Circular breathing singing
Exercise #1 – Circular breathing
This exercise will help you concentrate your awareness on the “hidden” parts of the breathing process we usually don’t notice while breathing for life. By exaggerating the length of each section, you’ll learn to recognize the sensation each one produces.Diaphragmatic breathing singing
Unless they have another reason to become aware of what happens in the body while breathing, most people inhale into the upper part of the lungs. They pay no attention to the diaphragm muscle and its role in the respiration process. Singers, however, need to become familiar with diaphragmatic breathing.What is the diaphragm, btw?
The diaphragm is a large, powerful muscle whose purpose is to drive the respiration process. It sits right below the lungs. Learning to control your breathing by consciously using the diaphragm will not only give you a more powerful singing voice and teach you how to increase lung capacity for singing. Still, it will also improve your posture and prevent unnecessary tension while singing.How does singing from the diaphragm instead of throat improve your singing?
As a singer, having the air in the upper lungs alone will not provide you with the level of control you need. It also means you’d be using your jaw, mouth, and throat muscles to control your sound. This may work if you want to produce a higher, louder sound, but will not be enough for more challenging vocal work. These muscles also strain easily, which can create long term vocal problems.How to control breathing while singing: using your diaphragm
To isolate the sensation of diaphragmatic breathing, it also helps to learn what not to do. The following exercise lets you practice different types of inhalations so you can become aware of the difference between them.Exercise #2 – Abdominal, chest and diaphragmic inhalation
1. Diaphragmic inhalation – this is the one we want!Exercise #3 – Exhalation
Take a breath with your diaphragm and then place a hand in front of your mouth. Exhale in the usual way and then make a sound. Notice how much air you’re expelling. If you want, you can repeat this exercise with the other inhalation types discussed above and compare the results.Exercise #4 – Support
In singing, “support” means prolonging the natural exhalation through resisting the release of air. We do this by using the abdominal muscles. It’s the sensation you feel when you laugh so hard your abs contract.