Better BREATHING for Singing - 5 Steps to Master Breathing

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed the exercises in this video, check out my new program SINGING IGNITION with hours of workouts like this, but tailored to your voice...and these workouts grow with you as you improve! 💪 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnzFmXRnmMd4aNE

[@debansuini9600]

HAHA... I JUST REALIZED THAT THIS WAS FILMED FOUR YEARS AGO. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANYWAY😂❤

[@yousee66]

Your explanation of breath support has been the most clearest & fun video I have ever seen! 😊

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Yay! Thank you! Glad it was helpful

[@tysonshirey1]

Excellent tips thank you!❤

[@Tyler-ko8dp]

This video is amazing, so informative but so funny at the same time, how have I just discovered this?!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@muhammadsyed8253]

Love how he's replied to every single comment. Love the work keep it up!!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Yes, I try to keep up with them all. Thanks, will do!

[@JanelleFraser]

super valuable, just for a casual singer but still will make it more enjoyable

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

And really that's what it's all about...enjoying your voice :)

[@trudysenglishnexus6719]

I used to struggle with running out of breath, but I have to find the right moment to draw breath - that sometimes can be a challenge

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Yes, whether singing or speaking, sometime you need to intentionally choose where you are going to breathe. Thanks for watching!

[@JenniferBrick]

Happy birthday! Awesome video, I'm going to apply this to my speaking as well!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Great, it applies equally to speaking or singing. Let me know how it goes and if you have any questions.

[@HeatherEvansCoaching]

I had no idea that breathing for singing was so contentious! Wow! This is great...I do find that my core definitely aids in my respiration. I've practiced reciting mantras and pranayama and both have helped immensely!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

I know it's silly, but in voice teaching circles, there are myriad ideas of what is the best way to breathe for singing.

[@AmandaAbella]

Happy Birthday! This is great! I just found out one of my clients is a trained singer and she was telling me all about this!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Small world, eh?

[@raffyajaaja1122]

Great! Best explanation about breathing for singing.

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Much appreciated!

[@claudio.olliver]

Happy birthday Master! Great video!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks for watching, sir - the Legend in Brazil :D

[@manuelmensah8935]

I just came across this and I love you already .

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

❤️

[@Nicolasagustinok]

you are great thanks for the help brother!!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

You're so welcome! Appreciate that!

[@LydiaNicoleLive]

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this video!! Great tips!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks for watching!

[@cerenamusic]

I like your videos a lot. They are good and also a little bit funny :-) You exactly point out here what I found to be the biggest problem with my former vocal coach. She was so fixated on my breathing that at some point it felt just unnatural to me in the realization. Nevertheless, she showed me many correct things and I learned new ways to control my breath, so that I can now combine and use what feels and sounds good :-) Nice to get a confirmation that this is "allowed"

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks :) Yes, I'm glad that this confirms what you were already feeling. Breathing is important, but it is just one aspect of good singing technique and must be kept in balance with the other aspects.

[@debansuini9600]

HAAAPPPPYYYY BIRTHDAAAAAYYYYY! THE WAY YOU EXPLAINED BREATHING IS SO HELPFUL. I'M PUTTING THE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFT TO ME ON YOUR BIRTHDAY. SO GENEROUS❤

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

You are so welcome! Glad it helped you. Yes, this is an old video but my birthday was just last week so you're still on target so thank you 😉

[@nicholaschin]

Spencer I'm sorry i laughed more than trying your exercises 😂 That aside , this is by far the most natural and reasonable explanation on breathing thank you !

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks I’m glad you enjoyed it! I prefer to make education fun 😁

[@dmitrivinokurov1208]

Great content. Keep it up!👍

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thank you so much! I promise to keep it coming...tell your singing friends :)

[@aldairmassardi4961]

"Respiration" to me is an everyday word. : )

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

I guess it had better be...

[@mouscoulou]

Thanks !

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

No problem! Did this method of breathing work for you?

[@BrandonHirsch]

Thanks so much, Spencer! This helped a lot! :)

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

I'm so glad. And you're welcome!

[@ActingWithKeira]

I love the example you give with the syringe - what a great way to visualise the movement happening inside.

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

I'm a visual learner, if you couldn't tell already haha

[@LoriLori0804]

@@SpencerWelchVocalStudio me too. and my last name is Welch too!

[@TotalVoiceStudio]

I'll have what she's having! :D I mean.. I love your videos, Spencer! Sensible advice on breathing adapted from the Italian method of appoggio! I also like to break up the process of breathing for singing into two main steps: (1) breathing motion and then (2) management or sustaining the air. The important point you make is that there is no single correct way to breathe for singing. It's because there is no single way to use your voice for singing! The "breathing" needs of an opera singer who has to sustain a 20-second phrase, without a microphone and project their voice over the sound of an orchestra is vastly different to the needs of a jazz singer who is singing "My Funny Valentine" in an intimate club using a closely-held microphone and piano accompaniment. We only need as much air as we need to get the job done. Stocking up on air because we can is not helpful. Happy birthday!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Great comment! The differences you pointed out bring it all back to "real world" singing scenarios. I would encourage all my viewers and subs to check out your channel. Seriously top-notch advice!

[@lorevicmulig3935]

Happy birthday spencer🥰

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Aww thank you so much, you're sweet!

[@angalmeida29]

Loved it 😍

[@livinginashevillenc]

Happy belated!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thank you! :)

[@adolforojas3591]

Hi!!! Awesome video thank you but I have a question 😅 when I'm breathing inhaling I know that I have to relax my belly and it has to expand but when I'm exhaling should I tense up my abs while letting the air out?

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Your abdominals are a huge muscle which can generate a large amount of air pressure when tightened. The muscles inside your larynx are very small and can only resist a small amount of pressure before they start recruiting larger muscles in the throat, resulting in inefficient tension. I rarely find a situation where I direct a student to firmly tighten their abs since this will usually cause them to start pushing and squeezing their vocal cords into a condition called pressed phonation. In this video, I suggest gently pulling in your navel, which requires more engagement of your core muscles underneath the abdominals. The abs might be flexibly engaged at the same time. And finally, some singers actually need to continue pushing their belly out as they sing. There is not one way to breathe for singing but depends on the needs of the individual singer.

[@samanthagiordanomusic]

Flawless

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks for your kind words. Glad you've come to same conclusions through your teaching journey. Have a great day!

[@derycktrahair8108]

Great lesson on drinking on the job. Are you one of those Jazz singers?

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Haha this video was ahead of its time. Do you really think that's coffee in your co-worker's mug during the morning Zoom meeting?

[@LisaGallegos]

Happy Birthday!!!!! I will keep this in mine when I go karaoke

[@LisaGallegos]

oh wait...i get that breathing and diaphram is the same thing. Getting to that part now....hahah ignore my comment :)

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Yes, you should breathe from your diaphragm whether you are speaking or singing. Actually, all 5 steps that I go through starting at 11:25 apply equally to speaking as much as singing. But thank you so much for your topic suggestion because I want to create some videos to address speakers specifically.

[@nicklasvelling793]

Hey Spencer :) Great video! Would you consider making a video about root tongue tension or tongue tension in general? :)

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Sure, I love that idea. Thanks for watching!

[@nicklasvelling793]

@@SpencerWelchVocalStudio Great!! Thanks so much for the reply 😁

[@caspian1588]

I heard that vibrato is largely dependent on the breath, is it really true? I've been doin the hissing exercise for quite some time now, and still going. Whenever I sing with vibrato, I struggle a bit, especially when doing it within phrases or sometimes even holding a note with it. I still have an unconsistent breath. When I hold a note, it's not really steady-steady and it affects the vibrato. My main concern is my breath control and its steadiness. I also run out of air faster when I'm doing vibrato. I've been thinking maybe my problems would be cord closure and unsteadiness of the breath combined. What do you think it might be based on my statements? Are there possibly more to it? Also, maybe you could do some video about it in the future?

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

It's impossible to know for sure without hearing you and working with you in a lesson, but it sounds like you have inconsistent cord closure when you sustain, especially if you are running out of air when you use vibrato. Vibrato is the result of sustained airflow and muscular resistance to that airflow. So practicing the hissing exercise isn't going to help you a lot if your vocal folds are not engaging enough during singing. You are only practicing one part of the equation. I would try straight tones, pulsing on the note, and trills. If you're not sure how to do those, feel free to book a trial lesson at my studio here: spencerwelch.com/ko-trial-lesson

[@danielchacko521]

Spencer you are awesome .....you are funny but a great coach for sure.

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Wow, I appreciate your kind words!

[@GGProductionOfficial]

You are very simpatico, I will follow you around for a while, I guess let’s see If you can help with the right breathing technique, seems to be my biggest problem at the moment. See ya soon in your comment section 👋🏻

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thank you! How would you describe the problem with your breathing when singing? I am more interested in what you suffer from than what you think you SHOULD do with your breathing.

[@Etchy32]

Thanks for all the tips! Usually I don't have a problem with finding my breath, but there are some songs where you don't have a lot of breaks to catch your breath, so I end up trying to inhale quickly, but like you said, this ends up creating more tension. Are there certain techniques to allow me to sort of take a breath quickly but without creating this added tension?

[@GerardoVazquezCP]

From my experience, I would recommend taking quick and shallow breaths. There's another youtuber that mentions that he will map out a song when trying to sing it and plan litle breaths in between.

[@YourBestDesignedCareer]

Oh my gosh that intro!! 😂 And Happy Birthday!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Haha I try. And thank you :)

[@strangegamer9075]

Hello Can I use mouth for inhaling While performing diaphragmatic breathing

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

There is debate about that, I prefer breathing through my mouth as long as it is silent but research shows there is no one way to breath for effective singing...do what works for you

[@sydneesheriff212]

You kinda sound like Olaf I love it

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

I love Olaf, so I'll take it as a compliment ;)

[@Jayzin2010]

Great Video, but I am still confused about breathing. I get the stomach comes out as we breath in. But what happens when we expel the air? Do we tense the stomach slightly or lots and draw it it? Do we relax the stomach even tho it’s out and bring it in slowly when singing? Or do we just hold the stomach out when singing in any range? Do we keep the diaphragm sitting low? Sorry to be a pain, but I find the breathing part so difficult when singing, and can’t find what’s easy for me. Thank you :)

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks for your thoughtful questions. It's easy for people to get confused about this because the answer is "it depends." What are you singing? how intense is the phrase? how long is the phrase? are you singing in a pushed, squeezed way? or a breathy way? or sounding like you're holding your breath? Since songs and styles have different demands and singers have different tendencies and good/bad habits, their breathing needs to adjust to the demands of the song and address their bad habits.

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

So the best answer is: you need a trained teacher to help you find what works for you, both what targets breathy or pressed or pushed tendencies and assists you to sing what you want to sing. Your answers and directives may be hugely different from the next singer.

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

A general "rule of thumb" description of breathing during the act of singing that seems to work for the most amount of people: the belly button slowly pulls in during singing without the expansion in the lungs collapsing all at once. There should be a flexible tension in the solar plexus/stomach region - not rigid like doing sit up or crunches, but also not loose and flabby. This means the air in the lungs is under comfortable pressure, without being released too quickly or being pushed out. Again this is a general description that doesn't apply to everyone for all the reasons mentioned before. The two worst scenarios in breathing for singing is blasting air against the vocal cords or holding your breath while singing. So too much air...or too little.

[@Bearetta]

So I stopped the video in the middle, did something else, then let the notebook to update software. And after it did it's thing and was still locked, it started this video on loud and amongst other people. Locked. I enjoyed the video really lot, but not as much as others freaking out by the lonely notebook singing suddenly happy birthday in creepy voice :D

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Hahahah amazing! Now I'm famous among your friends 😜

[@lonelyavatar]

happy birthday!!!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thank you!

[@emreozdemir3930]

Happy Birthday :)

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thank you!!

[@yourbalancedlife1200]

Watching your videos before auditioning in front of you this Saturday :D XD

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Yay! Break a leg!

[@cliffllewellyn7623]

great video very funny,great lesson oh and happy birthday

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thank you so much! This was a fun video to make and a great birthday :)

[@JesseJest]

OMG YES!!!! Your intro is awesome!!! Your examples are soooo on point! I hope you brand “ANOTHER BIG WORD!” 🤣🤣🤣 I would so rock that on a tee shirt 🤣🤣🤣 Happy birthday!!! Btw!!! Cops already shut down the party 🤣🤣🤣

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

You're giving me gold here haha. Branding ideas on their way lol.

[@ELITEBODYDATATV]

Your intro= 😂! I couldn't stop laughing for five minutes. Sadly that is how I always sing happy birthday. Breathing aside, I seriously find it hard to really sing Happy Birthday in a beautiful way. Thanks for these tips I can't wait to implement them at the next birthday party I attend. (P.S. Happy Birthday!)

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Hahaha well I'll coach you for your next birthday party, if you help me bring the gun show to my next pool party 💪🏻😉

[@sydneesheriff212]

I need your address jk lol

[@AnhNguyen-bw9lf]

So that's the reason why I was so bad at singing while hungry

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

And knowing is half the battle ;)

[@troyonjr.5195]

Do you have exercise to get voice from diaphragm

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Hi, what do you mean by that? The voice comes from the vocal cords, not the diaphragm. In fact, the diaphragm starts to relax as you exhale to begin singing, so "singing from the diaphragm" is a myth or at least a poor choice of words.

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks for watching! What aspect of breathing do you struggle with during singing? Tell me here in the comments 😊

[@juliusdonald6625]

Spencer Welch Vocal Studio I can't sing speedily like that pentatonix carol of the bells.

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

And do you think this is somehow related to your breathing? As with any instrument, the key is to practice accurately and in a relaxed fashion at a slow tempo first. Then little by little, increase the speed as long as you don't sacrifice accuracy and flexibility. Speedy notes are not impressive if they are messy and tight :)

[@juliusdonald6625]

Yeah,but I run out of breath

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

@caleb kim Sorry I don’t understand

[@stevenpietrusza6944]

good lord ur freaking hilarious . i love you .

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Hahaha thanks for that. Glad you liked it! What would you like to improve in your singing?

[@David-tt1xq]

The five steps 11:22

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

👍

[@DrReginaKoepp]

People would love for me to run out of air while I’m singing. (Especially my 4 brothers.) 🤣

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Hahaha family, not always our biggest fans!

[@DrReginaKoepp]

I’ll use these tips for my speaking events

[@JTB128650]

Dang lol

[@farah_iraola8995]

Funny spencer funny

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Hahaha that's me...

[@angbarnard]

Spencer I loved how you started singing losing the breath LOL 😂 so great!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Haha always trying give real life examples...even at my expense ;)

[@sunxrie4946]

@@SpencerWelchVocalStudio ;D thank youuu

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

@@sunxrie4946 My pleasure! Hope you found it helpful 😃

[@tanvirlalon8700]

🙏❤️❤️❤️🙏

[@quanwe-tv]

Happy birthday 😂😂😂

[@cyrusamago1793]

Can i use this to kill demons?

[@kieuoanhpeters4879]

I like watching videos multiple times this video is too long prefer more to the point videos

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Thanks for your feedback. Some like the shorter videos and some like the longer ones. So I've made videos with a variety of lengths for my channel. Enjoy!

[@karandas6398]

Make FALSETTO EXERCISE for man

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Specifically falsetto instead of head voice? Why do you feel you need this?

[@karandas6398]

@@SpencerWelchVocalStudio yes because when I sing. I can't go chest voice to head voice ( falsetto )

[@karandas6398]

And your all Practices very helpful for me This is the Reason I told you

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Perhaps you find it difficult to transition from chest to head voice because you are a teenage male. It is typical to struggle with head voice for a while after the voice changes in puberty.

[@karandas6398]

@@SpencerWelchVocalStudio ohhw this the matter

[@clarafargemartins]

Little man is pulling belly button in! lol Thank You!

[@SpencerWelchVocalStudio]

Haha put that dude to work!!