He who breathes well, sings well

..... And i mean that literally. The air you inhale and exhale is chiefly responsible for the sound you produce when you sing or speak. Learning how to breathe correctly and breath control is imperative for great singing.

Work it Honey

Babies can breathe, yell and scream with optimum effect because they use their entire lungs without conscious thought. As we grow older, some people become lazy in their habits only using the upper part of the lungs, taking a shallow breath instead of a deep one.

Breathing process

 

Surrounding your lungs is a muscle system called the diaphragm which is attached to the lower ribs on the sides, bottom and to the back acting as an inhalation device. When you breathe in the muscle lowers displacing the stomach and intestines. When you breathe out the diaphragm helps to manage the muscles around the lungs (abdominal muscles) control how quickly the breath is exhaled.
If you breathe out quickly, the diaphram does nothing but when you breathe out very slowly the diaphragm resists the action of the abdominal muscles.
A very basic exercise in achieving this is , get in an airtight room, inhale slowly and deeply. Hold your breath for as long as you can. Now exhale as slowly as possible with a lit candle infront of your mouth, such that the flame doesnt flicker at all.

Do this as many times as possible, this helps in sustaining  notes when singing for a longer period of time .

The best way to check that you are breathing correctly is to lie flat on your back, when you inhale your stomach should move up an out and when you exhale it relaxes. Most people breathe with their diaphram when lying down as opposed to when standing.

Breathing from your diaphram helps you achieve maximum and effective singing.

I wouldnt want to make this post so lengthy, so for now i will let you guys practice your breathing. However, if you desire to know more and understand this better you can mail me eslk_classic@yahoo.com or just ask your question in the comment section.

Happy breathing!