Singing from my diaphragm and my throat?

How to exatly use one's diaphragm instead of the throat for singing?

  • By the way, is there any website available that teaches vocal singing techniques? Any effective and comprehensive website will do. Thks, out there!! ::

  • Answer:

    Most of the others are on the right track, but it can be confusing because they didn't quite start at the begining. It is impossible to use proper breathing if you don't use proper singers' posture. Posture is the foundation of proper breathing and singing. (Standing) from the top: Your head should be level with the floor and you are looking ahead, not up or down. No tension, just placed as so. When singing everything should be loose with no stiff tension. Tension causes things to be incorrect even when you know the right way and use it. Next, Roll your shoulders back. Rolling your shoulders back elongates the spine and thorax or chest cavity and lifts the sternum, the bone in the middle of your chest. This allows space for proper breathing. Keep your knees loose, so that they can bend. Don't lock them. Keep your feet shoulder width apart. One foot can be a little farther forward than the other if that is more comfortable for you. Imagine yourself as royalty. This is all perfectly natural and normal. It is simply the way you present yourself--with poise and self-confidence. (Sitting) additional information: When sitting it is important to keep all the same posture techniques used for standing. Make sure you sit as far forward on the seat as possible and keep your feet flat on the floor. When you have proper posture you can learn to breath properly. Correct breath support and control is the gateway to good singing. To learn the proper way, you've got to know which ways are wrong. Improper ways to breath when singing: 1) Clavicular breathing ~ shallow breathing--the shoulders lift 2) Costal breathing ~ heaving like when you are sick 3) Abdominal breathing ~ from just the stomach excluding use of the top of the lungs To understand diaphragmatic-intercostal breathing, the proper breathing for singing, it is import to understand basic breathing for life. Breathing for life is nearly the same with only a few slight alterations. How we breath for living: 1) involuntary impulse of the brain 2) the diaphragm contracts and flattens to enlarge the thorax or chest cavity 3) the costal or rib muscles expand causing the air pressure to drop within the lungs. the air pressure inside then equals to the air pressure outside the lungs. 4) exhale Modifications used when singing: 1) more air is required 2) quicker inhalation 3) longer periods of exhalation requiring control 4) voluntary--you determine how and when **It is impossible to breath correctly if you are not using proper singers' posture.** Ways to make sure you are breathing correctly when singing: 1) Make sure your shoulders and upper chest don't raise when you inhale. 2) Make sure you are expanding all around. The stomach, sides, and even the back The laying down exercise is great for practicing proper breathing. You should practice it every night before you go to sleep. When practicing, pay attention to the appoggio, or the moment of balance between inhaling and exhaling just like breathing for yoga. Before bed breathing exercises: Lay on your back and wait until your breathing deepens and evens. You will feel expansion around your stomach, sides, and even back. This type of breathing is the ideal form of healthy breathing and the breathing we use for singing. 1. Practice inhaling over a count of 10 and gradually grow to a count of 15 and as high as your lung capasity will allow. 2. Use inhalation explained in (1). Exhale with a hiss of air. It will sound like "tissss...". Work your exhale from a 10 count to a 15 count and so on. 3. Use inhalation explained in (1). Exhale with a hiss of air and pulse using the abdominal muscles. ("tisss, tisss, tisss,...) Work your pulsed exhale from a 10 count to a 15 count and so on. Remember: When people refer to singing from your diaphragm it is ment to be a locational reference. The activities of the diaphragm are completely involuntary. You don't control it--your brain does. Proper breathing takes time to develop. You have to keep practicing to build stregth and endurance. Good luck and happy singing!

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Other answers

Basically it's just breathing low. You think breathing low, and when you do your stomach poofs. It's all about getting more air and support, and you can't do that just by using the throat. With more air to support your sound, the longer, or louder or softer you can make the note (crescendo and decrescendo). You could try practicing breathing and support while doing a slight crescendo and then a decrescendo. You'll definitely notice the difference.

Ann

You've gotten some great advice on how to use the diaphragm...let me see if I can expand it a little to give you more to look/feel for. 1) Take a deep breath being sure NOT to raise your shoulders. Instead, concentrate on expanding ALL of your muscles between your shoulders & your legs. Your belly (diaphragm...the most important) , your rib cage, your lower back, ect... If you are not used to this, it will definitely feel strange. You might feel rediculous & that it's over-doing it a bit, but I promise, you're on the right track! 2) Let out a small, steady stream of air. The easiest is to make an "sss" sound. While doing this, concentrate on keeping all of the above mentioned muscles expanded; resist the urge to release them as soon as the sound starts! 3) It will take time to build up strength, but your goal is to be able to take a deep, lung-filling breath & then to release it while singing & using as little escaping air as necessary to make the sound. The natural tendancy is to relax all of those muscles as soon as you start making sound...thus expelling all of your stored air all at once w/ none left over to make it to the end of phrases. If you focus on keeping those muslces expanded, you will slow down the escaping air & learn to control it for singing. This feels very strange at first & is really very hard to do, but it gets the job done. In college, our teacher used ot have us take our big "back breath" as she called it, then she'd place her hands on our lower back while we sang. Our job was to continue to use our mucsles to push back against her while singing...thus keeping the muscles expanded for as long as possible. This is nearly impossible to do, but it did a great job of pointing out which muscles should always be working! Good luck!

singerfitz

The diaphragm is beneath the bottom of the rib cage where the sides meet, and just above the stomach. It is a muscle that needs to be worked so you can use that power to project your voice. Relaxing the throat is essential when you sing, so as to not strain the vocal chords. Many vocalists have ruined their voices by screaming through their throats. The power comes from the diaphragm. Start with breathing exercises. Most people breathe the wrong way. The correct was is to expand the stomach when you inhale, and you can put your hand on your stomach when you do this to know if you're doing it correctly. When you exhale, the stomach should deflate. Do this several times. Then you can move on to singing. When you take your breaths to sing the phrases, put your hand on your stomach to make sure you are utilizing that muscle (which is the diaphragm), and when you exhale a note or a phrase of music, push on your stomach and you will notice how your voice gets louder. This is where the power lies. It all begins with breathing. You may need to practice just the breathing exercises for a week or two before moving on to singing phrases, just to get the motions of the breath down... good luck.

Venus

well when you take a breath to sing, your shoulders should NOT move up. breath from your stomach.

koolpants

What do you mean? When you use your throat it's like humming, when you sing you use your diaphragm!

R

I am not a singer, I am a saxophonist. But the diaphragm thing still applies. To get an idea of how to use your diaphragm lie on the floor on your back. Place an object on your stomach. Inhale deeply and try to bump the object off. If you are inhaling properly, you can do it. When I was demonstrating this to my music students, I bumped off a baritone sax case using just my diaphragm. It is a powerful instrument, and can be mastered. You will need it! My vibrato comes from mouth muscles, but yours must come from the diaphragm. Good luck with this!

stuckanswers

um...how are you going to learn vocally over a computer?

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