ADVANCED Breathing Exercises to "Connect" Your Breathing to Your Singing
These are a number of breathing exercises that supplement the posture exercises from my last post. Everything in these posts builds on materials and information from other posts. I know I have already included a lot of different Breathing Exercises but you REALLY can’t ever have too many, honestly. Breathing is the “FUEL” for all singing, just as gasoline is the fuel for your car. When breathing is not “connected” to your singing, singing is adversely affected. These exercises work well to help you learn to “connect” your breath with your singing. Be sure to practice them often and for a significant amount of time. Have fun and enjoy the results!
Here are your exercises:
* HUGGING - This is a favorite of mine and I feel it is appropriate because music really does release positive endorphins into our systems. By wrapping your arms around an “imaginary” tree in front of you, you press your hands together, creating pressure through your arms, and feeling your back muscles begin to push back and expand. Next, relax the pressure and draw in a slow, deep, relaxed breath as you immediately begin to sing an “Ahhhhhhh”.
* LYING ON THE FLOOR - Lie on the floor with your knees and hips bent, and your lower back on the floor. When you breathe, concentrate so that your lower back relaxes into the floor all the more. This allows you to feel both the “Vertical” movement of air into your Diaphragm, as well as the “Horizontal” movement as the back widens, the Ribcage spreads, and you relax more and more. Repeat as many times as possible, and begin to sing a “tone” of “Mum” as you exhale the breath but experience NO pressure or stress. Only sing as long as it is completely comfortable.
* LYING ON THE FLOOR #2 - This time, lie FACEDOWN on the floor with your hands under your forehead. When you breathe, notice how the muscles of your back ribs expand. The next time you inhale, as you begin to exhale, start to “Hiss”. Focus on the relationship between your upper and lower abdominal muscles. Repeat this a few times. THEN, try this exercise, substituting a “Hum” for the Hiss. Try to be aware of resistance through your abdomen. The GOAL with ALL of these exercises is NOT just increasing BREATH but achieving CONTROL and MANAGEMENT of that breath. Breath Support is about learning to both pull in and press out different muscles, coordinating exhalation as you withhold air pressure, while keeping the body open. The Pectoral Muscles, Intercostal Muscles between the Ribs (these are tiny but ESSENTIAL to allowing the ribs to “breathe”; the ribs, themselves, are bones, of course, which can’t move), and the Lower Lumbar Muscles (Serrates Posterior Inferior Muscles) are utilized to hold back air pressure. The Upper and Lower Abdominal Muscles fuel breath flow. Lower Abdominal Muscles (The Obliques and the Abdominis) move in, up, and under to fuel the breath stream, as opposed to an automatic action. The Upper Abdominal Muscles move slowly and gently, controlling the air. Combined, all these muscles create Breath Control. Beginning a tone before you initiate your breath (therefore, using the throat muscles), causes a “High” Larynx, which is terrible for singing. Take a breath as though you have forgotten what you are about to say. When you do this, your throat opens but your vocal folds remain closed, and the Larynx is ready for phonation. NOW:
* “NG” - (Sung) To do this correctly, say the word “King”. The final sound in this word is the “NG” sound you want for this entire exercise. This consonant sound closes the Vocal Folds automatically. You can perform this in a “sustained” way; a “Legato” fashion; and/or a “Staccato” way (interrupted but on the same breath), using the formula of 5-5-5-5-5-4-3-2-1. This progresses up and/or down by half-steps.
* GENTLE CLOSURE OF CHORDS - You are going to use the syllables “Uh, Oh” on the Formula 1-1-2-3-2-1. So, you pretend you dropped something and say, “Uh, Oh”. This brings the Vocal Folds together without you having to think about it. It is very helpful to sing using your body’s natural reflexes. This also solves the problem of “breathy” singing, and it achieves this in a very easy and manageable way.
* HISS ON 4 BEATS AND RELEASE - Your lower back muscles should open. Breathe and manage your breath over each “phrase” of 4 Beats. Repeat this exercise until it is comfortable. Then, repeat the exercise with Lip Trills instead of Hissing. This method can then be utilized to manage the breaths in any song. First, use the “Hiss”. Then, use the Lip Trill. Be on the lookout for an upcoming blog post on “Appoggio”, the Bel Canto Method of Breathing.
* HISSING TO TONE - Sit forward in a chair, on the edge of the chair and breathe. Next, breathe to Hiss for 4 Beats and Release. Then, Breathe to Hiss to Tone (Ah, Eh, or Oh), and back to Hiss for 4 Beats EACH, and Release. Next, Breathe to Hiss (4 Beats) to Tone (4 Beats) to Hiss (4 Beats) and then, Release. Ending with the “Hiss” allows you to completely get rid of all your air. Finally, Breathe in to “ZZZZ” (4 Beats) to “Oh” (4 Beats) to Hiss (4 Beats), and Release.
None of these exercises are “difficult” but if you are not careful, it is easy to do them incorrectly. Singing is truly an art. You must respect it; you must invest in it; you must be willing to be humbled by it but to keep pressing on so that you see great return on all your investment of time and energy. When you work on these exercises, make certain to have SOMEONE “spot” you, and LISTEN to what they say! Of course, the best thing would be to work with your voice teacher, and even better if you would let me work with you. Check out my website at www.SingitForward.net. PLEASE send me your questions, comments, and suggestions for future blog posts. Sing it Forward!
Here are your exercises:
* HUGGING - This is a favorite of mine and I feel it is appropriate because music really does release positive endorphins into our systems. By wrapping your arms around an “imaginary” tree in front of you, you press your hands together, creating pressure through your arms, and feeling your back muscles begin to push back and expand. Next, relax the pressure and draw in a slow, deep, relaxed breath as you immediately begin to sing an “Ahhhhhhh”.
* LYING ON THE FLOOR - Lie on the floor with your knees and hips bent, and your lower back on the floor. When you breathe, concentrate so that your lower back relaxes into the floor all the more. This allows you to feel both the “Vertical” movement of air into your Diaphragm, as well as the “Horizontal” movement as the back widens, the Ribcage spreads, and you relax more and more. Repeat as many times as possible, and begin to sing a “tone” of “Mum” as you exhale the breath but experience NO pressure or stress. Only sing as long as it is completely comfortable.
* LYING ON THE FLOOR #2 - This time, lie FACEDOWN on the floor with your hands under your forehead. When you breathe, notice how the muscles of your back ribs expand. The next time you inhale, as you begin to exhale, start to “Hiss”. Focus on the relationship between your upper and lower abdominal muscles. Repeat this a few times. THEN, try this exercise, substituting a “Hum” for the Hiss. Try to be aware of resistance through your abdomen. The GOAL with ALL of these exercises is NOT just increasing BREATH but achieving CONTROL and MANAGEMENT of that breath. Breath Support is about learning to both pull in and press out different muscles, coordinating exhalation as you withhold air pressure, while keeping the body open. The Pectoral Muscles, Intercostal Muscles between the Ribs (these are tiny but ESSENTIAL to allowing the ribs to “breathe”; the ribs, themselves, are bones, of course, which can’t move), and the Lower Lumbar Muscles (Serrates Posterior Inferior Muscles) are utilized to hold back air pressure. The Upper and Lower Abdominal Muscles fuel breath flow. Lower Abdominal Muscles (The Obliques and the Abdominis) move in, up, and under to fuel the breath stream, as opposed to an automatic action. The Upper Abdominal Muscles move slowly and gently, controlling the air. Combined, all these muscles create Breath Control. Beginning a tone before you initiate your breath (therefore, using the throat muscles), causes a “High” Larynx, which is terrible for singing. Take a breath as though you have forgotten what you are about to say. When you do this, your throat opens but your vocal folds remain closed, and the Larynx is ready for phonation. NOW:
* “NG” - (Sung) To do this correctly, say the word “King”. The final sound in this word is the “NG” sound you want for this entire exercise. This consonant sound closes the Vocal Folds automatically. You can perform this in a “sustained” way; a “Legato” fashion; and/or a “Staccato” way (interrupted but on the same breath), using the formula of 5-5-5-5-5-4-3-2-1. This progresses up and/or down by half-steps.
* GENTLE CLOSURE OF CHORDS - You are going to use the syllables “Uh, Oh” on the Formula 1-1-2-3-2-1. So, you pretend you dropped something and say, “Uh, Oh”. This brings the Vocal Folds together without you having to think about it. It is very helpful to sing using your body’s natural reflexes. This also solves the problem of “breathy” singing, and it achieves this in a very easy and manageable way.
* HISS ON 4 BEATS AND RELEASE - Your lower back muscles should open. Breathe and manage your breath over each “phrase” of 4 Beats. Repeat this exercise until it is comfortable. Then, repeat the exercise with Lip Trills instead of Hissing. This method can then be utilized to manage the breaths in any song. First, use the “Hiss”. Then, use the Lip Trill. Be on the lookout for an upcoming blog post on “Appoggio”, the Bel Canto Method of Breathing.
* HISSING TO TONE - Sit forward in a chair, on the edge of the chair and breathe. Next, breathe to Hiss for 4 Beats and Release. Then, Breathe to Hiss to Tone (Ah, Eh, or Oh), and back to Hiss for 4 Beats EACH, and Release. Next, Breathe to Hiss (4 Beats) to Tone (4 Beats) to Hiss (4 Beats) and then, Release. Ending with the “Hiss” allows you to completely get rid of all your air. Finally, Breathe in to “ZZZZ” (4 Beats) to “Oh” (4 Beats) to Hiss (4 Beats), and Release.
None of these exercises are “difficult” but if you are not careful, it is easy to do them incorrectly. Singing is truly an art. You must respect it; you must invest in it; you must be willing to be humbled by it but to keep pressing on so that you see great return on all your investment of time and energy. When you work on these exercises, make certain to have SOMEONE “spot” you, and LISTEN to what they say! Of course, the best thing would be to work with your voice teacher, and even better if you would let me work with you. Check out my website at www.SingitForward.net. PLEASE send me your questions, comments, and suggestions for future blog posts. Sing it Forward!
Comments
Post a Comment