How to Sing From Your Diaphragm

Discover How to sing from your diaphragm! When you learn to sing from your diaphragm, you take your singing voice to another level. There are numerous benefits to diaphragmatic singing and it is key to your singing success!

Diaphragmatic singing will do the following for you:

• Better voice projection
• Better vocal control
• Better regulation of airflow in the lungs
• Protecting the vocal cords
• Improving your range
• Creating a fuller, louder sound

So, what is diaphragmatic breathing, and how can you do it? Get ready to unleash the singing power of your diaphragm!

Why is it hard to sing from the diaphragm?

It’s very easy to overthink the process of singing from the diaphragm. The more pressure you put on yourself to focus on the diaphragm, the less likely you are to be thinking about the actual sound you are making. It’s good to be aware of the muscles you are using while singing but try to relax and let the diaphragm do its job naturally.

That said, there are some tips and tricks you can use to improve the quality of your diaphragmatic voice.

How do I know if I’m singing from my diaphragm?

Most untrained singers use their throat voice, which only allows for shallow breaths, so it is harder to hold those long notes or get through a verse without needing to take a deep breath.
The diaphragm sits just below the lungs. It’s a large muscle that works without you even noticing, and its role is to expand and contract so that your lungs can take in and expel air.

It’s a very important respiratory muscle. Once you have control of it, you have much more power over your singing voice,

When you use diaphragmatic breathing, it actually feels like you are singing from your stomach. You will feel the air vibrating in your ribcage.

How to sing from the diaphragm

Before you even get started, there are a few things you should do.

Warm up your voice. Prepare your voice for the power that you are about to project it with. Like any other muscle, your diaphragm works best when you build up slowly, Take some deep breaths and practice warm-up vocal techniques.

Loosen up.

You need to be relaxed to get the most from your voice.

Everyone will have their own techniques for relaxing the body, and it’s important to find out what works for you. Make sure you get your posture right by adopting a slight bend in the knees, rolling your shoulders up, back, and down, and lifting your chest.

This should help reduce any tension in your body.

Practise your high notes. Untrained signers tend to project their higher notes from the throat, but you’ll always get the best results from further down the body. Hit those top notes with more power and passion by sending breath to the diaphragm.

Now you’re ready to use your diaphragmatic voice. Maintain that perfect posture throughout, to ensure your body is prepped and ready for every note.

The Technique

Place your hands on your upper belly and take a deep breath in. As you breathe out, work on pushing all the air out of your lungs. You’ll feel your stomach contract as you do this. As you breathe back in, your stomach will expand. Try and relax your throat at the same time.

As you inhale again, sing a sustained vowel.

A long ‘ooo’ or ‘aah’ is great. Really pull your stomach in to force out every last bit of air in your lungs, to keep that note sounding for as long as possible.

The slower your stomach moves in and out, the more control you’ll have over your voice.

How long does it take to learn to sing from your diaphragm?

As with everything, the more you practice the quicker you’ll learn diaphragmatic breathing. If you give the above technique a go once or twice a day, you will pick it up in no time. After a month, you’ll notice your voice has strengthened, and you have greater control over your diaphragm singing. You’ll also feel far more confident about your ability.

Need a helping hand?

Sometimes you just can’t learn what you need by reading – you need someone to show you.

That’s where singing lessons can be really useful.

You can practice your diaphragmatic breathing and get advice about where you might be going wrong.

And if you want to sing along in a group or learn to sing one-to-one, then our singing classes are ideal.

Whether you want to learn classical, jazz, musical theatre, rock or pop – get in touch!

Email enrol@londonsinginginstitute.co.uk and we’ll book you in!