Most people wanting to sing better think about singing techniques while everything is based on very fundamental things, such as breathing. In this “How to Sing Better” tip you’ll learn more about how to breather your way to singing better.

If you watch a baby or young toddler breathe, you’ll be able to clearly see their diaphragm (tummy area) effortlessly moving in and out. That’s how we naturally breathe. However, over time as we age and we become more socialized, most people lose touch with their natural ability to breathe deeply and fully.

Good news: You know how to breathe. If you didn’t, you would be dead. Breathing is your birthright and comes naturally to you. At one time in your life you were able to breathe perfectly.

Bad news: Most adults tend to have shallow unsupported breathing.

The quickest and easiest way for you to get in control of your breathing or to relax and calm down is to focus on your exhale. When you exhale all your air, your body will naturally inhale. When you breathe, aim to let go of your breath completely on the exhale before inhaling again. When you sing, let the breath, exhale and diaphragm do the work for projecting your voice, rather than straining it by trying to speak or sing loudly from the lungs and throat with more shallow breathing.

Improving the quality of your breath, will definitely improve the quality of your life. Here’s a Hot Lifestyle Tip: Yoga and swimming naturally help you to improve your breathing. Both these forms of exercise train you to work with an extended breath and engage your entire body simultaneously.

I’ll end this lesson with one of my favorite quotes from the legendary comedian George Carlin. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.”