My friend keeps telling me to sing with my lungs/chest and that I am singing with my throat?

Question

Currently trying to record some songs with a band that I just joined. I've been singing my whole life. Nothing really serious though, until now. My dad was a singer in a band and my sister is incredible as well. But my friend who has a studio has been letting us record lately, and he is telling me that I'm singing wrong. He says im using my throat to sing and that I need to let more air out and use my chest/lungs. I'm trying to figure out how to do it, but I've been singing this way for my whole life so I don't know how. Any ideas or weblinks?

Answer 1

Take lessons, and learn how to breathe properly.

Answer 2

Put your hand right under your belly button, then take a deep breath. What should happen is that your stomach should rise. If it contracts, you aren't getting the air where you want it. Practice it for a few minutes. When you get that down, practice exhaling. What you should do,is "push" the muscle in your lower abdomen to get more air out faster. When you think you have that down, start yelling AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE. Try shouting a "LET ME SEE YOUR FRANKENSTEIN" in public and see what kind of reaction you get, singers need to be shameless of what they sing. Be sure to be "pushing" the muscle, which is called the diaphram, so that you can get a clear, loud tone. If you aren't doing it right, your voice will be hoarse and you won't be able to speak loudly for a few days because all the strain put on your voicebox. If you do this right, you can yell for hours, and the sound quality will be much clearer, louder, and more powerful. This helps alot if you're a singer because you'll need to sing for quite some time and not using proper technoque will screw up your sound makers.
So yeah, more than anything, practice, practice, practice. That's the only way to find out what your lungs are capable of and the only way to get a technique that works for you.