I encourage singers to think more about the way they use the out-going breath - rather than fixate on how much air they can get in during the gaps in the music!
Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? Well yes - because it is!Â
Breathing is indeed a natural reflex and yes, we hope it does work on its own (24/7 would be good) but somehow when it comes to singing, our focus shifts (especially in the early days) and we fear ‘not having enough’ and ‘running out’.
It is about trust. It is about allowing our bodies to respond to triggers from the inside-out. Great breathing technique, learned patiently over time has a few essential pointers:
knowing and understanding postural alignment
focusing on what happens during exhalation, feeling it
trusting the body’s own reflex to refill the lung space
releasing to create a new intake, a natural vacuum of air
knowing that breath retention is bad news, not control
accepting that it’s a complex issue, ongoing
Understand it, don’t be a slave to it. Neuroplasticity rules, ok?
Other usefully related blog posts:
Breath takes itself
Expiration and Postural Alignment
Connection is a feeling, not a sound
Free the neck & balanced alignment
Muscle memory - friend or foe?
