The diaphragm is part of the body essential for singing. We often hear amateur singers saying, “Sing from your diaphragm.” It can be confusing for some people as vocal cords are in the throat. Well, listen up to fully understand just that.
To become a better singer, consider singing using your diaphragm. It is a muscle on the respiratory system that moves whenever we inhale and exhale. And we know how highly important breathing is in singing. Our diaphragm can accommodate an extra amount of air that helps us sing in a better pitch. Thus, strengthen its muscle is necessary to sing properly.
How Does It Work?
Learning to sing from the diaphragm takes time and patience. If you tried to browse online, many voice lessons are being served that include such. We will give you an illustration to better understand the diaphragm exercises below.
Diaphragm-Strengthening Exercise
Locate your diaphragm muscles to easily know how to strengthen them. It must go firm and stable to build a foundation for your voice range. Keep your diaphragm healthy to keep your voice gets better.
It does not matter whether you want to reach low or high notes. What matters most is the usefulness of the diaphragm in singing. It works whether in a low or higher range or in the overall vocal range.
Here is a list of exercises to strengthen the diaphragm to improve your singing skills:
1. Breathing Exercise
One way to exercise your diaphragm is by breathing through it. Take a deep breath while keeping your body at rest, and then push your stomach out. When you exhale, you should push your stomach back in without moving the shoulders.
Keep doing it until you learn to breathe correctly from your diaphragm. Breathing exercise should be done before singing, all the time. You must not escape this part.
2. Diaphragm Exercises
Diaphragm muscles need to be exercised regularly to see improvements in singing your favorite songs. There are different exercises you can do to strengthen the diaphragm, including:
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Milkshake Exercise
This exercise will make you feel as if you are drinking a milkshake through a straw. Keep your shoulders and chest static while pretending to slurp on a straw. Hold your stomach to feel the movement.
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Panting Exercise
A tired dog will end up panting to hold its breath. Maintain a good posture and then start to breathe quickly, but do not hyperventilate. Do it for several seconds while holding your stomach.
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Bathroom Push Exercise
That push you do in a toilet helps to strengthen the diaphragm. It might seem awkward but really helpful. Do the same extra actions as above.
Take these exercises seriously for better results.
3. Singing Exercise
Incorporate proper breathing while singing to strengthen your diaphragm. It must be done several times a day to fully develop a better outcome.
Do a lip trill while you sing a song. Pick a song with high pitch and try singing out loud while letting air out in between closed lips. It is a good sign of plenty of air coming from the diaphragm while keeping the vocal cords relaxed.
Singing From The Diaphragm
Once the above exercises are already mastered, proceed to sing a song correctly. Warm-up exercises are just part of the other good practices of most singers. Rushing to hit high notes is not a good thing in order to sing properly. Make sure to warm-up before going on stage for a better result.
The following is some more tips upon singing using the diaphragm:
1. Have a perfect posture
A good posture is not only perfect on sight but also helps to sing a song perfectly. Practice a good posture with your shoulders, bottom, and back of your head resting against the wall. Your diaphragm will feel more relaxed this way.
Proper posture gives the best space for you to release a good breath and let your voice come out naturally. Maintain your posture while singing to even reach higher notes possible.
2. Sing with an Open Throat
To look good is a bonus while singing. If you feel awkward, test your look in a mirror while pretending to yawn and then see the openness of your throat. An open throat allows more airflow from your diaphragm. Keep it relaxed and loose as long as possible.
This tip helps to retain a strong voice throughout a singing performance. It also prevents straining the throat that can lead to vocal damage.
3. Head Voice and Chest Voice
All singers can perform two voices– the head voice and chest voice. The head voice makes them able to sing high notes while chest voice for lower notes. Knowing the difference between the two voices requires singing in intervals to see the voice transitioning.
The diaphragm has a big role to achieve each note placement. The two voices demand using the diaphragm when singing.
4. Pronunciation of Words
Yes, even the way you pronounce words on a song requires the support of the diaphragm. Sometimes consonant phrases sound inaudible or unclear to the audience. Try searching for a phrase and sing it over a single note. Repeat singing the phrase until all words are sung clearly.
The full breath developed in the diaphragm helps a lot to pronounce consonants properly. A song would be better when sung with good enunciation. Anyways, that is one of the judge’s criteria in a singing contest.
Summing It All Up
Singing from the diaphragm may be too complicated for the beginners, but it can be cultured through exercises. There is no need to enroll in a music class just to learn the techniques, as shown above.
Anyone can easily follow the diaphragm exercises with great discipline and passion for music. Healthy routines before singing are important to take care of your voice for more performances coming your way.
Start singing a song using your diaphragm now. Share your results in the comment box to inspire others. Have fun in discovering more of your singing skill!
