Vocal
Production Lesson 2
Breath: The Fuel For Singing
(This series was previously
published in The Pitch Pipe during the mid-90s. The series was so
popular during its first run we have decided to update it and bring
it back for an encore.)
By Betty Clipman, past
international president, international board of directors, master
director, Houston Horizon Chorus, Region 10
We began this series of do-it-yourself
vocal production lessons in the July issue of The Pitch Pipe by
discussing posture, the basis of all good singing, and we continue
today by taking up breathing and breath support. It is important
to realize that all of the subjects we will discuss in this series
are interrelated: Proper posture is critical to proper breathing,
and just as posture is the basis of all good singing, breath is
the fuel for singing.
The tone we produce when we
sing rests on a cushion of air; thus, the breath is the fuel for
the sounds we produce. We see, then, how important it is to supply
the fuel properly.
The muscles involved in breathing are the intercostal muscles, including
the epigastrium and the abdominal muscles, including the diaphragm.
(If you are not familiar with the epigastrium, place your right
hand just below your breastbone, where you can feel the inverted
V of your rib cage. Make a fist with your left hand, put it to your
mouth and blow gently onto the fist without allowing any air out.
Your right hand will feel the epigastrium pop firmly outward.)
The lungs are where the fuel
is stored, but the lungs are organs, not muscles; they are elastic,
but not capable of independent movement unless the movement is initiated
elsewhere. The lungs are attached to the rib cage and to the diaphragm.
When the rib cage is expanded, it pulls the lungs upward and outward;
when the diaphragm is lowered, it pulls the lungs downward. When
the lungs are stretched in this manner, through expansion of the
rib cage and lowering of the diaphragm, a partial vacuum is created
and air rushes into the lungs. If the muscles are working properly,
the singer does not have to help the air into the lungs, but simply
ensure that the passageway is open. It is the movement of the intercostals
muscles and diaphragm that causes inhalation to occur.
What makes breathing for singing
different from normal or other specialized breathing is the action
of the rib cage. In normal breathing, the rib cage expands to bring
in oxygen, then collapses or lowers as the breath is used. In singing,
we want to create a feeling of firm support for the lungs in the
intercostals and epigastrial muscles, so that as we use the air
the rib cage does not collapse. It is a feeling of nonviolent resistance
— keeping the rib cage high and wide and not allowing the
ribs to drop into the waistline. (We talked about this in the posture
article in the July issue; you may want to go back and review that
article.)
Practicing intercostal and epigastrial
breathing helps the singer because successful resistance to collapse
of the rib cage gives us control of the breath, allowing us to feed
the cushion of air into the tone in a steady stream (like the control
provided by the adjustable nozzle of a garden hose). Breath control
provides constant support and a sense of projection of the tone
being produced. We achieve that by successfully resisting collapse
of the rib cage as we sing the phrase.
At the same time as we are using
the intercostals to keep the rib cage high and wide, we use the
abdominal muscles for support. The abdominals need to be relaxed
during inhalation, so the diaphragm can be lowered completely, without
resistance from below. As we sing, the diaphragm gradually lifts,
pushing air up and out of the lungs as the tone is produced. Because
the rib cage is kept high and wide, the diaphragm will lift gradually
and we have better control of the breath.
The nonviolent resistance that
keeps the rib cage from collapsing also keeps the breath from rushing
out too fast. It can be compared to isometric exercises, in that
we have external and internal intercostal muscles, creating a push-pull
situation. We strive for balance, so we don’t collapse and
push air out too fast or tense up and produce a strangled tone.
With support from the abdominal muscles and resistance to collapse
from the intercostals, we achieve relaxed control.
An excellent description of
this feeling can be found in a book entitled Foundations of Singing
by Van A. Christy: “Costal singing control characteristics
are a lifting and widening of the lower ribs and back, an expansive
feeling just above the waistline, and a continuation of the sensation
in this region to the very end of the phrase.” The author
later adds, “Actually, if the chest is first raised before
inhalation, remains high and quiet, and the costal muscles ‘hold’
and function expansively, we can stop worrying about specific action
of muscles involved in control of singing.”
It is important to note that
the resistance muscles we use in singing (the intercostals, epigastrium,
etc.) are not utilized for the same functions in normal breathing
situations, so they are weak. As Christy says, “Breathing
for living and breathing for singing are quite different processes.
The singer must learn to inhale quicker and exhale (phonate) slower
than in a reflex, life-breathing situation.” Thus, singers
need to strengthen and develop these muscles to make them more capable
of functioning for singing. The exercises included with this article
will help you do that and improve your tone quality in the process!
To recap, then, breath is the
fuel for singing. When we “tank up” to sing a phrase,
the abdominal muscles should relax and the intercostals should expand,
so that we can take in a full breath. Then, as we exhale, our intercostal
muscles should be used to resist collapse of the rib cage, without
tenseness, while our abdominals support the diaphragm as it gradually
rises to create a steady, controlled stream of air upon which our
beautiful tone floats.
* * * * * *
Exercises to Develop
Strength in the Breathing Muscles
As you do these exercises, remember
that the feeling for which we strive is nonviolent support. Keep
the chest (rib cage) high and wide, with no tension.
Exercise #1
This is an exercise for intercostal strength and endurance that
was also described in the July issue: Holding the chest high and
wide, inhale through the nose as you expand the rib cage and lungs
to capacity, but without creating any tension in the chest or shoulder
area. Now exhale, using a hissing sound like air escaping from a
tire, as you count slowly from one to eight. Resist the inclination
to allow the rib cage to collapse while exhaling; use the intercostal
muscles to keep the rib cage high and wide.
Perform this exercise daily,
gradually increasing your exhalation time to 16 counts. Note that
the danger in this exercise is tension and overexertion. It is easy
to become tense about not allowing the rib cage to collapse. Remain
conscious of keeping free of tension, constriction and tightness
in the shoulders and chest.
Exercise #2
Holding the chest high and wide, inhale through the nose as you
expand the rib cage and lungs to capacity. Hold the breath for 10
to 15 seconds, keeping the shoulders and neck area relaxed. Remember
that it is nonviolent resistance that holds the chest high. Repeat
a few times each day, gradually increasing the amount of time you
hold the breath until you can hold it for a full minute without
tension. You can do this exercise while driving, working, etc.
Exercise #3
Holding the chest high and wide, inhale through the nose as you
expand the rib cage and lungs to capacity. To let the breath out,
count aloud extremely slowly from one to six, with much openness
and resonance in the voice, constantly feeding the tone a great
deal of warm air. To keep the chest high and wide, think of expanding
the rib cage again as you begin to speak each number. Your full
breath should be used up when you finish speaking the number six.
Now take another full breath and begin again.
Exercise #4
This is an exercise to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Holding
the chest high and wide, inhale through the nose as you expand the
rib cage and lungs to capacity. Now sing the following exercise,
thinking about the support and control provided by the diaphragm
as it slowly rises, while the chest stays high, wide and quiet.
Begin on a comfortable note in your range and sing up and then down
the scale, making each note staccato and using the following sounds
and notes (1=do, 2=re, 3=mi, etc.):
hip hip hip hip
1 2 3 4
hah hah hah hah
5 5 5 5
hah hah hah hah hah
5 4 3 2 1
Exercise #5
To remind yourself of the proper muscular feeling when keeping the
rib cage high and wide (nonviolent support), first place your right
hand just below your breastbone, so you feel the inverted V of your
rib cage. Make a fist with your left hand, place it against your
mouth and blow gently on the fist, not allowing any air to escape.
Feel the epigastrial muscles pop outward with your right hand. Keep
that feeling of firmness in the epigastrium as you sing the following,
making all of the notes staccato:
hi hi hi hi hi
5 4 3 2 1
Now move up the scale one-half
step from your starting note and repeat the exercise. Remember to
keep the epigastrium firm and the chest high and wide. You should
be able to feel the area below the epigastrium moving in and out.
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