Breathing post #1

There is so much bad teaching around regarding breathing and "breath control" for both singers and instrumentalists. If I had $1 for every time I have heard someone say: "breathe from your diaphragm" or "support" or "push" from the diaphragm, I think I’d be rich.

Any instrumentalist that hears that from a teacher should leave the room and find a new teacher - as what they are telling you is 100% incorrect and is physically impossible!

First of all, most people don’t even know where the diaphragm is. Ask a group of people to put their hand on their diaphragm and 95% of the time people put their hand right above their belly button on their small intestine. That’s about 6 inches too low. The actual location is at the bottom of your ribcage.

The diaphragm is one of the few "unopposed" muscles in your body and most of its use is only for inhalation, NOT exhalation. When the diaphragm muscle is upward (with the lungs empty) in it's RELAXED position. (see illustration) Conversely, when it is lower and flatter (lungs full) it is in its FLEXED position. This is opposite of what most people think. Most people think that the diaphragm actually flexes and pushes the air out -- this is incorrect.

Exhalation is done by a combination of things, least of which is actually "pushing from the diaphragm" which is physiologially impossible. More on exhalation soon...