Let’s explore the breath and it’s relationship to the vocal sound.  The vocal folds are located on the top of the trachea.  They look like cartilage.  They come together and are blown apart VERY rapidly and that’s how the sound is made.  If you are curious there are many videos of the process on line.  One needs to understand that it is the breath that sets the folds into vibration, creating the singing or speaking sound.  Singing takes more breath pressure than speaking unless you’re acting on stage and need to project your sound.  In singing the breath pressure must remain constant in order to prevent the pitch from fluctuating.  Usually when one”s pitch is flat it is because the breath pressure is inconsistent, allowing the pitch to slip.  When one is sharp it is because one is pushing too hard to achieve the tone.  You”re probably wondering how one keeps the breath pressure constant?  There are many opinions concerning the breath and its relationship to vocal sound.  I’ve heard them all and have come to realize that being aware of the breath is the first step to working with the body’s innate knowledge of how to make sound.  Remember, the vocal folds are on top of the trachea, the trachea being the windpipe which branches off into the lungs.  Breathing normally is automatic, one doesn’t have to think much about it.  Most folks don’t pay much attention to their breathing unless they have exercised  to the point of breathing hard; then their awareness is on getting air.  There are many theories on breathing as it relates to singing: breathe from the diaphragm, sing from the diaphragm, lift the chest etc.  Most of them are not efficient.  They discount the connection of the body with the breath and they definitely don’t respect the innate knowledge the body already possesses.  In my opinion the most efficient way to breathe when one is singing is to expand the lower ribs on the inhalation and to hold the expansion open while one is singing.  What you are doing by holding the expansion open is creating a pressurized air vacuum which allows the sound to be made and kept on pitch.  The vocal folds vibrate slower for low frequencies and faster for higher frequencies.  You have NO control over how this happens, it’s part of the knowledge the body has.  There is no valve that allows you to regulate the flow of breath.  What you do have control over is keeping the expansion open and trusting that the breath will LIFT the sound and prevent undue stress on the vocal folds.  I’d like to say here before I forget, that the most efficient way to inspire air for singing is to breathe through the mouth not the nose.  Why you may ask; the answer is simple.  If you breathe through your nose the back part of the throat is closed, not good for singing.  The back part of the throat, what’s called the soft palate, is flexible and makes subtle shifts as one sings, which allows for solid resonance.  Try this little exercise: breathe through the nose and notice how that feels compared to breathing through your mouth.  When one breaths through the mouth one can feel the rush of cold air on the back part of the throat. There are many ways to familiarize one’s awareness of the breath. One can begin by  breathing in to the count of 8, expanding the lower ribs and holding the expansion to the count of 8, then slowly exhale to the count of 10.  There is also the yoga technique of alternate nostril  breathing: with the right thumb plug the right nostril and breathe through the left nostril, then plug the left nostril with the middle finger of the right hand and exhale through the right nostril.  Repeat the process 5 to 10x’s depending on how you react to all that breathing.  This is an excellent way to help relieve anxiety and to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain.  There are lots of breathing exercises online if you want to explore more.

How does one become aware of keeping the expansion open while singing?  This is, in my mind, one of the challenges of singing.  How do you keep the expansion open without becoming tense; ie raising the shoulders, breathing from the chest.  There is no quick way for this to happen; one needs to learn to drop the inhalation to the lower ribs, to open up the lower belly.  One of the best  ways to bring your awareness to the area is to tie a scarf around the lower ribs. It will give you something to push against as well as bringing your awareness to the area.  So you breathe in, expand and hold the expansion for 10 counts, then exhale slowly to the count of 10.  Do this as many times a day as you can remember.  When it becomes natural then you are well on your way to letting the breath do the work.  Letting the breath do the work is one of the key elements that will allow the body to remember how to sing.  Don’t forget singing is hardwired into all humans…it’s part of the DNA.  Learning to get out of your own way and letting the body do the work is a tremendous asset to develop.

Now that we have discussed breathing and it’s relationship to singing I’d like to talk about the different registers of the human voice.  By registers, I’m talking about the different qualities of sound that are made on the vocal folds. I will address this component in the next chapter.