Breath Support 101: How Does Air Flow Impact Our Sound?
Have you ever wondered how your favourite singers sound so loud and powerful? Have you wished you could bring the house down with a killer belt? Maybe you’ve tried to sing, and your voice comes out sounding thin, airy, light, or soft - not at all like you hoped. What’s missing?
No, it isn’t superpowers - just air! Lots and lots of it.
When we sing, we need to use more air than when we’re speaking. We’re only able to sustain a pitch by fuelling up with lots of air beforehand. But songs are made up of so many pitches - how do you inhale enough air to match them all? That’s where our diaphragm comes in: the muscle you may not know you have!
The diaphragm is pretty big, and wraps around the back of our spine with two lobes that rest just under our lungs. The diaphragm works together with the lungs to help us breathe. When the diaphragm contracts, it creates a vacuum effect, causing our lungs to fill up with air. As it relaxes, it releases the pressure in your chest, and the air in your lungs is forced out. Ever get hiccups that seem to last forever? That’s your diaphragm in spasm, causing you to inhale sharply.
So how does our diaphragm work with us and not against us? You may hear a professional singer talk about “breath support”. This means exactly what it sounds like - to achieve a big sound, we need to support that sound with lots of breath. Try this exercise to locate your diaphragm. Place both hands on your stomach, just under your ribcage and shout out a loud “HUH”, sound. Do you feel the muscles beneath your hands tense up? That’s your diaphragm working extra hard to push that air up, creating that sound as your vocal cords vibrate. Next, try breathing in as deeply as you can, nice and slow. Visualize a balloon resting in your stomach. As you inhale, that balloon inflates with air to become full. As you exhale, the balloon deflates, and that air escapes out of your mouth.
Using your full lung capacity can feel foreign to many singers at first, like a fish out of water. it may even feel impossible, like you’ll never be able to achieve the sound you’re dreaming of. Don’t give up hope! Our lungs and diaphragm are muscles. Just like any other muscle, you need to build up strength, stamina, and endurance with targeted exercises. Imagine heading to the gym and trying to lift the 200 pound weights first. Yikes!
To become more familiar with the sensation of “singer’s breath”, try this exercise! First, set a metronome or count yourself in at a moderate pace. Breathe in deeply for 4 counts, then hold your breath for 8 counts. As you hold that air in, your lungs will become used to inflating bigger for a longer period of time. After your 8 counts are complete, count out another set of 8 counts as you release that air with a loud “sss” sound, like a snake. Your goal is to budget your air flow, making it all the way to your last count without running out of breath, or having air left over.
Keep repeating this exercise, focusing on inflating, then fully deflating the imaginary balloon in your stomach. Does this feel too easy after a while? Try breathing in for 4 counts, then holding/releasing for 10 counts at a time! Continue increasing the counts you hold and release for, as your lungs become accustomed to fully inflating in a short period of time. You’re effectively increasing your lung capacity, enabling you to take bigger breaths faster and use them longer.
And just like that, something that once seemed too difficult or even unattainable becomes comfortable. Give yourself patience, and above all, keep trying your best! Even the best voices have to start somewhere. And who knows? That could be you - if you’re willing to try.