. Do three to four continuous repetitions each day. Work up to inhaling and exhaling ten counts with full control and no dizziness. This will take about 2 minutes and is a lovely way to calm down a busy brain before bed.

‘Shhh’ in the shower: Inhale fully into the diaphragm. With complete focus on your breathing muscles, exhale with a ‘shh’ by contracting your lower abdominal muscles and diaphragm until you are out of breath. Repeat this two or three times a day.

Trilling at stoplights: If you commute to work or spend some time in the car, you may be adjusted to trilling at stoplights. Don’t do this until you can do the two exercises above without feeling dizzy or dizzy, and make sure you’re stationed before you start. Breathe into your diaphragm and as you exhale, make a “chirp”; this can also be described as moving the tongue or purring like a cat. Hold the trill for as long as you can. If you lose the trill mid-exhalation, you need to re-engage your breathing muscles to increase support. Repeat once or twice. Watch the lights.

Consider what is holding you back from developing your breathing technique and keep looking for ways to overcome those barriers, as Debbie Connolly, ‘Queen of Harmony’ champion of a cappella singing, quoted, “The breathing exercises that work are the ones you do.” “.