Summoning the power of breath.
Breathing well can play a large role in your vocal quality but also in the quality of your life! One of my older students who was undergoing going vocal training lessons with me because for more than 2 years she had pain when talking, vocal hoarseness and weakness and a loss of singing ability. It became clear that the stress was impacting her breathing. She had the knowledge on how to breathe from her vocal training lessons but didn't implement this knowledge. She realized over time in my classes that she has developed tensions that inhibited her to breathe as a result of her stress. The vocal training helped her focus on her breath to work up her voice and allowed her to let go of some of the physical and the emotional tension.
Another client who has chronic asthma came for vocal training classes because she felt her voice was weak and quiet and her throat got tired after a short conversation. As an asthmatic myself I could tell that her breathing was high in her chest and shallow. She was not getting enough breath for efficient speech and the way she was breathing caused tension in her neck and throat muscles. After a few sessions focusing on the breathing exercises, she was shocked by her ability to breathe deeply and easily despite her asthma.
Breath is integral to voice production. Vocal folds cannot vibrate without the breath. This is not only for singing but for speaking as well.
Building Breath Support.
Awareness comes before change. Sp without changing your breathing, sit in a comfortable, no slouching position. Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. Close your eyes (Don't fall asleep on me here) and take a breath. What's happening? Is your chest raising? is your stomach going in? Are your shoulders raising? Notice the depth, rhythm and rate of your breathing. Now try this, slowly inhale using your mouth nice an open and as you inhale push your stomach out without lifting your chest and shoulders. ( Hard isn't it?) Then as you exhale pull your stomach in without lifting your chest and shoulders.
One last thing.
Breath control is such an important aspect of voice production, and because it is not habitual for many people I would suggest in trying different breathing exercises. Breathing exercises will help you learn to breathe deeply with ease and comfort and to capitalize on the body's natural ability to breathe without tension. To practice, it's usually better for people to make changes by practicing for short periods numerous times a day in different settings rather than practicing for 15 solid minutes and in one setting.