Make your voice sound better through breathing exercises

Every young girl or boy dreams of what they would like to do when they’re all grown up and some want to be a renowned singer. Whether you prefer pop, jazz, rock or opera, the basic techniques that every singer must know are always the same. Breathing correctly helps a lot to make your voice sound better.

Breathing exercises

To tackle the first exercise, follow these steps:

Breathe in deeply and allow your stomach to expand outwards as far as you can. Hold the breath for a few seconds. Exhale while pulling your stomach back in. Never overexert yourself by pulling in your stomach too much or trying to expand it too far during this exercise – straining will do you a lot more harm than good.

Your next step will be to work on opening your throat.

To work on your throat:

Open your mouth wide, as though you were yawning. Once your mouth is open far enough, your throat will follow suit. Begin practicing notes from this position – it will take some getting used to, but once you master it you’ll find it will quickly become second nature.

You will need to practice the next exercise on a daily basis for several months in order to change the way you breathe but, eventually, it will become second nature to you.

Lie down on your back on a comfortable mat, a sofa or a bed. If you like, you can do this exercise just before you go to sleep at night, taking a few moments to focus on your breathing and creating a routine for yourself in the process. Place a book or similar heavy object on your stomach. Relax completely and begin to breathe. Actively concentrate on inhaling so that your stomach rises, rather than your chest. You have conscious control over these muscles and can choose to use them at will. Watch the book on your stomach. Once it begins to move up and down with your inhalations and exhalations, you are breathing correctly. Maintain this breathing for several minutes – at least ten breaths, counting to four with each inhale and exhale.

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A tried and tested technique for learning to control your breath is to use a candle.

Hold the candle around eight inches from your face and adopt your breathing posture, with your shoulders back and your chest open. Inhale deeply, filling your lungs completely. Exhale slowly, directing your breath towards the flame as you do. The aim is to keep the flame alight, so you will need to exhale very slowly and steadily to cause the flame to bend without actually going out. If the flame starts to flicker, reduce the amount of breath you are exhaling. If it’s not moving at all, increase the level of your exhalation. Keep breathing out until you have exhaled completely, counting the seconds as you do. Repeat the exercise during each of your singing sessions, aiming to slowly increase the amount of time that it takes to let go of your breath every time.

Mastering these exercise will take a while, but don’t be disheartened. Once you have mastered it, you can feel confident that you have control over your voice and will be able to hold your notes during any performance. This will really improve and make your voice sound better.

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