Little Secret to Breathing to Help You Sing Better
If you’re just learning to sing or trying to improve your singing voice, breathing exercises for singing are an absolute must! Why do you need to do breathing exercises?
We naturally tend to take short, shallow breaths throughout the day. We inhale and exhale rather quickly, particularly when our emotional levels are elevated or when we are under a great deal of stress or pressure. Unfortunately, this type of breathing will make it difficult to sing without running out of oxygen in a hurry.
So instead of breathing “naturally” you must discover some breathing techniques for how to control your breathing.
Breath control will help you to sing effectively because you’ll be able inhale quickly but exhale slowly during a song. Inhalation and exhalation are the two key areas of your singing breath.
When inhaling, breath enters your body and lungs. When exhaling, the air flows back out of your lungs through your mouth or nose.
These breathing exercise tips for singing will help you utilize your lungs and to breathe when you should. You’ve probably already learned about inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide in school!
Learn to Inhale
Learning proper inhalation is the first of important breathing exercises for singing. Inhaling air should be done swiftly so you can get enough air to sing without making the band or orchestra wait on you! The music won’t wait, so you’ll need to practice inhaling before singing notes.
The key is to get a full breath as quickly as possible. Inhale through your nose whenever possible and take a deep breath that you can feel as it fills your lungs.
Your belly and lower back should both expand as you take this deep breath. Short breaths usually move the chest outward instead of the belly. If you can feel the air moving downward toward your belly, then you’re on the right track.
Waiting to Exhale
Next, you’ll need to practice exhalation breathing exercises for singing. Exhaling appropriately is just as important as inhaling. Learn to exhale the air slowly in a relaxed method.
Control the exhalation process so that you don’t exhale too quickly. Imagine letting the air out of a balloon a little at a time, without letting air back in. This is what it’s like to control your exhaling.
To practice, try blowing a feather upwards in a room using a long, controlled exhalation. Make sure your abdomen is affected and not the chest area each time you breathe out.
More Breathing and Singing Tips
There are other breathing exercises for singing that focus on body posture and different positions of the body. For good posture, avoid slouching or standing too rigid. Both of these extremes can cause your diaphragm to lock and hinder your breathing.
Also, use various body positions (from laying flat on the floor to standing or sitting to do breathing exercises). Positioning your body can help you feel how you are actually breathing and to improve on certain trouble areas.
If you take voice lessons, no matter if you are singing by reading sheet music or by ear, focus on improving and controlling your breathing first and foremost. This will make all the other singing lessons flow easier. Use these breathing exercises for singing before any performance to maintain control of your breathing throughout every song.