How do you sing from your tummy? I try but can't seem to get it. How can you do it??

Answer 1

Rub you belly as you sing, of course!

Answer 2

Music teachers that may not be sure of the actual mechanics and function of the lungs can tell you to "sing from the belly" or to "sing through your diaphragm"
(I am myself a music teacher specialized in voice and strings)

What is actually happening is that to take a deep breath in, your diaphragm shrinks, and the muscles around the lower parts of your lungs relax to let air in. Make sure when you're breathing that you're relaxed, and focus on breathing into the bottom of your lungs (which are around where your tummy is)

Most of the technical work that singers do to accomplish proper breathing is difficult to understand or properly practice without help (someone watching your lungs expand as you breathe that knows what it should look like), so I'm suggesting a more simple but very effective exercise:

*Lay on your back and take deep breaths in and out
Your body naturally expands the lungs better and deeper when you are laying on your back. Get this feeling and then try to get the same thing to happen standing up. (If you can't get it yet standing up, simply keep practicing laying down to hear what's going on in your lungs and get the hang of breathing).
Hope this helps!! :)

-oh, and the smelling of roses exercise is to open up air cavities in your face for better sound production (it has nothing to do with breathing from your tummy)

Answer 3

It's called your diaphragm. Put your hand on it and breathe down there so it inflates. It might help to wear a belt so that gives you something to push against. Keep your shoulders down. Then sing while pushing the air out with your stomach/diaphragm muscle. Practice this. This muscle needs to get strong by doing this all the time. Practice this kind of breathing.

You need to sing this way if you're serious, otherwise you will strain your vocal chords by working them to try to get the sound out of them directly. Ideally your vocal chords should be like strings that vibrate when the breath hits them, then they won't get worn out and tired (and injured), and they'll get the best sound too. But it takes practice. And sometimes it takes coaching. But not always. Good luck.

Answer 4

You seem to have got quite a few anwers - here are a couple helpful hints that haven't been covered:
1) when you take a deep breath in, pretend that you're smelling a rose.
2) pretend that there's a balloon in your stomach and that you have to keep it inflated while you sing. I should deflate a little but never completely, and just keep topping it up with air as you need it.
3) put your hands on the bottom of your rib cage and make sure you feel that part expanding. Your shoulders and chest should NOT lift.

Answer 5

The best voice teacher I know is Maestro Franko Contreras of Salt Lake City, Utah. If you want to know about breathing, he is the master. He taught me to sing at the age of 42--and not just to sing, but to sing the most difficult arias in opera in a very short time. Of course, I think I had a natural talent, but his breathing techniques were the absolute key to everything. It opened up a new world for me, when I thought I would be limited to singing breathy folk tunes the rest of my life.

Give him a try: his e-mail address is [e-mail]

Be very specific about what level of singing you are, your voice type, your past background and experience and so forth. This will help him be able to help you.

Good luck--work hard!

Answer 6

I have a Bachelor of Music Performance (hons) in classical singing. This is a rough guide as to how I was taught;

Whilst standing comfortably with your head facing forward, place your hands on your sides (as if someone was holding your waist from behind you) just above your hips where your rib cage begins to curve inwards. When you breathe, try to breathe as low as possible (so that your diagphragm and rib cage expand SIDEWAYS) when you breathe in. You should feel your sides gently pushing out against your hands when you are breathing correctly. If your sides are not expanding, you are breathing too high (up in your chest). A good way to get the breath lower is to try to take what is known as a "silent" breath - try to breathe in without wheazing or making any loud breathing sound. This can encourage you to breathe lower. Wheazing and audible breath sounds are generally a result of breathing too high in the chest. A good way to practice this quickly is to imagine someone has just surprised you - try to imitate this breathing action with your hands on your side. The goal is to make space for the breath, not to breathe in as much air as possible.

When you sing, the idea is to hold the expanded position gently, so that you are "supporting" the sound. The muscles will slowly return close to their normal position as you sing but should not be relaxed completely - then all you have to do is "top up" your air and continue working the diaphragm. Higher notes or more difficult phrases will require you to increase your support, by tucking in the diaphragm further - the muscles closer to the pubic line.

There are many schools of thought on breathing - opera singers / instructors are usually the best teachers, so get in contact with one if you want a physical demonstration. They will usually let you hold their diaphragms so that not only will SEE correct breathing, but you will be able to feel how the muscles expand and are held as they sing. The only way to know that you are breathing correctly is to get a professional opinion - even diagrams in singing books can be confusing and frustrating. Good luck.

Answer 7

I have taught kids ages 5 and up to sing. Here is a simple exercise I teach them to help them sing from their diaphragm: take a deep breathe and pretend that you are slowly blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. The same muscle that you are using to push the air out to blow out the candles is the same muscle you should use when singing.

Answer 8

Breathe Deeply, From Within

Answer 9

Can you push your stomach in and out? Good. Now try breathing from that location instead of from the upper part of your body. I know it's hard, but just keep practicing. AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE SITTING UP STRAIGHT! LOL
Hope this helps.
Mary

Answer 10

There's some good answers there. But here's a really practical way to know how to breathe. Say "hot" five or six times in a row.

"hot, hot, hot, hot, hot" "hot, hot, hot, hot, hot"

See how your diaphragm moves? You are breathing right!
Now when you are singing you need to take "hot breaths".

Keep practicing and soon you'll understand what you are doing and start singing correctly.

Answer 11

One of the ways I support is to imagine that I have a fist inside my stomach and it's punching its way out...down and angled out. It's amazing what happens when I do that while singing.