How Singers Learn to Breathe (And How To Breathe More Fully)

Any beginner vocal student knows that the breath is one of the most important parts of voice. The voice is carried on the breath, and can’t exist without it. Breathing can be one of the easiest things in the world– but once singers start to learn how it works, it can become more effortful than necessary. 

1. The Common Advice

Beginning singers are often taught about the diaphragm, and the concept of “Belly Breathing”. Instructions are to breathe low into the belly, making it extend outwards, rather than into the chest, making the shoulders rise. It’s taught that a strong diaphragm pulls the lungs down to create more space for breath, and that early singers need to strengthen this bowl-shaped muscle below the lungs. While this can be helpful, it’s only part of the story. 

2. Why It Doesn’t Always Work

When singers are taught that they need to strengthen their diaphragm in order to have more breath, they can learn that inhaling=activating muscle, effort, and exhale=relaxing the muscle, easy. They focus on pushing the belly out, but still often feel as though they are running out of breath while singing, and are told that they simply have to strengthen the diaphragm over time. 

The Physics

Physics tells us that when a space expands, air rushes in to fill it. The diaphragm is part of a larger team– including your abs, pecs, even the muscles between your shoulder blades. They work together to expand your chest cavity, and the air then flows in naturally and immediately. These muscles then control how fast the lungs collapse, creating the breath pressure that carries your voice. It’s not so much strength as coordination that singers need to manage their exhale efficiently. 

3. If You Can’t Get Enough Air

If you feel as though you can’t get enough air while singing, it might not be that your muscles aren’t strong enough– in fact, it’s more likely because you’re not used to the feeling of an open chest cavity, and your muscles are unconsciously bracing! We brace, or tighten up or hold our muscles, anytime we’re in a state of heightened attention. Most people brace the entire time they are driving without knowing it, or while at school nervous for a test. We also can get used to shrinking our chest cavity if we spend long periods of time slouched, looking at screens. It actually takes relaxing to allow the body to expand fully. Once the space is there, the air does the rest! 

How To Relax

As an exercise, sit or stand with good posture, your spine in a relaxed upright position and shoulders down and back, allowing your chest to open. Close your eyes and imagine each inhale to slowly fill up more of the space inside your torso. Imagine expanding with breath in all directions, without you having to do anything– the air rushes in for you. Visualize your body as a large open space for breath to fill. Let it be easy. 

written by Coach Jaz