Inspire: Breathing and Breath for Singing and the Voice
Module no. 4 - The Good News
Module no. 4 - The Good News (the breakdown)
Here is something important I want you to know about your breath… You don’t have to MAKE it happen. You don’t have to push, pull squeeze, or manipulate it in any way.
That may feel confusing, because the exercise we just did might have felt like a lot of “work” but really what I’m getting at is how your breath can feel when the work is happening with more efficiency and ease.
When you added a “hiss” you added a point of resistance for the breath when it left the body. You used your tongue and teeth to block the air a bit.
Interestingly, you likely felt this resistance predominantly in your lower abdomen or belly?
Hmmm!
Well, that resistance is also how the vocal folds (vocal cords) work when you make a sound with your voice. They create resistance for the air and that resistance creates a wave, which is vibration, which turns into the sound of your voice.
The type of sound (high, low, loud, soft, head voice, chest voice, mix) all determine the amount of resistance you’ll experience in your body. This is always changing!
In short, your voice controls the breath. Your breath does not control the voice! This is a big mindset shift for most people.
What that means for you not having to MAKE your breath happen, is you that your job is to set your body up to naturally handle the variability based on the sound you are trying to make.
If you’re coordinating your body well, you just have to let the breath happen!
Phew! I know that might seem confusing, but it is important.
Let me say this again: Your breath does not control your voice, but your voice controls your breath. You just have to set it up for success and let it happen.