Soprano Laura Claycomb's Breathing Technique Overview

[@ThrivingJean]

It's a privilège to receive some coaching from such a legendary Prima Donna. It's like having Tebaldi or Beverly Sills giving you free advices. Dear Maestra, I am VERY much looking forward to your next videos. Thank you.

[@heron520]

your humility and generosity is simply FANTASTIC! you are clear in your explanations. Give us more tutoirals please.......thank you

[@notinterested100]

'give us more' lol Do you realise how fortunate you are already?

[@okaykatee]

The best tutorial i have ever seen!! You are amazing, thank you!!

[@irinadz]

I dont know HOW to thank you!!!!!!! It’s a gift!!! It’s exactly what my teacher said but when you hear it again from such a singer it make you wanna fly!!!

[@user-of4kk4in9f]

When i let my abdomen flop downward on the exhale I feel the Appogio lean. My teacher suggested after doing Lehmann's breath jerk (i can do it slowly but the jerk lowers the diagphragm successfully). I tell my abdomen to let go! Sing like you're 10 months pregnant. It really keeps the air underneath in a "perched" way as you said.

[@VIDEOHEREBOB]

I hope you do more Laura. Thanks so much.

[@bfawzy]

I love you Laura, I'm getting what I need to know, you are teaching what others not yet touched. Thank you so much.

[@pasqualeperrone1560]

Thanks for the in depth tutorial, Laura! I’m currently pursuing my bachelor’s in vocal performance and both my teachers are huge on the appoggio technique. It was interesting to hear that we should still feel open even on the exhale. My teachers always remind me of this feeling, but it always helps to hear it from someone else as well. I have an awful habit of locking my solar plexus when I begin a phrase. I tend to grab and hold on to the note instead of letting it flow freely into the next one. I can’t wait to use these ideas in my singing during the week!

[@deaqivlaku4894]

Where have You been all my life!!!! My God what a Godess! Your voice and control , your tone quality are not from this world. You are the only living Diva in a world of Opera!!! You should do masterclasses in Europe!!! Please... The world needs a teacher and a singer like you!!!! Thank you for your kindness and for your teaching... You gave me hope and motivation to keep going.

[@KokoNova]

This a life changing video for me, seriously. I’m speechless how clearly you’ve explained everything. And that simple sounding exercise is a miracle. Thank you so much. ❤

[@gerardojak]

You explain that sooo good!! I am a tenor and had to make my abdomen hard and stiff while studying at the conservatorium in Holland... Expanding ribs was not allowed... So my voice was very small After the conservatorium I had a very good thatcher from London and he said exactly Wat you explain. I wish you all the best!!!

[@goldetta2946]

What an incredibly great video. Please make some more! Thank you!

[@anapaularada]

You are amazing! Thank you for your incredible singing and for those videos with technique 😊 ❤️

[@snrnsjd]

There is exercises for strengthening pelvic floor muscle called - Kegel Exercise.

[@EMMAHYSAE]

Thank you for this great tutorial :-) Il really love the way you explain, it helps me pick wherever I've been doing wrong and reminds me of what I've learnt so many years ago, and then forgot to use :-D

[@joonkang1949]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Tried your technique and it worked! I've had several voice teachers, but none of them told me the details you described in this video.

[@jayjay-hm3dh]

Wonderful video, fascinating even for one who is not a singer but just appreciates opera. On the subject I must add that in my view you are the best Anne Truelove ever!

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Thanks so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video, and our Rake's Progress. Did you see it live or on video?

[@jayjay-hm3dh]

I do wish I'd seen it live (I was actually living in Brussels when it was performed at La Monnaie) but saw it by chance on television and bought the dvd the next day. I was just mesmerised by the whole cast, Kazushi Ono's direction, and of course Lepage's staging!

[@minamishi]

It would have been awesome if you lowered your camera so that we could really see your upper body in action during the breathing exercises

[@musicavivaserbia]

Great video! Thank You!

[@cozene35]

Beautiful soprano

[@user-rd2mt7gl4r]

Perfect !!! So many many many thanks from Greece !

[@MonaLisaFaceMusic]

Ok so I just found out about who you are... and you are giving away gold with these exercises- and also you deserve to be noteworthy with any of the opera greats. First of all you have one of my top five favorite Pianissimos I’ve ever heard, and I’m mostly a pop singer at this point but I started with opera actually, and I was taught that the measure of someone’s true greatness as an opera singer is in the complexity and luxurious depth of their pianissimo. Now as a pop singer I can tell why which artists lose their voice because they lose the ability to have vocal fold connection in their pianissimo so as soon as I heard you do that I knew you were the real deal. New subscriber and new fan, and I will be sharing your videos with my own vocal students :) thank you for your gift and contribution to humanity 💚🙏🥰

[@ericareynolds4873]

waiting for more!! love this

[@goldie5788]

Dear Laura, Thanks for this great advices ❤️ I've just fuond out you have been to Israel. I wish I knew so I could have lessons with you. Singing well, even to my self, just as a healing truma therapy and meditation is my dream. Any chance you ever come back?

[@chuckunice1476]

please make more videos! it's wonderful

[@hectorlopez196]

Truly wonderful and useful. Thanks!

[@DKay-sy8xu]

I know this is an old video, but I think of suspending vs. holding, and often I think of 'if I were a puffer fish' suspending in all directions. I think these are also known as Farinelli exercises.

[@guada_cristina]

Laura you have an amazing voice and what you are explaning in this clip is so right!! It is frustrating at first not knowing what to use when you breath! Specially in opera. thank you for posting this clip! is there a channel where I could ask you questions?

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

+Guadalupe Cristina You can always write me an email via my website - laura at lauraclaycomb dot com!

[@pimenel]

I loved your "Doll Aria"!!!!!!!

[@oscarurbano6225]

Laura , muchas gracias , con el ultimo ejercicio nos diste el eslabón , perdido , de tener las costillas abiertas y como debe comenzar del sonido aún con las costillas abiertas .. porque es cierto que auno le parece que no va a sonar , es por eso que empujamos tanto la voz , gracias gracias gracias desde Argentina

[@heron520]

tks very much...you are great!!!

[@morrighanbond]

Thank you sooooo much! Could you PLEASE post more instructing videos for us?

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

+Анастасия Бондарева I will be, shortly! Thanks for watching!

[@barbarakendrick4912]

I just watched her videos for opera OMG talk about a gift from the Lord

[@lewissedgley5945]

Laura I wish you were my singing teacher cause since I have been using my pelvic floor muscles I have been able to sing longer phrases anyway I'm a baritone

[@CutieZalbu]

Lewis Sedgley being a baritone has nothing to do with holding long notes,baritones can be as good as tenors or even better lol😆

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

I don't think that's what he (Lewis) meant - just that he's now able to sing longer phrases.

[@ahava77]

Thank you so much :)

[@vanessah4281]

Hi Laura, thanks for the great video! :-) How does the transverse abdominal function during singing? I do pilates (which deeply involves this muscle and the pelvic floor) and love it, but am unsure how to transition between the different core engagements and breathing techniques of pilates and classical voice. For voice, I've been told to just completely relax my stomach, trying to create a bit of a pot belly to breathe correctly, but this strains and sways my back and weakens my abdominals. I have been wondering that if I'm to engage my pelvic floor during singing, my transverse abdominal engages automatically, which cinchs in my waist and while I feel much more supported posturally, my breathing doesn't get into my abdominal area. Is there some way I can stay strong posture-wise and not have an unsightly pot belly, whilst breathing correctly? Also, doesn't the use of the outer obliques during singing create a postural over-dependence on them in the long run? Sorry for so many questions! :-)

[@LauraClaycomb]

What a fantastic question! I love that you are so informed! I think the main thing is that muscles tend to want to help out their neighbors, so it is difficult to just use ONE muscle or muscle group. Their engagement expands as we try to make more effort. I don't think a "pot belly" is probably the thing to tell you, since you seem quite in tune with your whole musculature and their different functions. Basically, what I think they're probably trying to tell you with the "pot belly" comment is that you need to expand the side ribs and keep your rectus abdominis and solar plexus relatively soft, but not distended. You should not be feeling your waist cinching in when you are inhaling, as that means you're pulling in. Maybe even consciously. The whole idea of appoggio that I am interested in for singing, is engaging the inhalation muscles upon inhalation, along with pelvic floor muscles. Because the pelvic floor muscles will have a knock-on effect on the abdominal muscles, I think it's best to concentrate on the pelvic floor muscles and have them help with the stability you're seeking - without consciously engaging (pulling in!) any abdominal muscles. The only engagement I want for singing from your abdominal muscles is the expansion of the inhalation muscles, and the conscious "holding out" (for lack of a better word) of this band of muscles, which will give you the feeling of appoggio. If you can imagine two big bands inside you, one that pulls in on the outside and one that expands out on the inside, the "appoggio" is the middle point in between these two bands of muscle at play. Which is why I ask students to think of "grounding" their voice lower in the pelvic floor muscles.... it avoids students pulling in the abs. hope that's helpful? www.beyondbasicsphysicaltherapy.com/pelvic-floor-anatomy

[@vanessah4281]

Thank you so much, Laura, that's helped a lot and the website is really informative! :-) Thank you so much for your time and advice, I really appreciate it. Best, Vanessa :-)

[@sparina]

Hi Laura. I am very grateful for this video. I am working on this with my teacher as well and I found this too be very helpful. Actually, my question relates to tension in throat. I have been experiencing a lot of tension and tiredness early into my practice sessions. After 30 minutes and sometimes even 10 minutes, vocally I'm tired. I know its because of my larynx rising but I just don't know how to keep it down. I usually breathe in a (YAWN) positions to open the throat and drop the larynx but once I started singing, especially the high notes, I start to tire. Also another thing I observed was that as I'm progressively getting even more tired, I can still sing all of the high notes, but my mid to lower register becomes non existent and almost airy. DO you think it's lack of support? I would very much appreciate your advice. I hope you will make some more videos soon!

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Hi, Deborah, It is nearly impossible for me to know what is going on with you without working with you personally. There are so many factors to vocal production, it could be any number of them. It could even be that you are pushing your larynx DOWN or not getting a "vocal tilt," simply holding muscles in your throat or tongue, or any number of other problems. The real bugger of vocal technique is that sometimes what we FEEL we are doing and what we are ACTUALLY physically doing can be totally diametrically opposite. You are right that you should not be getting tired vocally after so little time (actually, with good technique, you really shouldn't get tired vocally, period!) I wouldn't want to start wagering guesses here on KZbin about the causes of your problems, as that would be very irresponsible on my part. If the problem is not getting better with your teacher (with at least 30 minutes of daily targeted and conscientious practice on your own on your part!), after a few months of weekly lessons, I would say you may need to evaluate changing teachers. Your teacher should be able to tell you what you are doing wrong (physically) and help you with exercises to correct it. The voice is a big chain of different connecting muscles and mechanisms, so it is sometimes difficult to unlock its problems. It should be getting better with practice and lessons - perhaps not "fixed" or "perfect" but at least better. If you have the means, it might be a good idea to go to a certified voice therapist, who can take a look at your vocal cords to know what is actually going on, and give you some therapeutic exercises to correct the problem. I'm sorry I can't be much more help, but I don't want to mess you up any more by "guessing!" Best of luck!

[@chuckunice1476]

Brilliant

[@Luisawee]

You are a wonderfull person, Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I'm so happy!!! :) :)

[@Pasunsoprano]

Appoggiare also means "leaning" when you feel like you are leaning from the inside out, it's not difficult to keep the ribs out. Like you're leaning on a big balloon. And by the way, that "spot" is called pyramidalis and the solar plexus is not a muscle, it's a bunch of nerves, which you can't engage yourself.

[@liligibson8457]

I would love to know how to use this breathing technique in singing sentences in a song. Thank you

[@ReesRippleInDaHouse]

This is the only helpful breath support video I've seen on KZbin. I would like to read the article to which you referred, but I can't get the link to work. Do you know the name of it? Thanks for all your help!

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Here you go - better late than never! opusmagazine.co.il/article/vocal-technique-by-claycomb-part-1/ and opusmagazine.co.il/article/engvocal-technique-with-laura-claycomb-part-2/

[@celloguy]

So similar to what Renee Fleming teaches in masterclasses. Between you, two of the greatest technicians of the era!

[@luizfilipecotrimdealmeidar614]

Thank you.

[@Lyby]

That helped me a lot, thx!

[@lmsubramaniam]

Is the breath gym the one thats on youtube for instrumentalists? can you give a link to what you're referring to? thank you!!

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Yes - I think we don't want to do some of the more "squeezing out the air" parts of the exercises, but the exercises are all pretty great., if you can concentrate on keeping your ribs out while you're doing them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3bdYZ6rYtSLg5Y

[@raffyajaaja1122]

Best explanation ever! Thanks. When do we practice breathing exercise? Should it be every day? Thanks.

[@LauraClaycomb]

YES!!

[@raynardi7243]

Ma quando espiri, o quando canti , mentre mantieni le costole larghe, cosa senti al livello dei muscoli addominali? Li devi mantenere espansi o sgonfiarli?grazie

[@ming41160]

You are so good!

[@foropera]

Do you think that male singers, as the chest voice and the use of the larynx is a bit different from the female singers, have to support a bit more, and engage a bit more that the "lower spot" but much of the internal oblique abdominal muscles and transverse muscles? The under glotal pressure for basses for example always seemed to me heavier thant for other voices. (I am a bass).

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

HI - I only just now saw this question. Sorry it took me so long! I have a new baby, so everything else has taken a side-line for the past year! I'm starting to resurface now. :-) RE: your question - Not being a bass myself, I don't know the FEELING for that type of voice, but I think that since men are singing more in chest resonance most of the time, their support will accordingly be a bit different than women. I don't know about the normal sub-glottal pressure for a bass, but I do find a lot of professional basses doing a sort of annoying "growl" thing a lot, which is a trick learned at some point (or maybe teachers actually teach this!) I don't agree that it's a nice thing to do as a default technique. It usually means they are closing off their solar plexus, and as a result, the vagus nerve which passes through there is adding pressure to the vocal folds, and they get an almost vocal fry at the beginning of notes. It requires more subglottal pressure. For me, this is TOO much pressure and too much tension. But perhaps it's easier than getting JUST the right balance of vocal fold "tonicity" and subglottal pressure; especially on really low notes, where the folds need to be so relaxed to get the note. I think this is why a lot of basses use too much pressure down in the bottom - because it's "easier," albeit not always pleasing to my ear. I agree that one needs to "feel the edge of the cords together," but not GRATE them together! :-) Hope that's helpful. I'd be interested on your take!

[@SanctuaryME]

❤️🙏🏽

[@audreysavard8064]

Hi, do you give online classes ?

[@rhoijoe]

Good lesson with thanks. I am not easy to expand my rib cage. anyway i trying.

[@breizhmabroy]

hi! remember Mignon? Toulouse, Cheers, Yann.

[@ciociosan]

Yes, the lower abdominal muscles would come in a bit to expand the ribs. Jussi Björling breathes this way. So does Callas.

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

I don't agree at all. Both Björling and Callas are dead, so it is difficult to ask them or know... If you have their thoughts on this in writing or video, I am very interested to hear their take on this. I am open for discussion, based on physiology and science. But I still do not agree. Some great singers were great singers despite what they were doing! And some schools of thought of voice teaching have since been overtaken by what science tells us. I think it is very misleading to tell students to "bring in their abdominal muscles" consciously to support their voices. The lower abdominal muscles do not restrict and come in a bit "in order to expand the ribs" - this is anatomically incorrect. They may come in a bit naturally at the end of a breath, but I do not at all agree that singers need to consciously use their abdominal muscles (most of which are EXHALATION muscles, and thus, restrict and pull in the abs) to support their voices. This technique, of pulling in the lower abs, is very standard in voice teaching these days and I do not agree that it is helpful for support.

[@ciociosan]

Laura Claycomb Official Page Laura Claycomb Official Page Thank you for your reply. I apologize for misunderstanding your statement on the lower abdominal function. Somehow, I could post the link of Callas singing Casta diva in Rome. We can clearly see that she pulls her lower abdominal muscles inward to breathe. Thank you for sharing your videos on vocal technique!

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Here's that video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHiompqwetWCY7c I really don't like what she's doing here, in terms of breathing. It makes for a very compressed, high breath, which seems to work for her in the short term. But I do not think it is a great solution nor the most effective or healthful one for the voice, in the long run. If you remember, she was overweight for most of her life, and had lost a LOT of weight in 1954, and this recording is only three years later. I don't think this is the best example of good support... I ADORE Callas, but that doesn't mean everything she did, we should emulate! ;-)

[@lithiumsapphire8935]

how can we hold the pelvic muscles and rib case muscles without holding belly muscles :/ because a muscle effect its neighbour and i hold it too without wanting to hold it. it is so hard i dont really get it.

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Hi - that's the whole point of this video. Did you watch the entire video? Do you know what I mean when I talk about the pelvic floor? Look up KEGEL exercises en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegel_exercise and try to anchor yourself in the core of your body. There are different muscles in the pelvis and rib cage, some for expansion and some for pulling in. Both types of muscle groups always exist against each toehr, although we probably "feel" more easily the muscles that pull in. I tried to be as specific as possible in this video, but perhaps will have to clarify if it's not making sense. The best explanation I have had about "appoggio" has been: feeling that there is an inside band inside your ribs and and outside band outside your ribs. And you expand your ribs, and feel that both of those bands are resisting each other to keep your ribs OUT. I hope that makes sense.

[@lithiumsapphire8935]

hi laura again, thanks for your help the last explanation was amazing but i think i have a different problem, i found out that i have kyphosis, and thats why while trying to stay in a good posture, i feel tension everywhere including my belly, but if i stay relaxed, my posture is awful and i dont have any control over my rib case :/ well, i am really frusturated right now, do you think is it impossible for me to sing? because i dont think i can build an amazing posture after my bones and muscles are very used to a wrong posture :/ i have a hump T.T cries.

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Hi - I got your message about your special case. I don' think I'm equipped to handle something like dealing with kyphosis, and I really think you should speak with a physiotherapist for something like this. I would hope you are already in therapy for this, in any case! While you are working with a physiotherapist, work on your PELVIC FLOOR muscles. I really don't see why working on pelvic FLOOR muscles (NOT pelvic "surface" muscles like your rectus abdominalis) would have too much of a knock-on effect with other belly muscles. The whole idea of my video is NOT to hold muscles in your rib cage. Perhaps my terminology is confusing? There are some muscles which are meant to pull in the ribs and there are others that make our ribcage expand, otherwise we would not be able to breathe! We need to concentrate on those INHALATION muscles (especially on the bottom sides of the ribs) and try to keep them as engaged as possible during the EXHALATION. That is the crux of appoggio. I really don't see it being insurmountable, whatever your physical constraints. It is counter-intuitive, but once it becomes second nature, it helps immensely with keeping tension out of the voice while supporting it. The ribs need to feel OPEN. Talk to your physiotherapist and voice teacher about it. This is not something that you can just learn in two seconds from a KZbin video. You need someone with you, looking at your special case, and helping you reach your goal. Not everything can be a quick fix, and you'll need patience with your body and fortitude to keep trying and working on it for it to get better. A little at a time. All my best wishes to you!

In this video, you're beautiful. :) I wish I could be your student ... I realized two things from it and I will try to practice them. It's the exhalation in the ribs is like breathing in to maintain the extension, and not using the abdominal muscles. So you can teach me how to get high notes, need lots of power, then I should compress it further into the ribs, right? And during training, what are the signs that I'm doing something wrong?

[@yuribotello3170]

Hi Laura! i got some questions to make regarding my goals as a student, so how can i contact you directly? thanks in advance!

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Hi, I am available on laura at lauraclaycomb dot com (I spell it out to avoid spambots taking over my email!) :-)

[@peterlundgren8090]

Ok you are talent for sure , Nice !

[@r1p2m32]

03:18 Interesting and unusual to see this kind of understanding from a woman. As a man, it has always been too easy to hurt my voice with too much power. Almost every single obvious use of muscle is much too much. The only thing to follow is the filtering voice area [vocal cords] with resonance zones in throat and and head [feels most in nose/eyes]. If it sounds sweet [feel, record and listen], and nothing is pressured/pushed, the way of Nature is being followed.

[@Rosannasfriend]

I can't do the pelvic floor bit. I practiced that for a while years ago, and since then I've been leaky down there on occasion. So... No. I find directing my diaphragm, ribs, and abdominal muscles does the trick. Thanks anyway.

[@Rosannasfriend]

Hmmm, I suppose using my lower abdominal muscles is close enough, without affecting my pelvic floor. Right?

[@Rosannasfriend]

Yes, I think that's what I was doing before I stopped singing and it was working for me. :)

[@LauraclaycombSoprano]

Nope. Actually, no, lower ab muscles are not at all what I want to engage, and I do not agree that they are "close enough." Engaging those muscles is what I am trying to get most students to NOT do. Since muscle groups tend to radiate their "help," I find it is pretty difficult to use just your LOWER abdominal muscles for support without involving ALL of the rectus abdominals (which SOOOOO many teachers teach as the right way, but I don't agree...) I find that the more "support" singers tend to try to instill, the more the "lower" rectus muscles' involvement radiates up, engaging the upper part of the rectus, which then pull in the ribs, which is anathema to good singing. That is why I encourage pelvic floor muscles involvement, as it gives students a feeling of grounding, feeling like they are engaging something, without closing off the ribs and the thorax. But perhaps that doesn't work for your body! I don't know... Everyone's sensations are different and everyone feels their body in a different way. Perhaps "directing" diaphragm and ribs, etc... allows you to connect with your breath without cutting it off... However, I can't understand why pelvic floor exercises would WORSEN leakage, as Kegels are supposed to help strengthen the pelvic floor. Perhaps you misinterpreted what you were supposed to do? For example, I found that if I consciously try to hold in the Kegel muscles when I sneeze, that I would have leakage... Feeling that I am pushing OUT, however, would stop that leakage. It seemed counter-intuitive. Bodies are weird... ;-)

[@ThrivingJean]

Do you give lessons/ skype lessons, Madam?

[@LauraClaycomb]

I do teach, but only with screened students, because I teach from my home in Northern Italy. I don't think much can be accomplished via skype until after a student and teacher have years of in-situ lessons.

[@ThrivingJean]

Thank you, Madam, such great videos.