Singg.tv Singing Tip 1: Breathe through a straw

www.singg.tv - The breath activates the voice and carries the sound; this is why practicing good breath management is so important in vocal training.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• singing
• tips
• breathing
• breath
• management
• exercise
• vocal
• training
• techniques

[vaneijck]

hello. I'm intrigued by your comment that the diaphragm needs activating. My experience is that the diaphragm is programmed to descend and take air in, no matter what. Proof of that reflex can be easily experienced if you hold your head under water. At some point you'll have to get it out of the water or drown, such is the reflex action of the diaphragm. I would also disagree with you that you fill with air from the bottom up.

[singgtv]

@vaneijck Thank-you for your comment. Are you the Tenor featured on your youtube account? You obviously know about the natural intake of the breath and indeed, the diaphragm is programmed to descend during inhalation. However, it is possible to hinder this natural reaction with built up tension in the body. I have had students who, because of tension and lack of equilibrium in the ribcage, were told by their doctors that the diaphragm was not being used to it's full potential.

[singgtv]

"Bottom up, down and out,..." how should we really phrase the intake of air? I'll admit that it can depend on how the body reacts to the information. The most important thing, in my opinion, is targeting the lowest ribs felt in the back. When this area is open, then all we need to do is stand comfortably tall and allow the abdominal muscles to relax during breath renewal.

[voicedudeco]

The main work has been done by researchers in northern europe and also the national center for voice and speech in the U.S. They actually study the reason it works and have a training video on the reasons and the technique's science. It is not just breathing through the straw but actually phonating in the traw.

[singgtv]

@voicedudeco Phonating in the straw is a great practice as well. One could begin with practicing a focused breathe through the straw, as I suggest in this video, and then proceed to singing a vowel (I would go with "ou" as in "you"). This will help focus the sound as well and can be especially useful when working on the coordination needed for the higher register.

[BethOfficial1998]

Great tip x

[MrVictor2205]

Hi Angie! :) Thanks a lot for this video. Please I've tried doing this exercise over and over again but I've realized that I kinda choke (run out of breath) when I'm trying to breathe out through the straw. Please do you have an answer to why I experience it? Thanks. God bless!

[Andrews2490]

Thank you for your tip I saw Kristin Chenoweth do this on some talk shows and I wanted to get more info on how to do this. Will you be posting more vidoes?