Breathng correctly is a developed skill and requires time, repetition, and opportunity to practice and apply correctly. It will not happen quickly. some singers have played a wind instrument or a brass instrument. Gigli played saxophone, Martinelli played clarinet. Ghiarov played clarinet and trombone. Fritz Wunderlich played French Horn for 30 years, etc. You get the idea. Causo was a free diver in the Bay of Naples and dove down to about 95feet (35 meters) on a regular basis looking for relics in the acient sunken boats to sell to the antique dealers. Helge Rosvaente did Yoga 3 hours per day and sang for 55 years without any problems. Robert. Merrill did Yoga 2 hours per day and sang until he was 88 years old. Bjoerling, your idol and my idol and the best tenor i ever heard live, did no particular exercises. I had lessons with him during the time he was in New York the last time, and he was very physical about breathing into the lower back. He shook his flanks while sucking the breath deep behind him. Melchior used some physical actions to get his breath into his back and work for him. I had lessons with him, also, and with just about everybody who was singing at the Metropolitan Opera from 1958 to 1964. They all, without exception, pulled the abdomen inward while inhalaing as deeply as possible into the lower back. They always "stopped" the exhalation somwhere. Wunderlich and Gottlieb Frick imagined they were under water and tried to not make any bubbles while singing! Study the many videos i have posted on KZbin and you will find out how each of the greatest singers stopped the breath without leaking a drop while singing. They used candles flames or tissue paper hanging close to the lips to make certain that not breath escaped while singing or speaking. i still do that one at by advanced age! Bjoerling used his flank muscles to get the breath to go down to his tailbone before stopping it on his sternum while singing. I don't have time here to describe what each singer did to achieve breath control, but it was always an active approach. i hope this helps you. Just breathe all day into your lower back while pulling the abdomen inward (Caruso, Martinelli, and Richard Tucker), or "jerk the abdomen inward an instant before inhaling into the lower back (Lilli Lehmann). I'm 86 and have been exposed to these most successful methods of breathing and support when i studied with the greatest singers of the "2nd Bel Canto era" at the Met. Don't give up deep breathing into the lower back, but keep doing it all day every day. it will get gradually better and better. You are going to breathe anyway. Why not breathe the Caruso way?! Michael t

@Tenoretrimble Thank you for your guidance,sir. I will continue practicing this breathing technique and keep following your videos.

TOMMY, THE IDEA IS NOT FOR YOU TO FIND A WAY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT TO DO THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE DESCRIBED OR DIRECTED BY GREAT SINGERS. CARUSO SAID IN HIS BOOK VERY CLEARLY TO PULL THE ABDOMEN INWARD WHILE INHALING. I ASKED A PULMONOLIGIST WHY WOULD CARUSO HAVE DIRECTED US TO DO IT THAT WAY. HIS ANSWER WAS, "YOU CAN DOUBLE THE CAPACITY OF YOUR LUNGS THAT WAY BY CONSTANTLY USING MORE COMPRESSION TO EXPAND THE RIBCAGE AND THE LUNGS, ESPCEIALLY OVER TIME. THE MORE BREATH YOU HAVE IN YOUR LUNGS WHILE SINGING OR SPEAKING, THE BIGGER AND MORE BEAUTIFUL YOUR VOICE WILL BE." IT REMINDED ME OF ADVICE GIVEN TO THE YOUNG SINGERS BY THE MOST FAMOUS SINGERS IN THE WORLD AT THAT TIME. THE SAYING WAS POPULAR A THE.METROPOLITAN OPERA WHEN I WAS IN THE KATHRYN LONG SCHOOL THERE (1959-1964). THE ADVICE WAS "THE BIGGER THE DRUM, THE BIGGER AND MORE BEAUTIFUL THE SOUND WILL BE." A FLUTE MAKES A FULLER SOUND THAN A PICCOLO, AND A CLARINET MAKES A FULLER SOUND THAN A FLUTE. A SAXOPHONE MAKES A BIGGER SOUND THAN A CLARINET, ETC. A TROMBONE MAKES A BIGGER SOUND THAN A TRUMPER, ETC. YOU GET THE IDEA. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST ADVICE TO IGNORE WHAT THE GREATEST SINGERS TELL US. THEY ROUTINELY SANG THE BIGGEST, MOST DEMANDING REPERTOIRE FOR 50 YEARS OR MORE AND SANG A VERY LONG LIST OF THE MOST DIFFICULT ROLES. RICHARD TUCKER SANG MORE THAN 50 ROLES UNTIL HE DIED OF A. HEART ATTACK AT AGE 66. HE WAS A JEWISH CANTOR, ALSO, AND SANG THAT MONTROUS REPERTOIRE FOR A LIFETIME, ALSO. HE WAS ONE OF THE SINGERS WHO WAS MOST WILLING TO DISCUSS VOCAL TECHNIQUE WITH THE YOUNG SINGERS IN THE MET SCHOOL. HIS FAMOUS ADVICE WAS THE SAME AS GIOVANNI MARTINELLI'S WHO DIED AT AGER 77 AND WAS STILL SINGING AT THE MET!.. "BREATHE BEHIND YOU AND SING IN FRONT OF YOU!". THEY SUCKED THE BREATH INTO THE LOWER BACK ALL DAY WITH EACH INHALATION AS DID JUSSI BJOERLING, CESARE SIEPI, GIORGIO TOZZI, BIRGIT NILSSON AND MANY OTHERS. WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO TO THINGS THE MODERN, AMERICAN WAY LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCY AND QUICKNESS, BUT TO DO THINGS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THE WAY THE OLDEST, MOST SUCCESSFUL SINGERS DID THEM. HELGE ROSVAENGE DID 3 HOURS OF YOGA BREATHING EVERY DAY AND SANG EVERYTHING BUT THE BIGGEST WAGNER ROLES AND PERFORMED EVERY NIGHT FOR 53 YEARS! ROBERT MERRILL DID 2 HOURS OF YOGA EVERY DAY AND SANG UNTIL HE WAS 88. I'M 86 NOW AND MERRILL, WHO WAS MY FAVORITE BARITONE, WAS STILL SINGING LEAD ROLES WHEN HE WAS OLDER THAT I AM! ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU WILL EXPAND AND DEVELOP YOUR BREATHING WITH. EVERY INHALATION YOU TAKE. AS LAURITZ. MELCHIOR SAID TO ME, "YOU ARE GOING TO BREATHE ANYWAY. WHY NOT BREATHE THE CARUSO WAY?" ALL FOR NOW. I HOPE THIS NOTE WILL GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON WHY WE BREATHE THE WAY WE DO, IF WE DO. MICHAEL T

Not his idea