You know what is really frustrating?
Especially when singing?
It’s running out of breath and not knowing how to control your breath when singing.
Think about it.
One the one hand you know that learning how to breath properly is one of the best things you can do as a singer.
But how do you know how to control your breath and properly master the art of breath control.
You want to take control of your singing career and become better at it.
But wanting alone is not enough. You need to learn the basics and master how it is done if you really what to see a significant progress.
And honestly, you couldn’t have picked a better time to learn breath control and how to master your breathing when singing.
In this article we will be looking at what is breath control, why you are short of breath when singing, advantages of breathing properly and some tips to help you control your breath.
What is breath control?
Breath control is simply your ability to be able to sing properly without running out of breath.
Think of it like this…
Let’s say you are singing a song and to properly sing that song you need a full breath.
So you take in a deep breath and you begin singing.
But halfway, your breath runs out and you find yourself choking and gasping for air.
If you have learned the techniques of breathing properly and mastered your breathing, then you won’t have this problem.
This is really an important aspect of your singing that you need to address.
When you properly learn how to master your breath, then your singing is so much easier and you sing without straining your voice.
Advantages of good breath control when singing
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It helps you sing without straining
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It helps you reach your vocal range and to sing high keys
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It helps you sing in tune
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It makes singing so much fun
Reasons why you run out of breath when singing
Learning to breath properly is one of the best things you can do for yourself as a singer.
How you inhale and exhale governs the way quality of the sound you sing, the pitch, the volume and the tone.
Here are some reasons why you find it difficult to sing
1. You don’t take a breath
This is one of the major causes why people find it difficult to breath properly when singing.
And it simply because they do not take a breath before they sing
Or they do not take enough breath.
So when this happens they struggle with the little breath they have and find it difficult to continue at the same pace they started when singing.
2. You use too much breath
This is usually a direct contrast to the point mentioned above.
Most people use up too much breath when singing say the initial phase and as a result they struggle with what they have left to complete the song.
Take a typical scenario
You are about to start singing a song and then you take a deep breath.
You think you have filled up to capacity but you find out that you do not have enough air to sustain the whole process.
This is what happens when you use up too much air and then you struggle with the little you have left.
Here is an article I wrote showing you how to sing
How to get better breath control
Getting better at controlling your breath is a big deal and you need to learn how to do this properly.
Here are some tips to help you get started.
1. Remember that you have to inhale
Most singers are guilty of this.
And it is the simplest advice out there on how to have better breath control.
You need to consciously remember to breath.
So give yourself permission and get into the habit of taking in enough air before you begin singing.
Take it slow and before you know it…it becomes a habit
2. Learn how to plan your breaths
This is especially useful when you find yourself using up too much breath.
Planning your breath around the song you are singing gives you the room to ensure that your breath is distributed equally.
There is no need starting with full force and then finishing poorly.
Plan your breath out and you will be be able to finish with the same force you started with.
Here is an article I wrote showing you how to sing like Adele
3. Use the “Ha” technique
This is a simple technique to help you use your reserve air stored in your lungs.
How this works is that you breath in naturally with your shoulders relaxed and making sure there is no tension in your body.
Then sing a long sustained song at a comfortable pitch.
When you notice that you have run out of air, bend forward and go “Ha”
When you do this, you find out that you have a surprisingly amount of air still left in your lungs.
4. Try this simple breathing exercises
There are a couple of breathing exercises you can use to make sure you never lose your breath when singing.
You can check them out here.
But here is one that you can use now.
It is called the “sssss” technique.
What you do is you want to produce the “s” sound from your mouth while making sure the sound is stable and the volume is constant.
This helps to train your diaphragm and the surrounding muscles to be able to maintain a constant tension while singing.
This is also good for learning how to maintain your breath control.
Conclusion
Learning how to breath properly will take your singing to a whole new level.
All you need to do is to make sure you follow the tips mentioned in this article.
It might feel impossible to do at first…but take it slowly and one step at a time and you will become better.
If you have any comments or tips, please leave them in the box below
