Q&A for How to Breathe Properly for Singing

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Question

Do I breathe in through my mouth or my nose?

Community Answer

Breathing through your nose can help you improve your breath control, but you'll be predominantly using your mouth to breathe when actually singing.

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Question

If I have a cough, should I practice singing?

Community Answer

No, stop for 2-3 days and let your voice rest. Drink lots of water and avoid dairy products.

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Question

I'm trying to learn how to carry a tune. What should I do?

Community Answer

Practice the steps here to breathe properly and try to sing along with a recording.

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Question

Why can't we sing properly while lying down?

Community Answer

When lying down, your diaphragm is relaxed, which weakens the voice and is not conducive to singing.

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Question

Why does my throat hurt when I hit high notes?

Community Answer

It's possible that you're trying to hit notes outside of your range, so maybe consider singing as an alto. Otherwise just be careful not to injure your voice when reaching for the high notes.

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Question

Where is the diaphragm?

Community Answer

The diaphragm runs across your entire thoracic cavity and is located below your lungs and breastbone.

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Question

If I breathe in and out through my mouth while singing, is that a bad thing?

Saltysope

Community Answer

No, it isn't. When singing, proper breath support is crucial to singing well. If you feel yourself breathing from your mouth, it is probably because you are drawing the air from your diaphragm rather than your chest, which is the right thing to do.

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Question

How do I avoid lifting my head when reaching higher notes?

Community Answer

If it helps you to sing, I wouldn't worry about it, but if you're worried about how weird it looks, practice makes perfect. Make it muscle memory! Mark the points on your sheet music where you need to hit a high note so you can see when they're coming up and remind yourself to keep your head pointed forward.

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Question

How can I avoid lifting my head when singing?

Community Answer

Try singing a calm and less upbeat song, so you won't get too carried away and start lifting your head again.

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Question

How do l know if I am really singing from my stomach?

Jess_Hunter

Community Answer

Try placing one hand on your stomach and one on your chest when you sing. When you breathe in, the hand on your stomach should be pressed outward, but that on your chest should not move much. If you're the other way around, then you're breathing into your chest, which is not good for you, and doesn't provide as much support for your voice. You can practice breathing into your stomach anytime, even when you're not singing, and doing so will help when you are singing.

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