Breathing and Singing

Without a doubt, breathing is important. It is the first thing and last thing we do in our lives. When it comes to singing, knowing how to breathe appropriately is a must. We need breath in order to vocalize even the slightest sustained word or note, and breath support is vital in helping us to produce a well-supported and stable sound.
Surrounding your lungs is a muscle system called the diaphragm which is attached to the lower ribs on the sides, bottom and to the back acting as an inhalation device. When you breathe in, the muscle lowers displacing the stomach and intestines. When you breathe out, the diaphragm helps to manage the muscles around the lungs (abdominal muscles) and controls how quickly the breath is exhaled.
If you breathe out quickly, the diaphragm does nothing but when you breathe out very slowly the diaphragm resists the action of the abdominal muscles. 
A singer learns to use this muscle system to control the breath as it is being exhaled.
Hold a finger close to your lips and breathe out slowly, the breath should be warm and moist and you should notice the action of the diaphragm as you exhale. This is the correct amount of breath used when singing normally. A singer does not need to 'force' or 'push' air through the vocal chords to produce a good strong sound, doing so creates too much pressure against the chords, preventing them from operating correctly which can cause damage to the voice.
There are a number of methods that can be done in order to improve the power of your lungs and in a way, increase its capacity. Here are a few of them:
Cardiovascular exercises are great ways to ascertain that your cardiovascular system function how it should be. Common exercises would include walking, jogging, running, aerobic exercise, dancing, swimming and the like. These forms of exercises increases the need for more oxygen. When brething rate is increased during exercise, more oxygen can be put in the lungs and thus improving lung capacity. Remember that when you have more breaths, you can hold notes for a very long time and belt notes out easier.
Another simple method to increase lung capacity would be to effortlessly engage in deep breathing exercises. Simply lie down, relax and take deep breaths by inhaling, holding it in for at least 10 seconds and exhaling slowly while lips are pursed. It would be best to stay in a relaxed mood and relaxed setting when doing this.
When it comes to breathing technique, there is a part of Hindu yoga called "pranayama." Pranayama are breathing exercises which clear the physical and emotional obstacles in our body to free the breath and so the flow of prana - life energy. On a physical level, by using pranayama techniques you can utilize and strengthen the whole range of our respiratory organs by exploring the lower, middle and upper parts of the breath and regulate the inhalation, retention and exhalation of the breath.
Breathing exercises teaches the diaphragm and its surrounding muscles to be more flexible in their breath control and usage, and this is vital whenever you sing fast songs, light and happy songs, or even slow love ballads. Remember that various breathing techniques can be utilized whenever singing different kinds of songs. For more information, contact Sing A Song That's Yours Vocal Studios now and learn how to utilize these breathing techniques to maximize your singing capability.