Learning to Breathe (Again)

Jenn Cohen | June 1, 2013 | 0 Comments

by Carin Dawn

Legendary football coach, Vince Lombardi, began the pre-season addressing his players by holding up a football and saying, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” In only five words, Lombardi communicated his point: We’re going to start with the basics, and make sure we’re executing all the fundamentals.

When people learn to sing, they primarily focus on sounding good. However, in order to “sound good” or sing correctly, you must first learn the basics; you must learn to breathe.

Personally, I learned this the hard way! I was unaware that I needed vocal training because I could carry a tune, and people would actually listen. During high school, I noticed that after an hour of singing my voice would sound scratchy and hoarse, and I would feel the need to cough in order to “clear my throat.” I also experienced frequent vocal breaks, and my vocal range was decreasing. I had no idea that my “lack of breathing techniques” were putting a strain on my vocal chords. I had a visit with an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor, and discovered that I had developed vocal nodules.

Vocal nodules are a mass of tissue that builds up on the vocal folds. This occurs when strenuous or abusive vocal practices are used. With proper breathing techniques, sounds will manifest automatically, because the vocal chord vibrations are a direct result of the movement of airflow. Without proper techniques, your body/mind will find ways to manifest sound, despite the absence of airflow.

My “cure” was to stop singing and speaking for several months. For a singer, this is as close to a death sentence as it gets. Walking around with a notepad and pen at all times, in order to communicate with my friends, family and teachers was tedious and annoying. Although I had seen a doctor, I was given zero direction on how to correct the issue that was creating the nodules in the first place. In fact, I didn’t have a clue what the problem was.

Several years later I developed nodules again. However, this time it was more frequent and would occur after 20 minutes of singing. My frustration, along with my lack of desire to stop singing for months, led me to a vocal coach. I needed to know what the actual problem was and how to fix it (without surgery!). After 30 seconds of singing he begged me to stop. He proceeded to explain that I needed to be “retrained” to breathe. Honestly, I thought this sounded ridiculous. I know how to breathe; I’m alive aren’t I? But, breathing as we do everyday, involuntarily, is much different than how we breathe in order to sing properly.

This process of learning to breathe again was both challenging and enlightening. It was the turning point, which led to my desire to help others avoid the pain, frustration and silence I had endured.

Understanding how your body works is important. Proper training and instruction for a vocalist is just as crucial as it is for a football player or marathon runner. In order to gain the results that you desire, conditioning yourself to endure the physical aspect of singing and performance, are a necessity.

The Diaphragm:

You’ve probably heard people say, “sing from your diaphragm.” However, most people really don’t know what that means. The diaphragm is a membrane, not a muscle, so in order to “sing from the diaphragm,” you must learn to control the muscles that move the diaphragm.

For example: take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds. Notice what part of your body moves when you breathe. Generally, you will notice your shoulders rise and your upper chest expands. Breathing this way does not move the diaphragm; therefore, you must first learn to control your abdominal muscles (which move the diaphragm) in order to acquire your maximum vocal potential.

Practice, Patience & Technique:

Learning the muscular process of controlling the lower abdomen in order to expand as you inhale and deflate (pulling in) as you exhale takes time and practice. Like any athletic sport, it takes a lot of practice, as well as patience, for the proper techniques to become second nature. It also takes a willingness to exercise, not only your voice, but your body as well. Most singers are unaware of the physical strain that singing actually places on the body. Therefore, having a body that is strong and able to maintain proper muscle functioning, for singing, is imperative.

All too often, a vocalist will rely on his (or her) own inspiration, desire, and determination to fuel “how” they sing. For instance, a vocalist may push or strain to express their song, or to create the volume they desire for an emotional impact. However, without the proper muscle support needed to sustain this performance, the results would be devastating. Improper technique will result in vocal fatigue and strain, leading to a high risk of serous injury to the vocal chords.

Practice Regimen:

There are several exercises you can practice in order to understand muscle control, diaphragmatic movement, and proper airflow, so as to ensure the safety of your vocal chords.

Discovering & Understanding Your L.A.M. (Lower Abdominal Muscles):

Your L.A.M. are voluntary muscles. Unlike your Upper Abdominal Muscles, which are involuntary. This means that they will move while you are sleeping, eating, and talking. With voluntary muscles, you must give it the command to move or engage in some physical activity, which will requires them to move.

Some exercises that require your L.A.M. to move:

Lie on your back and do 10 to 20 leg lifts. Place your hand across your belly, below your belly button to locate the L.A.M.
Lie on your back and lift your legs (from the hips) and hold for 10 seconds. (Repeat x5)
Get a bag of balloons and blow them up. The muscle control needed for blowing up a balloon is the same muscle control needed for singing.

*Try doing these exercises without your L.A.M.!

In this exercise you will need to “command” your L.A.M. movement.

Breathing! Consciously move your L.A.M. out (as you breathe in) and pull it in (as you breathe out). This may sound simple, yet at first it can be a bit tricky!
Sit or lie comfortably, with loose garments.
Put one hand on your chest and one on your stomach.
Slowly inhale through your nose or through pursed lips (to slow down the intake of breath).
As you inhale, feel your stomach expand with your hand. (“Big Belly”)
Slowly exhale through pursed lips to regulate the release of air. (“Skinny Belly”)
Rest and repeat.

Remember, learning (or re-learning) takes time, patience and practice! If you’re willing to work, you will achieve your vocal goals.

For more information visit http://dragonflyvocalacademy.com

Tags: carin dawn, vince lombardi, dragonfly vocal academy