In this following post I will prove to you how the answer maybe different to what you may have expected it to be…
Introduction
To understand how to get more breath control, we first need to identify exactly what we mean by "breath control" and what do we mean by "support." Usually, these definitions for singers are used in conjunction with mastering more control in the voice and (stating the obvious) not running out of breath whilst singing. But there can be more nuances to these terms… when we state breath control/support as a solution to our problem, it can be mentioned because the singer has a wide vibrato, an overly quick vibrato, no vibrato, vocal fatigue, unclear diction, tongue suppression, an uneven vocal range, and many other imperfections.
When the conversation is brought up on how to get better breath control and support, many people jump at the opportunity to tell you about the diaphragm breath, expanding the rib cage, engaging the abdominal muscles, and breathing low. That is all well and good, but it is only one part of solving the problem.
I had been told this was the sole solution at a young age, but painfully I could not find the results me and my vocal teachers were looking for no matter how hard I engaged my muscles, took deeper breaths, and practiced strengthening the lungs and so on I could not find proper "support."
Fast forward to today, I can clearly see what was the failure in getting my breath control and support right.
The problem was my vocal fold adduction (or lack there of). My efficiency to create a concentrated sound. Yes, the efficiency in how I used my voice was the problem! The answer seems so straightforward now, but I realise it isn’t straightforward when you are just starting out learning to sing. I will prove to you now conducting this simple experiment how breath control is more than just about taking in the breath…
Solution
Step 1
Firstly, I want you to take the biggest, deepest breath you can possibly muster, using all your knowledge of breathing…
Step 2
Now I want you to make the breathiest sound you can produce, as you hold a single pitch… you can use the “ah” vowel for your note if you like.
Step 3
Reflect how long you were able to sustain the note. Not very long right? It’s because no matter how much breath you took in, all the air escaped straight away as soon as you began to sing.
Step 4
Redo the experiment now, but this time I want you to take a much shorter breath and sustain a note that is less breathy and more concentrated in sound. Voila! You can sustain a note much longer now right?
Conclusion
No matter how much we breathe in, if we aren’t using our voice correctly, we will not find improvement with our breath control and support. The first way to solve this problem is to see the solution in two parts. The first step is yes of course the actual process of breathing in, but the second step is finding a more concentrated (less breathy) sound in our voices consistently throughout our range.
Now I did mention there are more nuances to breath control that I will get to in a later video/blog, but for now I just wanted to target the core issue that anyone can solve. Of course we can't solve all our vocal problems in one post, but this will hopefully be a step in the right direction.
All the best with your practicing and please let me know if this blog was useful to your own practicing!
Comments