The most overlooked aspect of singing is proper breathing. Breathing may seem like a simple task that we all do without even thinking about it, but the truth is, most people don’t know how to breathe properly.
This is why voice lessons for beginners always include proper breathing techniques, which usually revolve around two factors: balance and timing.
Why Proper Breathing in Singing Is Essential
How does correct breathing ensure you can sing properly? Here are its benefits:
- Proper Breathing Provides Better Voice Control
The diaphragm is the most important muscle in breathing because it regulates the pressure of your inhalations and exhalations, which maintains balance within the airways. This balance is essential for singing because it allows you to control how your vocal folds vibrate.
If there isn’t sufficient breath pressure, the vocal folds will be too floppy and create a weak tone. On the other hand, if you have too much breath pressure against your vocal folds, they will be forced to close off, which can cause damage to the muscles (resulting in hoarseness).
At some point in their career, most singers experience problems with either lack of air support or too much air support within their throat. This is where proper breathing techniques come into play.
When you learn how to breathe correctly, you will have more control over your voice, and it becomes easier to sing for long periods without damaging the vocal folds.
- Proper Breathing Protects Vocal Health
When singers understand how proper breathing can be beneficial to their vocal health, they can better take care of their voice. By learning how to breathe correctly, singers can avoid the risks of straining or damaging the vocal muscles. Proper breathing also helps with vocal endurance, which is vital for being a successful singer.
- It Enhances Your Vocal Range
When your diaphragm is properly working, you breathe more efficiently. This means that when inhaling and exhaling, there is less restriction in the airways.
Thus, it becomes easier to ascend or descend scales. If a singer has good breath support, their singing range can be considerably larger than when they do not have proper breath support.
- Proper Breathing Increases Loudness
Humans can produce louder notes when they inhale before singing because there is more space in the lungs for air to flow into. Proper breathing helps you get rid of all the air in your lungs so that on the next note, you have an ample amount of breath pressure for a loud sound. Using proper breathing techniques also allows for better vocal control for dynamics.
- Correct Breathing Increases Phonation Time
Vibrating vocal folds requires an active muscle contraction while exhaling. Using proper breathing techniques prolongs the time in which your vocal folds are vibrating because you have more air pressure to push against the vocal folds with less breath pressure escaping through the glottis (the space between the vocal folds).
- Proper Breathing Produces a Better Sound
When your voice is supported by proper breathing, it becomes easier to hit higher notes and have stronger control over dynamics. The air pressure within the lungs also affects the resonance of the chest, head, and mask cavities, which will help you achieve a better tone.
- Proper Breathing Improves Pronunciation
When you are breathing correctly, it is easier to enunciate each word because your tongue can position itself more precisely against the roof of the mouth without any interference from external factors (i.e., tightness in the throat).
The amount of airflow coming out of your windpipe also affects your diction and articulation. A weak airflow will affect the precision of how you articulate words, so it is important to know how to get enough air pressure during singing.
- It Improves Your Pitch Accuracy
When singers can breathe efficiently, they can sustain their notes with less wavering in pitch. The vocal ligaments and muscles have the proper amount of breath pressure against them.
When you sing a high note, you will not have to tighten your throat as much as when you do not have enough breath pressure against your vocal folds.
Proper breathing techniques allow singers to produce a better sound in their singing. When you learn how to breathe correctly, you will have more control over your voice, and you can sing longer without developing issues with the vocal folds. Considering that proper breathing helps with so many aspects of singing, it is a vital technique for singers to master.
Meta title; Why Should You Learn Proper Breathing?
meta desc: If you ever undergo voice lessons, coaches will teach you how to breathe properly. But why does this matter? Learn the biggest reasons to master proper breathing when singing.