Voice Lessons Online-How Breathing Can Transform Your Voice

Breathing is a fundamental, if not the most fundamental, aspect of singing. If you have no breath, you have no sound, so developing proper breathing techniques is essential to the success of your voice. Shallow breathing can result is a quiet, shaky voice. Forced breathing can result in a strained voice and poor vocal tone. Proper breathing techniques can allow you to expand your range, the strength of your voice, as well as improve clarity, pitch, and tone.

Proper breathing utilizes the diaphragm, a muscle below your rib cage. Utilizing the diaphragm, or taking a “diaphragmatic breath” contrasts more typical breathing in that it involves expanding the stomach rather than lifting the shoulders. Many people who practice improper breathing find themselves raising their shoulders as they inhale into their upper chest cavity. This results in a short, shallow breath leaving many people without vocal support. Diaphragmatic breathing involves expanding the lower rib cage, allowing the breath to fill the lower lung cavity and feels as though you are expanding your stomach.

There are several ways in which to assess your breathing techniques, many of which are taught through voice lessons online. Some techniques involving watching yourself take several breathes in front of a mirror, watching to see if your shoulders raise up as you breathe. This technique is effective but when can often be deceitful. Many people find when they watch themselves in a mirror they become self-conscious and begin to breathe differently than their normal habits. One technique for assessing breathing that helps to eliminate this self-consciousness requires you to lie on your back on solid flooring. Lay your hands to your sides on the floor and inhale deeply. As you breathe, gravity will force your breath deep into your lungs, preventing any shallow breathing.

This technique is not only useful for assessing breathing techniques, but for practicing proper breathing as well. If you find yourself struggling to take deep “diaphragmatic” breathes, you can practice by taking time before your vocal warm-ups to lie on solid flooring and practice deep breathing. Practicing before your regular warm-up routine will help ensure that you utilize that breathing during your vocal warm-up and practice.

Proper breathing technique during singing makes a drastic difference in the strength and quality of your voice. It can also mean the difference in how expansive your vocal range is as expanded vocal range requires powerful breath support. Vocal tone and pitch quality is also enhanced with proper breathing and vocal projection can be dramatically increased.

Voice Lessons Online can be very useful in continuing to developing proper breathing techniques as well as additional vocal training.You can find more information on proper breathing and voice lessons online here.