Breathing Techniques to Enhance Your Singing Voice

human showing traces, bronchial tubes, lungs and heart

When a student or parent contacts me about voice lessons, I always spend a good half-hour in a Zoom “meet and greet” with the potential student. During this time, I ask about their goals, age, previous musical experience, and any instruments they’ve studied to get a sense of the student. A common theme I hear is, “My voice teacher/chorus teacher told me to belly breathe, and I was too embarrassed to ask what it means.”

I then ask the student what they know about breathing, and most of the time, they mention using the diaphragm for belly breathing. That’s when I ask them what the diaphragm is, and they often become confused.

So, why is there confusion? From my experience, singing teachers and choir directors often assume students understand the breathing process. They assume the student knows the anatomy and physiology of breathing. However, in my years of experience, I’ve found that only about 10% of people I encounter understand the breathing processes. The rest have no clue, which is why I’m writing this blog.

Breathing is something we don’t think much about, and most of us have never given it much thought. So, why do we breathe? Most of my students have said that we breathe to speak or sing, but they haven’t considered that we breathe 24/7/365. So, how does this really happen? We know it’s an autonomic system like digestion and heartbeat, but what occurs in the process?

An Examination of the Concept of Breathing

 Breathing is a fundamental physiological process that involves the exchange of gases between the body and the environment. It is essential for sustaining life, as it provides oxygen to the body and removes carbon dioxide. In the context of singing, proper breathing techniques are crucial for vocal performance, as they support tone quality, control, and endurance.

Anatomy and Physiology of the Breathing Apparatus

 The breathing apparatus consists of several anatomical structures that work together to facilitate respiration. Understanding these components can enhance singing techniques.

1. The Respiratory System

 - **Nasal Cavity**: Filters and humidifies incoming air. - **Pharynx and Larynx**: Important for sound production; the larynx houses the vocal cords. - **Trachea**: Connects the larynx to the lungs. - **Bronchi and Bronchioles**: Airways that lead to the lungs. - **Lungs**: Main organs of respiration where gas exchange occurs.

2. Muscles Involved in Breathing

 - **Diaphragm**: The primary muscle of respiration, contracts to allow air intake. - **Intercostal Muscles**: Located between the ribs, assist in expanding and contracting the chest cavity. - **Abdominal Muscles**: Help control exhalation and provide support for the diaphragm.

3. The Process of Breathing

 - **Inhalation**: Diaphragm contracts, creating a vacuum that pulls air into the lungs. - **Exhalation**: Diaphragm relaxes, and air is pushed out of the lungs.

Exercises for Better Singing

 Practicing specific breathing exercises can significantly improve singing ability. Here are some effective techniques:

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing

 - **Technique**: Lie on your back with a book on your abdomen. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to rise. Exhale slowly through your mouth, letting the book lower. - **Benefit**: Strengthens the diaphragm and promotes deeper breath control.

2. Sustained Hissing

 - **Technique**: Inhale deeply and then exhale slowly while making a hissing sound. Aim to sustain the sound for as long as possible. - **Benefit**: Improves breath control and stamina.

3. Lip Trills

 - **Technique**: Take a deep breath and then blow air through closed lips to create a trill sound. Add pitches to the trill as you become comfortable. - **Benefit**: Helps with vocal warm-up and breath support.

5. Sirens

 - **Technique**: Glide from your lowest to highest pitch and back down, resembling a siren sound. Use a smooth, continuous airflow. - **Benefit**: Enhances vocal range and flexibility while promoting relaxed breathing.

6.Straw Phonation

Straw phonation is a vocal technique that involves using a straw to modify the airflow and phonation process. This method is often used in voice training and therapy to enhance vocal quality, reduce tension, and improve overall vocal health.Conclusion

 Understanding the anatomy and physiology of the breathing apparatus is essential for singers. By practicing specific breathing exercises, individuals can improve their vocal performance, ensuring better control, endurance, and overall sound quality. Regular practice will lead to enhanced singing abilities and a deeper appreciation for the art of breath.

The process of breathing is quite simple: you inhale, and air passes through your nose or mouth into your lungs. There are other parts of the respiratory system involved, but we’ll focus on the breath itself here. The lungs aren’t muscles; they’re two spongy organs located on either side of the heart. The right lung has three lobes, and the left lung has two, sharing space with the heart.

The lungs respond to air pressure. When the external air pressure exceeds the pressure inside the lungs, we inhale. Conversely, when the internal lung pressure surpasses the external pressure, we exhale. This process is a simple vacuum pressure mechanism where our body strives to equalize with the atmospheric pressure.

Now, let’s explore how the lungs move without being muscles. We possess a large, dome-shaped muscle called the diaphragm beneath the lungs. When the diaphragm contracts, it generates a vacuum that draws air into the lungs. During exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes, reverting to its dome shape, and expels air from the lungs.

We now comprehend the reasons and mechanisms behind our breathing. However, how do we consciously control our breath, such as when holding our breath underwater, singing, or speaking? It may seem straightforward, but many aspiring singers and speakers are unaware that breath control begins with the abdomen.

Breathing Exercises:

To control the diaphragm, we utilize our abdominal muscles and our pelvic floor. I employ breathing exercises like lying on the floor or bed with knees drawn up to protect the lower back. Place a heavy textbook centered over your belly button. Inhale and observe the book rise. Exhale, and the book falls. I have students practice this exercise for a few minutes before introducing voice. Begin by exhaling on the “S” sound (snake sound), counting the seconds it takes to exhaust all your breath. Repeat the process. Next, transition to the “SH” sound (steam escape sound), aiming to prolong the breath each time. After progressing through several sounds, we move on to humming and eventually singing. Subsequently, I instruct the student to bend forward, wrapping their arms around their diaphragm. Gradually, the student straightens up until they stand upright, breathing with the diaphragm’s assistance, thus achieving “belly breathing.”

Addditional Techniques:

I also incorporate techniques like the Alexander Technique, Smith Accent Method, and Straw Phonation, among others, to assist students struggling with breath control, primarily achieved through diaphragm use. Pulling the abdominals up lifts and squeezes the diaphragm against the lungs, forcing air out. This succinct process is known as diaphragmatic breathing.

So, the next time you encounter the term “belly breath,” you’ll have a clearer understanding!