How am I suppossed to breathe?

Question

While singing, is it OKAY for my chest to rise? I was told that it isn't suppossed to. I'm not sure how to inhale without it rising. Please explain.

Answer 1

No, your chest shouldn't rise. Your stomach should expand instead. In order to do this, you don't have to exert any energy whatsoever. Just open your mouth, relax, and the air will rush in. It's actually the fastest way to breathe, and it comes directly from your diaphragm, so your tone quality and sustainability will increase if you do it.

To try it, try singing while bending over forwards. This way, the only way you CAN breathe is the way I described above. Or, try lying on your back, then breathe in (making your stomach rise), and breathe out while keeping your stomach out. It'll help with your breath support. If you want to go totally crazy, do the same thing (lying on your back), and put a textbook or something on your stomach. Repeat everything you already did. To go absolutely NUTS, do it again, still using the textbook, but as you breathe out, get someone to push down lightly on the book. It's hard to keep your stomach extended, but your breathing will improve immensely.

Try it out, I hope it helps!

Answer 2

First of all, think of a joke, a really funny one. Can you laugh, a big hearty belly laugh? Watch those muscles go!
those are the ones you want to use for singing, the ones all around your middle, front AND back. They will also give you the correct feeling of what it is to breathe into your abdominal region, where it should be done.
another way to monitor your in breath is to start exhaling, pretending you are a snake. When you get near to the end of your breath supply, you will find your belly muscles clenching up. That's natural, that's how the body works, so don't bother about it. When you go to inhale, you'll find that those belly muscles "pop"out again. Not "plop". there you go, a nice deep breath. Your chest will stay calm and out of the way.
Best wishes, and keep on singing

Answer 3

If you want to breathe "correctly" or really to get the most breathe and keep it longer you need to breathe from your diaphragm. You can sing from your chest but you will never get the power or the quality or the length in breathe from breathing that way. Your stomach should get bigger if your doing it right! (it is okay to have a bigger stomach while singing!) For me the way that was easiest for me was to close my eyes, put my hand in the middle of my chest, think about breathing down and deep and start breathing. If your chest starts to move exhale and put your hand on your stomach (while keeping the other on my chest)and try to inhale and push your hand forwards with your stomach. Once you got that you need to learn how to keep your stomach inflated to get the most air out of the breathe you took! try to keep your stomach inflated and slowly release the air. When it starts to feel uncomfortable push just a little bit longer and try again. then try using this while sing a song you know really well so you can focus on how you are breathing rather than the words or notes. Eventually you will get stronger!

Answer 4

yes u should raise ur chest that means that u r taking a good deep breath who ever told u not to is kind of retarded

Answer 5

I don't know watch American idol and watch how they breathe if they do it wrong u know Simon will tell them