It may seem a little silly to read a “how to breathe” article—we do it to live and for a living, after all—but breathwork for singing is a genre all its own. Whether you’re a true beginner or a seasoned pro looking for a refresher on the basics, there’s never a bad time to examine the use of breath in singing.
If you’ve ever been to a voice lesson or sung in a choir, you likely know that one of the first things a singing instructor will harp on is the importance of breath. But why? There are a couple of reasons. First, the obvious: If you don’t breathe, you can’t make sound, and if you can’t make sound, you can’t sing! But perhaps more importantly, good breath support will make singing easier and less likely to cause vocal strain.
While there are many schools of thought when it comes to singing, they all agree on certain principles, and foremost among them is the importance of supported breath. The best way to achieve supported breath is to implement the following techniques.
Use your diaphragm. Intentional use of the diaphragm is the primary element separating breathing for singing from your day-to-day breathing. The diaphragm is a large muscle located just beneath the lungs. When you breathe deeply using your diaphragm, it actually contracts, making space for your lungs to fill with even more air. While it may feel unusual at first, breathing with your diaphragm is not only normal but instinctual; babies naturally breathe using their diaphragms. But as we get older, we begin to take shallower breaths. Just ask any nonsinger to “breathe deep” and you’ll notice they immediately puff out their chests and raise their shoulders.
When you breathe with your diaphragm, however, the deep breath is concentrated to the abdomen. You should notice your abdomen (and, to a certain extent, your lower ribs and back) expanding as you breathe in, and contracting as you breathe out. Keep in mind that the diaphragm is driving the expansion, not the other way around.
If you’re having trouble figuring out just how to engage your diaphragm when you breathe, we’ve got you covered—check out this helpful guide.
Remember your ribs. Just because your diaphragm is the star of the show doesn’t mean your ribs aren’t getting involved at all—the ribs should also expand. This motion, often called “rib swing,” involves the ribs swinging outward to the front and back (but not upward! Don’t get your shoulders involved!) to create even more space for air to flow. While your ribs will expand alongside your diaphragm, they won’t necessarily contract at the same rate, sometimes actually staying held outward as the diaphragm pushes in. This becomes especially important during types of singing, like belting, that require high air pressure but lower air flow.
How Singers Can Belt with the Best of ’EmPut it all together. Now that you understand all of the pieces and parts, it’s time to put it all together to get the best breath to support your singing. First, take a deep breath in, allowing your diaphragm and ribs to move outward to help you take a solid foundational breath. This can be through your nose or your mouth, but make sure the breath is smooth and steady, not sharp or gaspy. As you begin to sing, focus on maintaining a steady, supported supply of air as you work your way through the sung line. While this happens, your core will naturally compress inward, but don’t let it collapse. Think of the abdomen compressing as a response to the use of air, instead of being the thing that’s driving it. Once the phrase is over, you can start again by taking another breath.
Other tips, tricks, and things to keep in mind
Relax. Before you even think about your breath, it’s best to relax your entire body as best you can—tension is the enemy when singing. Bend your knees slightly to prevent them from locking (every elementary school choir concert has at least one fainter, and the knees are almost always to blame), and do your best to relax your face, jaw, and neck to prevent any kind of vocal strain. In the same vein, relax your mind. As a human being, you take around 20,000 breaths per day, so remember that you were literally built to do this.
Plan out your breaths. Seriously! While it may seem tedious, getting through a song can take some planning. During a rehearsal, many singers like to mark their music with places they plan on taking a breath, especially if a few sneaky catch-breaths, or teeny-tiny breaths, will be required to make it through a phrase. And, within reason, you’re going to want to breathe a little more than you feel you need to. You don’t want to push yourself to the last possible bit of air, or else you run the risk of getting weak or compressed at the end of the phrase, or just plain not making it to the end at all.
Practice, practice, practice. If this seems like a lot to think about, you’re right—but try not to stress! It may seem silly to practice something as second-nature as breathing, but the more you practice breathing intentionally, the faster it’ll become second nature to you.
