How do you sing from your diaphragm?

Question

Stupid question, but I have absolutely no idea what people mean when they say this.

Answer 1

The person who told you to push INWARDS on exhaling is not correct (sorry to you and I don't want to hurt your feelings. But we want CORRECT technique). Many people have ideas, but truly don't know how to do it successfully. Let me guide you from the beginning on what this means.

Have you ever seen a baby sleep? A baby's tummy inflates and naturally the air removes itself. The baby by no means PUSHES in after inhaling. It naturally releases. This is how you breath properly from the diaphragm. The diaphragm is under the lungs, and most people as they grow older begin to breathe high. Moving the shoulders and the pectoral area up and down. None of that helps you. Oxygen is properly placed by breathing from below that area. Therefore, you inflate the tummy like a balloon, and naturally allow the air to excel out, keeping the tummy wide as possible. Sucking your stomach in during exhale will only CUT OFF your breath support, and you don't want that. Check out Alexander technique. They indeed have the best description of this. And guess what, many doctors suggest that EVERYONE breathe this way for health reasons. Not just singers. It is about air and how it is placed. But I will try to give you an example that you can use in the mirror.

Stand in front of the mirror. Place your hands flat on your abdomen, mirroring eachother with the tips of your middle fingers touching. Now when you inhale, inflate your stomach. Don't move your shoulders, look at it as breathing from the stomach (you are not doing that per say, but look at it that way). Your tummy will expand, and the tips of your middle fingers will separate. Now exhale. Don't exhale fast and suck in, naturally let the air go. See how long you can keep those tips of your fingers apart. Once you are finished, your fingers will come together again. It is going to feel funny if you have never tried it, but you will get better the more you practice. Once you get used to that, try singing one note after inhaling. After each note, sing a higher note. And vise versa. Concentrate on how long you can hold that note. You will see the more you do it, the longer you will be able to hold notes. This is why proper breath support is soooo important. It can make or break your singing skills. I am so used to breathing properly from the diaphragm that I naturally breathe this way. Not only for singing, but for my own health. Many doctors ask asthmatic patients to to this too. It is a good habit to have. We all use the diaphragm when breathing, we just don't know how to use it to our benefit. Good luck to you, check out a good voice teacher for help, and start breathing like a baby!

Answer 2

You need to get your back and sides to expand, then maintain that expansion as you sing.

This is hard to understand through text, so I have made a video series detailing how to accomplish this. In it, I first show you how to breathe from the diaphragm, expanding your back and sides. Then i show you how to coordinate that movement with sound (very important). Lastly, I show you how to apply it to an actual song. Visit the link below for the videos:

http://www.vocalliberation.com/articles/breathing-exercises-for-singing-how-to-sing-from-your-diaphragm

Answer 3

If singing is your passion no one can stop you from becoming world-class singer. The voice is god-gifted but singing is a skill that can be learned.

If you can't afford a vocal coach the best option is to attend an online program.

This is the best-selling site that teaches how to reach new heights with massive control. It's a collection of tips, tools, video tutorials that will really help you to improve your singing voice.

Here is the link: http://howtosing.toptips.org

Answer 4

Well, maybe think about a time when you were really uninhibited about your voice or how you sound, say maybe at a sporting event or when you were upset with one of siblings for instance, and you really let your voice ring with passion because you were excited. Well, you probably were breathing deeply and naturally got your diaphragm behind your voice, really giving it a push.

Answer 5

just try not to push yourself too hard. I won't consider myself as a good singer, but if you want to sing from your diaphragm, try not to use your troat too hard. start practising by putting your heart and soul into singing that song and soon you'll be singing from your diaphragm

Answer 6

Place your palm on your stomach and make "HAH HAH HAH" noises. Your stomach must contract and push down every time you say these syllables, then you will know you're singing from your diaphragm. In-hale air and inflate your stomach. To sing from your diaphragm, push your stomach (you will feel it as your palm is placed on your stomach) inwards to push the air outwards to allow your voice to emminate sound.

Characteristics that are NOT from the diaphragm:

Straining voice, like talking but pushing with your throat.
Yelling or shouting.
Inhaling deeply and you see your chest and shoulders rise. They should be relaxed while they are, your stomach should be the one moving taking in the air and then pushing out the air.

Try this one, too:

"TSUH TSUH TSUH" repeatedly and have your palm on your stomach. You need to feel your stomach moving each time you say this in order to feel that you're using our diaphragm.

Enjoy singing!

Answer 7

i learnt that if you place heavy books ( phone books should do) lie on the floor and place them on ur upper stomache, and breathe or sing. try this a couple of times and some ur diaphram will be strong and you will be apply to feel it. if you are trying to sing try sucking your stomache out and push your diaphram out

Answer 8

Lay on the floor and put a book on your stomach.Try to move just the book when you breath

Answer 9

That's so difficult to explain over the Internet ;) Some good teacher must show you...it's a whole different way of breathing...

Answer 10

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