How do I breathe?

When asked the question, 'do you know how to breathe?' We answer, of course, I wanna stay alive, don't I? Uhhhh....yeah.

Well, breathing is a different story for a singer. What do you mean?

In every day life, we often breathe from our chest. That feels only natural, right?

Well, as singers, we need to breathe from our diaphragm. Why, you ask? Let me tell you a little story.

A woman came to me last Sunday, who was very hoarse. Here's her story, in a nutshell. She recently started teaching P90X classes. Can you say, INTENSE? She teaches 25+ classes a week. Now, here's the problem. She teaches most of these classes without a headset microphone. What? How is that possible? Well, it's not. That's why she has lost her voice. No mic= possible improper use of the voice= a big problem

When I met her, she sounded like she had just smoked a pack. Her words, not mine. Now, keep in mind, I just met her last week. I asked her how long she had been hoarse and she said "since February." Wha? Why didn't you come to me sooner, I thought? I think she was in denial.

How did I help her? 

 I gave her tips on how to rest and properly take care of her voice.

Do:

1. Stay hydrated (drink lots of water)

2. Drink decaf tea (with a little raw honey) at night

3. Use a humidifier (room and personal) to help keep the air moist and keep your throat hydrated

4. Rest your voice. When you have to talk, talk at a comfortable higher pitch

5. Avoid dairy

Don't:

1.Whisper

2.Force cough

3.Clear your throat forcefully

4.Drink alcohol, caffeinated drinks, milk

5.Chew gum (the sugar coats your throat and messes with your cords)

I educated her on proper breathing techniques:

Exercise:

-Lie flat on your back (on the floor) and place a heavyish book on your diaphragm (located just below your ribcage)

-Inhale for 5-10 counts (more if you can handle it) and watch the book rise 

*the book rising indicates that you are breathing from your diaphragm*

-Repeat several times to practice breathing from your diaphragm

I taught her a few vocal warm-up techniques to use before she teaches:

Exercise #1:

-lip buzzing 

-tongue trills

*both are done on a pitch of your choice*

-repeat 3-5 times each

Exercise #2:

-Start off humming on a comfortable pitch (mouth closed)

-Slowly open up to Mmmmm......ahhhhhhhh

-repeat 5-8 times

Exercise #3:

-Select a comfortable pitch

-Repeat Ma, May, Mee, Moh, Moo

-Do this exercise up and down the scale in your comfortable range

Lastly, I gave her a few extra pieces of advice:

1. If you feel tightness in your neck while you are teaching, you aren't breathing from your diaphragm. Check your breathing.

2.Loosen up your neck (give yourself a mini massage) and your jaw (massage your mandible) before you start teaching

3.If people have a hard time understanding what you're saying, it doesn't necessarily mean you are too quiet. It might mean that you aren't enunciating enough.

Here are a few tongue twisters to practice: (repeat each one 5-10 times or til your mouth is a bit tired.)

rubber baby buggy bumpers

she sells seashells by the seashore

unique new york

toy boat

There are many more, but these are just a few suggestions. 

I also advised her to get a proper amount of sleep, because that will help her voice even more. I am going to check back in with her this weekend to see how she is feeling. I am hoping that this is just from overuse and that she hasn't developed nodes on her vocal cords. That is a whole other beast that only an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor can take of.

Think good positive thoughts.

I hope this was helpful for all of you out there.

If you enjoyed my blog, check out my website:

www.elizabethjcampbell.com  -For more information on my 5 Week Vocal Workshops for all ages and levels!! Wanna Feel Like a Rock Star? Let me help you!! :) :)