Episode #2 - How to Breathe for Singing - Jeff Alani Stanfill - vocal coach

[@jacobwalters9796]

Wow! Never heard of the “hugging yourself!” How awesome!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

It works! Thanks for watching!

[@reedievanlandingham7004]

Jeff what an excellent video on breathing techniques. I remember you were teaching me breathing techniques when I was performing in Boston. You made me one of the best tapes for breathing and exercises...which I used for many years. Keep up the good work, my friend!! diane V

[@lukekent9687]

Awesome! I love the way you smile and deliver each idea very clearly and friendly! You are on my list of coaches to study with in person someday!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you so much Luke!

[@rakeshchopra9072]

For the last so many years i am very serious about my voice. Your breathing technique is fantastic

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you so much Rakesh! I am glad you found the concepts presented in the video helpful! More to come. Peace, Jeff

[@rich-ard-style6996]

Thank you again👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻, very inspiring, Jeff!

[@mocrobo664]

thanks !!!!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Check out this video on KZbin: Hey guys. Check out my latest tutorial. It's all about breathing for singing. Hope you enjoy! The instructional DVD/cd is in the final stages of production. A release date will be announced soon! Peace, Jeffrey

[@magdalenartful]

I discovered these videos a couple of weeks ago. Finally, I decided that the best way to get the most out of Jeff's videos is to go back to Episode 1 and just watch all of them, in order. These videos are true gems. Thank you Jeff!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you so much! Glad you are finding them helpful!

[@danielchroniclesworldwidez2160]

I love your videos

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you!! 🕺🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@angalmeida29]

Pure gold !

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you so much!!! :-)

[@MsEustaciaVye]

Thanks...grateful to learn this stuff...is assisting me to change from the nose breathing I use in yoga to the mouth breathing of singing...and also tutoring me about awareness of back abs and chest muscles...clear and concise... thanks

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

I'm really happy you are finding this information helpful!! 😎👍🏼👏🏼

[@steveparker9757]

I have a wonderful voice coach, and she teaches this type of breathing technique. Your video is a bonus because your exercises here are very helpful. At times, I have gotten lazy with my breath support, and this video has helped me get back on track.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hey Steve. So happy to hear this! More tutorials to come so stay tuned and be sure to turn the notifications button on. I really appreciate your kind and thoughtful comment! Peace and happy singing!

[@mikebarnes7441]

Then I guess you dont have a great coach after all?

[@erichbrough6097]

Great stuff for sure! When I try the pulsed hiss/puff, I also notice a gentle lift and widening action under the side ribs. Part of appoggio? BTW, love hug-technique as demonstrated- looks like a true 'Swiss Army knife' for breath support.

[@debbiebarriga8931]

I love everything about this! You gave me cool ideas to teach better! Thanx a lot! :-)

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Fantastic! I am so happy that coaches like yourself are using these concepts. 🌞🎼🎶🎶🎶

[@debbiebarriga8931]

+Jeff Alani Stanfill yes, it is really hard to see, how many people are using bad thechniques....i had so much students, who couldn't breath well :-( There is so much to do.....thanx a lot!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

You are so very welcome! More videos to come. Thanks so much for the comments!

[@debbiebarriga8931]

+Jeff Alani Stanfill dear Jeff, i'm really confused now. I have been watching a lot of videos with the Sandwich-technique from Caruso. They said so many things i didnt knew yet. My question to you. While i'm singing my stomach comes in and my diaphragma goes down, right? And while a breath my stomach comes out and is relax isn't? Please help me, l'm close to have a breake down with such a confusion in my head!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Debbie, when you exhale the diaphragm goes up.The lower abdominals pull in slightly to make this happen. When you breath in, the diaphragm lowers to help pull air into the lungs. What you are likely hearing is that the diaphragm stays slightly lower to hold the air back. We need a controlled stream of air to sing on. You don't want the diaphragm to go up too rapidly on the exhale, otherwise you will have a lot of loose air flying through the vocal folds and they cannot stay closed to create a clear tone. Does this clear it up for you?

[@Johnmannish]

I have a question, to create grit, or add distorsion to the voice, we do have to push harder the air with our abdominals? in this case yes, or we still hold the air as you said to have good compression, and the grit is created by doing something else?, thanks!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

John G. Jordan well John I’m not an expert on distortion unfortunately, as it’s not something I add to my own voice or teach. But, if you want to know more about distortion, I recommend going to my good fiend Jaime Vendera’s channel. He’s a heavy metal specialist. I will say that any kind of grit requires a bit more compression and more connection to the abdominals to make sure you’re not using the throat to create it. Hope that answers your questions and thanks so much for watching! Peace and happy singing 🕺🎶🎶

[@SERCAMILIN26]

I look forward to watching your video about how to use the back part to really control de diaphragm. Kisses !!!!

[@marilynbosworth8927]

My voice teacher is out of town and I found you on line yesterday. Really enjoyed it. y the way my voice teacher is Dr. Carole Clifford- ha. I am singing at NATS for David Jones in October. I am kinda scared.

[@elisabetheriksson8789]

At about 2:40 you spoke of the Swedish-Italian school of singing. Can you elaborate on that? Björling? Older? Thank you!

[@marilynbosworth8927]

When you are teaching the connected ah,ae,ee,oh ,oo Why do you raise the pitch on the oo?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Marilyn Bosworth wow that is such a wonderful question. Actually I am not consciously raising the pitch. The pitch goes up by itself because the larynx goes slightly down for the oo vowel. It’s an acoustical phenomenon that the Italian masters figured out centuries ago, and is why I often refer to the oo vowel as the “elevator vowel”! The lower laryngeal position of the oo creates a higher acoustical space which send that pitch slightly higher. Isn’t that cool! Thanks for your question and I hope you are subscribed to the channel! Let of new videos in the pipeline coming for the Fall! Peace and harmony to you. Jeff

[@theyseemetrollintheycantwi1514]

how do "sweetish Italian" and "Bel canto" technique differ? I'm really familiar with Bel canto and sls but never heard of sweetish italian.

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hello Kik. It is Swedish-Italian not "sweetish italian". The founder of the technique was Alan Lindquest who was born of Swedish immigrant parents. He and many well known Swedish singers began developing the technique during the early 1900's based on proven Italian Bel Canto concepts. So yes, the technique has is roots in Bel Canto technique with the ideas and concepts of the Swedish masters mixed in. Hope this helps. Thank you for you question!

[@elisabetheriksson8789]

+Jeff Alani Stanfill OK, disregard my earlier question on the same topic... 😀

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Got it! Thanks for watching :-)

[@elisabetheriksson8789]

And thank you for posting these videos, they are really good!

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Thank you Elisabeth. More to come!!

[@MODENESS]

On legato updominal muscle doesn'not move Jeff?Or the same move as on staccato?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hi. The abdominals are always in motioon while we sing or speak. Try taking a slow inhale through the space of a straw. The straw space inhale allows the breath to go very deep into the body. Once you've inhaled enough breath, then "hiss" the breath out slowly. You'll feel your abdominals engaging especially as you begin to run out of breath. That slow pulling in of the abdominals on the "hiss" is a greart way to feel what your abs need to do for singing. I hope this helps! Thanks for watching and happy singing.

[@racismisntanopinion2591]

Hey I'm a beginner at this technique and don't quite understand in what direction the lower abdominals are supposed tu push, if it's not out neither in, is it downwards?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Hello. The abs come in just as they would if you are hissing ona continuous stream of breath. Anything more than that can set up tension in the throat. It is truly the law of physics here: "What goes up, must come down, what goes out must come in". When you inhale the belly goes out to allow the diapraghm to drop and pull air into teh lungs. That air has to get outr some way right? So a slow steady inward pull of the lower abdominal muscles lets the air out. Hope this answers your question and thanks for watching, subscribing and commenting!

[@racismisntanopinion2591]

@@JeffAlaniStanfill thank you for your answer!

[@racismisntanopinion2591]

2:36 is when the tutorial starts :)

[@thewrestlingpalace9989]

Can explain how the hug position works and why it does the things you mentioned.

[@thewrestlingpalace9989]

Wait are you going to explain it?

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Yes! The hug position keeps the chest from pulling up and allows the back of the rib cage to expand. Male singers especially tend to sing with a high chest position. This places too much pressure underneath the vocal cords and causes too much over compression of the breath. When the singer is standing tall, with the knees slightly bent and one foot in front of the other, the hug position can be employed to allow the back to expand upon inhalation. As the singer sings a scale or phrase of a song, the hug position allows he/she to control the air stream because he/she can only use the lower abdominals to release the air, not the chest. Does this explain it clearly to you? Peace and happy singing! Jeff

[@thewrestlingpalace9989]

Jeff Alani Stanfill yes sir thank you. Is that position widely known or did you create it?

[@thewrestlingpalace9989]

Jeff Alani Stanfill wait are you against pre raising your chest before breathing. Almost all vocal pedagogues recommend this. So don’t raise your chest?

[@lukekent9687]

TheWrestlingPalace the tall posture has a comfortably raised chest position...if you over raise the chest you compress the back ribcage and suppress a full release of the diaphragm during the inhale. The inhale should not be moving the chest much otherwise it will be shallow and more difficult to use. I am one of Jeffs students in case you are wondering why I'm chiming in. His teaching is fantastic!

[@danielchroniclesworldwidez2160]

How can i stop throat tension

[@JeffAlaniStanfill]

Throat tension is generally a result of several things: 1. Not understanding that pitch change happens at the vocal cords, not the larynx. 2. Using your throat muscles to change pitch. 3. Locking the solar plexus which stops the flow of air 4. Neck tightness caused by a lack of trust that the voice needs free neck muscles to sing without tension. 5. Too much air pressure under the vocal folds/cords 6. Locking the rib cage.

[@danielchroniclesworldwidez2160]

@@JeffAlaniStanfill thank you so much i will watch you videos on throat tension....🔥🔥🔥

[@peterb1022]

I don’t know whom to believe anymore, some people say to lean out, others including you say not to feel the low abdominals pushing out.. I’m lost