Breathing
One of the most important elements of singing is a consistent and relaxed approach to breathing. A good singer always produces a strong, even tone and sounds relaxed regardless of how high or low the notes are. Shown below is a method of breathing which will help you gain more control over the way you breathe when you are singing.
Step 1
Lie on your back on the floor with your legs straight out. Place the palm of one hand over your navel. Pretend you are blowing your nose. Feel your muscles tighten underneath your hand as you do this. Continue blowing until the muscles are tight.
Hold them for a few seconds until you need a breath. As you let go those muscles notice that your hand moves up and you get bigger round the waist as a new breath fills your lungs. Just relax your abdominal muscles and you will breathe in automatically.
Step 2
Stand up and repeat the exercise. Concentrate on the muscles tightening as you breathe out and the feeling of relaxation as you breathe in. Repeat the exercise a few times until you are sure of the feelings as you breathe.
Step 3
Breathe out, then in, and then sing a long slow note (the pitch doesn’t matter). Let the note come out slowly and steadily from your diaphragm, like squeezing a tube of toothpaste from the bottom. Stop, relax, and then repeat the note a few times. Do these exercises for a few minutes each day, and soon you will find you never run out of breath when you are singing.
Remember :
Breathe in = Relax
Breathe out = Gentle effort
