The Singer’s Breath Melissa Malde THE BIG PICTURE ‘The average person takes between 17,000 and 23,000 breaths each day. Breathing happens whether we are conscious of it or not—while we sleep, while we eat, while we read. So why is breathing for singing fraught with so much anxiety and associated with so many myths? Singers are not average breathers. We breathe to sustain tone as well as life. Although the muscle, bone, and cartilage used in breathing are the same for everyone, they can be used in different combi- nations and sequences, Consequently, there are many breathing techniques for singing, cach claiming to be the best. This can be confusing and frustrating. However, once you understand the truth about the anatomical structures used in breathing, the process is less mystifying. Then you can make choices about breathing techniques based on your own body's truth This is vital for singers. The breath is our power source and we must be able to use it efficiently. Even more important, the way we breathe conveys many messages to the audience, both aural and visual, both conscious and subliminal. Our breathing must be so well mapped that it expresses every nuance of our emotions. It is at the core of our artistry, The Nature of Air Air is a gas and, like all gases, its natural tendency is to maintain equal pressure. Given access, it flows from areas of high pressure into areas where pressure is lower. The movement of inhalation creates an area of low pressure in the lungs by increasing the size of the chest cavity. When this happens, air flows in to equalize the pressure. The process of exhalation exerts pressure on the air in the lungs by decreasing the size of the chest cavity. When the air pressure in the lungs becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure of the outside air, the air in the lungs flows out to equalize the pressure.48 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Basic Principles Remember that for muscles to work effectively, your body must be in balance. When we are in balance, we can rely on our wonderfully efficient bony framework to support our weight. The muscles used for breathing are then free to do the work of inhalation and exhalation: Here are four basic principles to keep in mind through the following @ When muscles work, they contract—that is, the fibers get shorter. MH Contracted muscles naturally release to their resting state once their work is done. ME Released muscles are elastic. They can be stretched by the work of other muscles. When that work ceases, the stretched muscle returns to its resting state, much like a rubber band will return to its shape after being stretched. This property is called elastic recoil I Many muscles work in opposition to other muscles. In these pairs of opposing muscles, one muscle must release in order for the other muscle to contract fully. The biceps and triceps are an obvious example. When opposing muscles work together this way—one releasing as the other contracts—it is called dynamic equilibrium. When they are both working at the same time against each other, it is called muscle antagonism. THE ESSENTIALS The Bony Framework of Breathing ‘The ribs and the spine form the bony framework that houses the heart and lungs. This is not a static or rigid structure as the term “rib cage” implies. In fact, the ribs and the spine move with every breath we take. This movement is integral to the process of breathing. ‘The 12 vertebrae below the neck and the ribs that connect to them define the chest cavity or thorax. The 12 thoracic vertebrae are numbered from top to bottom: 71 is at the top, T12 at the bottom. As you can sce in Figure 3-1, they form a gentle curve toward the back to make room for the heart and lungs. ‘There are 24 ribs, 12 on each side of the body. Like the corresponding vertebrae, they are numbered from top to bottom. In back, the ribs are connected to the spine with joints, as you can see in Figure 3-2 on page 50. With 12 joints on each side, you have a total of 24 breathing joints. From these joints, the ribs arch back before curving around to the sides. ‘The bones of the ribs connect to cartilage in front. The cartilage in turn connects to the breast- bone or sternum. The cartilage of the first rib is united with the sternum. The cartilage of ribs 2-6 connects to the sternum with joints. Ribs 7-10 join into one cartilage before connecting to the sternum with a single joint. These sterno-costal joints are gliding joints, permitting limited movement up and down. Much of the rib movement during breathing results from the springiness of the costal cartilage. ‘The bottom two ribs (11-12) do not curve all the way around to connect to the sternum and for this reason are sometimes called floating ribs. Mcasured from spine to sternum, each of the top 10 ribs is longer than the rib above it. The ribs slope down at the sides. The slope becomes progressively steeper with cach rib. As you can see inTHE SINGER'S BREATH 49 Figure 3-1. The Ribs and Spine from the right side. From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p.118), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, ‘Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. Figure 3-3 on page 51, the costal cartilage of the second rib is virtually horizontal, but the slope of the costal cartilage for the 10th rib forms a steep diagonal, If any of the above information on the bony structures of breathing seems strange to you, take the time to reread the section and study the images carefully. The exercise on page 50 will help you embody this information. An adequate, accurate map of the ribs and spine is essential for good breathing, so don’t move on until you have mastered this.50 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Figure 3-2. The Ribs and Spine from the back, From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 119), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. To map your ribs, start by simply palpating them. Begin at the sternum. Palpate your sternum from the notch at the top down to the lower tip where the abdominal wall begins, Now, work your way around the lowest edge of your ribs. Notice the steep slant in the front. Notice that your bottom ribs are lower in back than at the front, Moving back to your sternum, palpate the costal cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum. Be sure you explore your ribs all the way up to the top—the first rib ts right under the collarbone. Now, palpate the sides of your ribs, from the bottom up. Notice that the circumference gets narrower ‘as you approach your underarm. As you learned in Chapter 2, the arm structure connects directly to the sternum with a joint to the collarbone or clavicle. There is no joint that connects the arm structure with the ribs or the spine, asTHE SINGER'S BREATH 51 Costal Cartilage Figure 3-3. The Ribs and Spine from the front. From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 119), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copy- right 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. many people believe. Therefore, moving the shoulders and arms cannot help you breathe. However, it is important that your arms are balanced so that they are not interfering with the movement of your ribs. For more information on the arm structure, consult Chapter 7. Put one hand on your collarbone and one band flat on the ribs just below it. Now shrug your shoulders. Notice that the collarbone moves but the ribs do not, Now take a deep breath, Notice that the ribs move independently from the collarbone.WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY The Muscles of Breathing ‘The primary breathing muscles are the diaphragm, the intercostal muscles, the abdominal muscles, and the muscles of the pelvic floor. ‘The diaphragm is the principal breathing muscle. Because it is so important, it is amazing how many people have it mis-mapped. Now is the time to learn the truth about the diaphragm. It is a dome- shaped muscle that arches up inside the ribs, dividing the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity (see Figure 3-4). Figure 3-4. The Diaphragm in context from the front (lungs not shown). From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 136). by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission.THE SINGER'S BREATH 53 ‘The diaphragm covers a large area and its fibers, though thin, are quite strong. The lungs connect to the top of the diaphragm, and the abdominal organs, or viscera, nestle inside its dome as you can in Figure 3-5. The center of its dome, the central tendon, is connected to the heart. From the central tendon, the fibers of the diaphragm arch downward and outward. In back, the fibers anchor the diaphragm to the front of the lumbar vertebrae. The rest of the fibers arch downward to connect with the lowest ribs all the way around. Figure 3-6 shows the diaphragm from the right side Figure 3-5. An outline of the Diaphragm from the front with Lungs and Viscera. From The Body Moveable (4th ed. p, 146). by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copy- right 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission.54 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Figure 3-6, The Diaphragm from the right side (rips cut away). From The Body Moveable (4th ed. p. 138), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press, Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. with the ribs cut away for a better view. The dark arrows show the of the heart is shown with a dotted line. Figure 3-7 shows the diaphragm from below. The central tendon is the lighter area in the middle of the diaphragm, You can notice an elliptical opening in back of the central tendon for the esophagus to pass through and a round hole in the central tendon for the passage of the vena cava. The aorta passes behind the diaphragm along the spine. ‘The dome of the diaphragm becomes shallower when the muscle contracts, Because of its conn tions to the surrounding structures, the diaphragm’s contraction has multiple effects. It exerts downward pressure on the viscera, while pushing the lower ribs up and out. It pulls down on the lungs and massages the heart, Figure 3-8 on page 56 shows the diaphragm in two states: domed high at rest and flattened on contraction. Notice especially the effect of the diaphragm’s contraction on the ribs. irection of contraction. The outlineTHE SINGER'S BREATH Figure 3-7. The Diaphragm from below. From The Body Move- able (4th ed., p. 135), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission, It ts impossible to palpate the diaphragm because it domes up inside the ribs. However, you can get a fairly accurate model of its movement in this way. Form your hands into a dome with your palms facing down just below the level of the beart. Tip the dome slightly so that the front ts higher than the back. Now inhale, and as you do, flatten the dome slightly. Notice that the circumference of your dome widens as it flattens. That's good! That is exactly what the diaphragm does as it contracts. Don’t forget to restore your bands to their original dome as you exbale. Repeat this process until you have thoroughly mapped the action of the diaphragm. Rib movement is central to good breathing, The action of the diaphragm will move the ribs a litt but not enough to prepare a singer for a long phrase. For a deep singing breath, we must activate the external intercostal muscles. These muscles are found between the ribs. Study Figure 3-9 on page 57. The external intercostal muscle fibers run diagonally down and away from the spine. When they contract they bring the ribs closer together. The ribs glide in their joints at the spine and the sternum56 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Figure 3-8. The Diophragm at rest and upon inhalation. From The Body Moveable (4th ed. p. 127), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. and rise up at the sides. Because the ribs slope downwards, when the sides get higher, the thoracic cavity gets wider. If this is confusing to you, try the exercise in the box below. To model the action of the ribs, try this, With your palms facing your chest and your elbows at your sides, put your pinkies and fourth fingers together Adjust the position of your bands until they are at the low end of the sternum. Now, as you breathe in, swivel your arms so that your elbows rise. As you exbale, let your elbows fall. Repeat this until you bave thoroughly mapped the movement of the ribs.THE SINGER'S BREATH 57 Figure 3-9. The External intercostal Mus- cles. From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 132), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. At rest, the movement of the ribs will be small but noticeable. For singing, you may want to engage the intercostals more fully than you would normally. If you are having trouble with this, make sure you are mapping the ribs as slanting downwards and being lifted by the intercostals. Many people think the ribs are horizontal and try to expand them by pushing them out at the sides. You could also run around the block or do some other vigorous exercise and notice the movement of the ribs when you are breathing heavily. If you know someone who has excellent rib movement, you can ask to feel their movement with your hands and then try to emulate it. Keep at it! You'll be glad you did when you notice how much better your breathing The abdominal muscles are thin, strong, flexible muscles that form three layers around the abdominal cavity. A detailed description of each muscle follows at the end of this chapter. However, for the present discussion, we may treat the abdominal muscles as a unit. These muscles surround the abdominal cavity on the front, back, and sides, as you can see in Figure 3-10. Most people think the abdominal wall is located only at the front of the abdomen. This is terribly limiting because these people do not have access to the movement at the sides and back.58 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Figure 3-10. A cross section of the Abdomen (viscera not shown). From The Body Moveable (4th ed. p. 89), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. In addition, many people do not realize that the abdominal muscles extend all the way down to the pubic bone on the bottom and overlap the lower ribs on the top as you can see in Figure 3-11 ‘Though we occasionally refer to the four pairs of abdominal muscles as the abdominal wall, this is not a rigid structure. Like all muscles involved in breathing, the abdominal muscles are in constant movement. They must release in all directions for the diaphragm to contract fully on inhalation. As the diaphragm contracts, it pushes the viscera against the released abdominal muscles, which stretch to make room, The release of the abdominal muscles also allows the ribs to rise on inhalation. In other words, the abdominal muscles are passive on inhalation, releasing and allowing themselves to be stretched by the action of the diaphragm and external inte prohibit efficient breathing, stal muscles. Tense abdominal muscles Toned abdominal muscles, on the other hand, are great for singing. Their elasticity causes them to spring back to their original shape on exhalation. The only time they would contract during breathing for singing would be to articulate accents or staccato notes in a phrase. The abdominal muscles may also contract to expel more air after the external intercostal muscles and the diaphragm are completely released. In this case, the contraction of the abdominal muscles pushes the viscera up into the dome of the diaphragm and pulls down on the ribs. This forced exhalation is almost never useful in singing becauseTHE SINGER'S BREATH 59 Figure 3-11. The Abdominal Muscles from the front (partially dissected to show different layers on different sides). From The Body Moveable (th ed., p. 94), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. the recovery time is too great. After a forced exhalation, the abdominals must first release their contrac- tion before they can be stretched by the actions of the diaphragm and intercostals upon inhalation, To map your abdominal wall, palpate it from your pubic bone all the way around the arch of your hip bone to your spine. Now palpate its upper reaches along your ribs. To model its movement, form a circle with the tips of your fingers meeting in front and your thumbs meeting in back. Allowing your bands to separate, widen this circle to approximate the circumference of your abdominal region upon exhalation. As you inbale, widen the circumference by making the angle of your fingers and thumbs wider and also expanding the distance between your bands. As you exbale, the circumference becomes smaller again. Repeat this process until it is completely coor- dinated with the action of your abdominal muscles.60 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY ‘The top of the abdominal cavity is defined by the diaphragm. Its front, sides, and back are defined by the abdominal muscles. Its bottom is defined by the pelvic floor (Figure 3-12). The muscles that form the pelvic floor connect to the lower edges of the pelvis. They form a shallow bowl shape, roughly mirroring the dome of the diaphragm (Figure 3-13). When we inhale, the pelvic floor, like the abdominal wall, must release in order for the diaphragm to reach its full excursion. ‘The movement of the pelvic floor is not as large as the movement of the abdominal muscles, but it is important nevertheless. Its elastic recoil contributes to exhalation, Including this movement in our attention ensures that we involve the whole torso in singing. Remember, the center of the body from top to bottom is at the hip joints. These joints, along with the pelvic floor, define the bottom of the torso. Diaphragm Abdominal Muscles. ———>| Pelvic Floor Figure 3-12. The Diaphragm, Pelvic Foor, and Abdominal ‘Muscles in cross section from the front (viscera not shown). From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 113), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press, Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press, Reprinted with permission,THE SINGER'S BREATH 61 Back Figure 3-13. The Pelvis and Pelvic Floor in cross section from above. From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 75), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. To model the movement of the pelvic floor, cup your bands shallowly, interlacing your fingers with your palms facing up. Adjust your bands 0 that they are at the low end of the pelvis. As you inhale, deepen the cup. As you exbale, the cup becomes shallower again. Summary of the Activity of Breathing Muscles When we inhale, the diaphragm contracts. Above its firm anchor at the front of the lumbar spine, the dome pushes down on the viscera and out on the lower ribs. The external intercostal muscles contract simultaneously, raising the ribs. The abdominal muscles and pelvic floor release to allow the full excur- sion of the diaphragm and intercostals. As soon as we breathe in, the elastic recoil of the abdominals and pelvic floor exerts upward pressure on the viscera. ‘To exhale, we release the work of the diaphragm and intercostals in response to this pressure.62 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Organs and Membranes Note that the Jungs are not included in the description of the muscles of breathing, That is because the lungs are not muscles. Many singers do extra work by imagining they can draw air into the body with the lungs.'They can’t. The lungs are organs made of spongy tissue and can’t expand or contract by them- selves, The only way to take air into the lungs is to move the ribs and the diaphragm. ‘The fungs are higher than many people imagine. They conform to the shape the ribs, spine, heart, and diaphragm. They are attached to these structures by a membrane called the pleural sac. The lungs extend all the way above the collarbone (see Figure 3-14). ‘The lungs reach down to the 7th rib in front and the 10th rib in back. Like the ribs, they are wider at the bottom than at the top. They are also deeper from front to back than most people imagine. As you can sec from Figure 3-15, they surround the sides of the thoracic spine. Figure 3-14. The Lungs in context. From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p, 146), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission.THE SINGER'S BREATH 63 9" Thoracic Vertebra Figure 3-15. A Cross Section of the Right Lung. From the Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 145), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. The Neck and Vocal Tract in Breathing ‘The neck muscles play no role in breathing for singing, Period. The head must be balanced and the neck free for effective breathing. The only function of the vocal tract in breathing is to provide sensory infor- mation about the air we inhale. The sensory receptors in the mouth and nose can tell us a lot about the quality of air we are drawing into our bodies, Otherwise, the vocal tract has little function in breathing. It is simply the passageway for the air. The walls of the throat (the pharyngeal muscles) must be released for the throat to be open. When they contract, they constrict the throat for swallowing, which is obviously not helpful for breathing, Similarly, the fongwe must be released so that it remains low and forward. Any other position will cause a noisy inhalation. The vocal folds must be open when we64 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY inhale. For breathing at rest, or when little breath is needed, this takes no work at all. For a quick, silent breath, the vocal folds must open wide. For details, see the Chapter 4. Some singers choose an audible inhalation for cueing or dramatic effect. Any constriction in the ‘vocal tract will make noise when we inhale, whether it is at the lips, the nostrils, the front of the tongue, the back of the tongue, the velum, the throat, or the glottis. Mapping these movements will allow singers to choose how to make the sound they want on inhalation, and they will quickly find the move- ment that has the least harmful impact on the following vocal tone. Some singers think they draw air all the way in to their stomachs when they breathe. This idea causes all sorts of extra effort, usually in the neck muscles. In fact, the windpipe or trachea is relatively short—between 4 and 5 inches long. It is about the width of a quarter and branches out into bronchial tubes just above the heart, as you can see in Figure 3-16. The trachea is made mostly of cartilage and has a fixed size and shape. It cannot do any work in the breathing process. The trachea is in front of the food tube, the esophagus, which is made of muscle and connects the pharynx to the stomach. (See Figure 3-17.) Figure 3-16. A simplified representation of the Lungs, Vocal Tract, Trachea, Bronchia, and Heart. From The Body Moveable (4th ec p 140), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Amper- sand Press. Reprinted with permission.THE SINGER'S BREATH 65 Esophagus Figure 3-17. The Vocal Tract in cross section. Benjamin Conable. Copyright 2001. Used by permission. It's easy to palpate the top of the trachea. Simply place your finger in the notch above your sternum and press in lightly The ridged structure you feel is the cartilage of the trachea, Breathe with the knowledge that the trachea is short and right bebind the sternum. Now breathe as if the trachea went all the way to the abdominal cavity and was bebind the esopbagus, nestled against the spine. If that feels at all familiar, keep working on your map of the trachea until you are clear on its location and structure. Summary When we need oxygen, the brain sends a signal to the diaphragm, which contracts. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that attaches to the front of the lumbar spine and to the lower ribs. When it con- tracts, the dome of the diaphragm pushes down on the viscera. The viscera push out on the muscles of the abdomen and down on the muscles of the pelvic floor, all of which must release. At the same time, the sides of the diaphragm push out on the lowest ribs. While this is happening, the external intercostal66 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY muscles contract, raising the ribs further by bringing them closer together. The sides of the ribs go up and out, like the handles of a pail. There is also a slight movement forward at the sternum. The spongy tissue of the lungs is connected to the inside of the chest cavity by the pleural sac, so that as the chest cavity expands, the lungs expand with it. The contraction of the diaphragm pulls down on the lungs, and the combined contraction of the external intercostals and diaphragm raises the pulling out on the lungs. As we inhale, the lungs get taller, wider, and deeper. As the volume of the lungs increases, the air pressure inside them decreases. Outside air rushes in through the nose or mouth, through the trachea and bronchial tubes, and into the lungs to equalize the pressure. Voila! Inhalation! The amount of air that comes in depends on the extent of contraction of the diaphragm and external intercostals, Exhalation begins as soon as the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles are allowed to begin their release. The pelvic floor and abdominal muscles, which have been stretched by the actions of the diaphragm and intercostals, begin to spring back to their original shape. This provides gentle pressure through the viscera against the diaphragm and a gentle downward pull on the ribs. The dome of the diaphragm rises, pushing up on the lungs. The release of the diaphragm also allows the ribs to descend. This descent is completed by the release of the external intercostals and the springiness of the costal cartilage. As the ribs descend, they push in on the tungs. As the volume of the lungs decreases, the air pressure inside them increases. The pressurized air from the lungs flows out to the relatively low pressure of the outside air. At rest, this happens quickly. In singing and speaking, we regulate the exhalation with the gradual release of the diaphragm and the descent of the ribs. The outgoing air sets the closed vocal folds into vibration to make sound. ‘The tongue, throat, and neck play no role in breathing except to stay out of the way. When released, the muscles of the tongue, throat, and neck will provide a clear passageway for the air. If any of this still seems strange of confusing, you still have work to do on your breathing map. The exercise in the box below will help To correct your breathing map, go back to the boxes describing the hand and arm motions that mimic the movements of the diaphragm, the ribs, the abdominals, and the pelvic floor Try doing two motions at once—one with each band. For instance, one hand can imitate the diapbragm pushing down on inbalation while the other imitates the pelvic floor releasing down. Or one arm can imitate the ribs lifting as the otber hand shou's the outward release of the abdominals, Remember to coordinate these motions with your breathing both on inhalation and exhalation. Keep trying different combinations until all of them feel easy and familiar Gathering and Lengthening One of the most profound sources of buoyancy in our bodies is the gathering and lengthening of the spine that happens during breathing. The gathering occurs all along the spine as we inhale. It is partially due to rib movement. As the ribs move closer together when we inhale, they bring the thoracic verte-THE SINGER'S BREATH brae closer together. Another source of the gathering is the general deepening of the curves of the spine as the body deepens on inhalation. When the vertebrae gather together, the springy discs of cartilage between them are slightly compressed. As soon as the work of inhalation is released, the discs of cartilage spring back to their full height. In other words, the spine lengthens as we exhale for singing. Many singers describe this as a sense of “up and over” (see Figure 3-18). ‘This phenomenon of gathering and lengthening occurs in all vertebrates. You can notice it in the gait of a horse. If you look at a cheetah on the prowl, you will notice it gathers and inhales just before unleashing a dazzling burst of speed. In their upright stance, this movement is less noticeable in humans. It is easiest to sense when we are seated or draped over something like a stack of pillows or a physio ball. ‘To map the gathering and lengthening of your spine, try this. Place a physio ball or a stack of several pillows in front of a floorlength mirror laid on its side. Drape your torso over the ball or pillows in such a way that you can deliver your full weight on it and that you feel completely stable. If the ball is so big that your knees and bands can’t touch the floor, deflate it slightly or use pillows. Turn your bead toward the mirror so you can watch yourself breathe. Take several deep, slow inbalations, being sure to allow plenty of rib movement. Most people notice the gathering and lengthening first in the relation- ship of the bead and neck, as the bead gathers toward the torso on inbalation and springs away on exhalation. However, movement is visible all along the spine. Remember, you must allow this gathering and lengthening, not try to make it happen. If you let all the breatbing structures do their work, the spine will begin gathering and lengtb- ening naturally. Try varying the amount of breath you take in and the speed of exhalation to notice the effect on your spinal movement. Once you notice this movement consistently in the prone position, ‘move to sitting in balance and then to standing in balance. When you notice the spine gathering and lengthening consistently in your breathing, try singing. Continue working on this until you can sense the spine gathering with every inbalation and lengthening with every singing phrase. Cultivating this movement can revolutionize your singing, so repeat this exercise until it becomes your babit, Frequently Asked Questions How Much Breath Do I Need? In order to use our breath well, we need an adequate and accurate inhalation. The breath we take in is our power supply. It is important to take in just the right amount of air for the phrase we have to sing. 6768 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Inhalation Exhalation Inhalation Exhalation Gathering Lengthening Gathering. Lengthening Figure 3-18, The Gathering and Lengthening of the Spine. From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 46), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission. If we take in too little, we won't be able to sing the phrase in one breath, If we take in too much, we will have to blow out dead air at the end of the phrase before we can inhale for the next phrase. In addition, we will waste valuable energy resisting the pressure of a large inhalation when a small inhalation may have sufficed. Matching the breath we need to the phrase is a skill that singers develop over time.THE SINGER'S BREATH 69 You can easily feel the difference in pressure of a small and a large inbalation. Take a shallow breath and bold it for 10 seconds, and then release, Now take a deep breath and bold it for the same time. With the shallow breath, you may notice your body clamoring for air, but your breathing muscles will not be working bard to suspend the exhalation. With the deep breath, you will have plenty of ai; but your breathing muscles will be working bard to resist its escape. What Is “Support” in Singing? ‘ingers like to talk about support, but how many have a really good working definition of it? What does “more support” actually mean? The concept of support can be divided into two categories: structural support and breath support. If you have read Chapter 2, you should already have a good sense of structural support. We are governed by gravity and our bodies are built to obey its laws. Our head delivers its weight to the spin the torso delivers its weight through the pelvic arch to the hip joints, knee joints, and down to the bony arches of the feet, where the weight of the entire body is delivered to the floor. When we are seated, the bulk of our weight is delivered to the chair through our sit bones. When in balance, we can rely on this wonderfully efficient bony framework to support us. The muscles are then free to move for singing. Breath support is about how the movement of breath facilitates the sound. If you allow your abdominals and pelvic floor to release and stretch on inhalation, the elastic recoil of these muscles continually contributes to, or supports, the flow of breath on exhalation. Likewise, if you allow your ribs to rise on inhalation, the springiness of the costal cartilage supports the expiratory breath flow. In other words, if you inhale well, your exhalation will enjoy constant support from the abdominal muscles, the pelvic floor, and the costal cartilage. Where singers get into trouble with breath support is in the regulation of the exhalation. We can’t just exhale as we would at rest—we have to shape the exhalation to our artistic needs. We do this by regulating the descent of the ribs with the gradual release of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm, If we allow our ribs to descend quickly, the breath flow will be fast. If we resist the descent of the ribs, the breath flow will be stow. When we sing, we engage in a continual dance of dynamic equilibrium among the abdominals, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and intercostals, allowing more breath for some phrases and less breath for others. Instead of asking yourself if you need more support, you can ask whether you need more flow of more resistance to the flow. Most people overdo the resistance, spending so much energy control- ling the breath that they become locked and can’t use the breath they have. ‘There is a final, crucial element of support that many singers ignore: the gathering and lengthening of the spine. The spine provides structural support as it bears and delivers the weight of our upper body. It also provides support for the breath. Like the cheetah who gathers himself to pounce, we gather ourselves to sing with each inhalation, The resulting release and lengthening of the spine lends great buoyancy to our exhalation and consequently our singing. Without this spinal movement, breathing will never work optimally.70 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Common Breathing Errors Tanking Up ‘Taking in more breath than you need for the phrase is very common in singers and leads to all sorts of unnecessary tension. As you found out in the exercise on page 69, the urge to expel the excess air quickly is very strong. Also, if you do not use all the breath you take in, you are using muscular work to store air for no purpose. Your ensuing breaths will bring in less and less fresh air and eventually you will hyperventilate. Only take in the breath you need. Use all the breath you take in. Keeping Your Ribs out During Exhalation ‘Your ribs must go back to their resting place after every phrase or phrase complex. If you keep breathing in without fully exhaling, you will hyperventilate. Yes, the external intercostal muscles will resist the elastic recoil of the abdominal muscles. However, they should not keep this resistance up forever. Use the breath you take in, so that you can take in a new, fresh breath, renewing your power source. The Diaphragm Is Perpendicular to the Floor People who think the diaphragm is perpendicular to the floor have usually had someone demonstrate diaphragmatic breathing by putting a hand flat on the upper abdominal wall. The movement you feel there is the result of the diaphragm pushing the viscera against the abdominal muscles—not the diaphragm directly. The Ribs Are Immovable ‘This usually comes from the unfortunate term “rib cage”. Though it may seem convenient, this gives the impression that the framework of the ribs is rigid and static like a bird cage. Pushing Out with the Abdominals Will Bring about Inhalation It is perfectly possible to manipulate the abdominal muscles in ways that have nothing to do with breathing. Belly dancers do this with amazing skill! Breathing for singing involves the entire torso. Without the coordinated movement of diaphragm, intercostals, abdominals, and pelvic floor a good singing breath is impossible. Breathing Imagery Images may work for some singers. Other singers will take them literally and get confused. Never assume that an image that works for you will work for others. Any image that goes against the laws of anatomy and physiology is especially prone to produce movement that defies nature and induces injury.THE SINGER'S BREATH Belly Breathing ‘There is movement in the “belly” because the diaphragm pushes the viscera down, stretching the abdominal wall. The resulting inflow of air all goes into the lungs. Any aif that gets into the belly comes out as a burp or as intestinal gas. Neither is helpful for singing! Drinking in the Breath or Sipping Breath through a Straw ‘The muscles used in drinking are the swallowing muscles (pharyngeal muscles). These contract to push the liquid down into the esophagus, which pushes it to the stomach. Try one swallow and you will immediately sense that these muscles are not helpful in singing. Anyone who has had the experience of inhaling liquid will know that that is also not helpful in singing, because it induces coughing or, even- tually, drowning, Column of Air ‘This is a support image that encourages singers to imagine a vertical column of pressurized air from their abdominal area to their vocal folds. The only structure that is remotely columnar is the trachea, which is only 4 or 5 inches long. As it is made of cartilage, it can have nothing to do with pressurizing the breath. This image perpetuates the fallacy that breath flows into the abdominal region and completely denies the structures of breathing. Breathing Down to Your Toes ‘There's no breath down there! Just muscle, ligaments, bone, and toenails. The lowest place you can feel the effects of breathing is in your pelvic floor. Filling an Inner Tube around Your Waist Another image perpetuating the fallacy that breath flows into the abdomen. There's no breath there. ‘There's no inner tube there. Another problem with this image is that it encourages singers to hold the breath in, like it would be held in an inner tube, under great pressure. Filling Up from the Bottom ‘This is another image that equates air with liquid. Air is a gas and expands in all directions. The lungs do not fill from the bottom up. They fill out from the middle, where the bronchial tubes are. Surprise Breath This image evokes the startle reflex on the premise that what you do when surprised will be natural. This may get some singers to engage the diaphragm. However, most likely it will also get them to constrict their throat or larynx. Surprise is akin to fear, which is not a useful emotion to foster ease in singing or breathing, This image is also used to help singers raise the soft palate. There are more helpful ways of learning that movement, as you will learn in Chapter 5. n72 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY Breathe through Your Belly Button Another image that evokes breath going into the abdomen. It doesn’t. And you can’t breathe through your belly button. If it’s not sealed tight, go see your doctor! Back Breathing ‘This can mean two things. It can mean the feeling that the upper back is expanding or it can mean that the back of the abdominals are expanding. Both of these are good, as long as the source of the expan- sion is understood. With the upper back, the feeling of expansion comes as the curve of the ribs rises on inhalation. With the lower back, it comes when the abdominal muscles are allowed to release and expand all the way around as the viscera are pushed down and out by the diaphragm upon inhalation. In neither case is the air itself causing the expansion. THE DETAILS The Connection of the Ribs to the Spine ‘The top rib and the bottom three ribs connect directly to their corresponding vertebrae. The rest of the ribs connect to two vertebrae, spanning the disc in between. The ribs are also connected with another joint to the transverse process of the vertebra above. These joints are stabilized by ligaments so that the movement of the ribs in breathing causes movement in the thoracic spine. Layers of Intercostal Muscles ‘There are several layers of intercostal muscles: the external intercostals, the internal intercostals, and the innermost intercostals. The external intercostals are the outermost layer. They start at the spine and their fibers slope down and away from the upper rib to the rib below. They extend almost to the costal cartilages in front. The internal intercostals are the next layer. They start at the sternum and their fibers slope down and away from the upper rib to the rib below. The internal intercostals extend around the back of the ribs, but not as far as the spine. Where they overlap, the fibers of the external and internal intercostal muscles cross each other at roughly right angles. The fibers of the next layer, the innermost intercostals, run in the same direction as the internal intercostals. The exact function of the intercostals is still disputed. It is generally accepted that the external intercostals raise the ribs for inhalation. It may be that the front part of the internal intercostals also aids inhalation. The rest of the internal intercostal muscles are thought to lower the ribs upon exhalation, though this has yet to be proven definitively. For singing, the release of the external intercostals is suffi- cient for exhalation. Other Muscles That Move the Ribs ‘There are other muscles that play a role in rib movement. The transversus thoracis or sternocostalis radiates from the back surface of the sternum to connect to ribs 2-7. It draws the ribs down. ThisTHE SINGER'S BREATH happens naturally through elastic recoil and need not be cultivated consciously. The levatores costarum muscles are short muscles that connect the transverse processes of each vertebra with the rib below. Though they raise the ribs slightly, their contribution to breathing is not substantial. The scalene ‘muscles connect the transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae to the top rib in front. They can be active on inhalation, because they raise the top rib. However, they should not be cultivated in breathing for singing, as it is so easy to recruit extra muscles around them, leading to neck tension, Layers of Abdominal Muscles ‘There are four muscles that form the abdominal wall: the external obliques, the internal obliques, the transversus abdominis, and the rectus abdominis. The outermost layer is formed by the external obliques, which connect the outside of the lower eight ribs with the arch of the hip bone (iliac crest) and the pubic bone. The fibers run obliquely outwards from the pubis and iliac crest to the ribs (see Figure 3-19). Figure 3-19. The External Oblique Mus- les from the right side. From The Body Moveable (4th ed., p. 96), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Ampersand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission, 7374 WHAT EVERY SINGER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE BODY To the inside of the external obliques are the internal oblique muscles. These attach to the inside of the bottom ribs and the front of the iliac crest. Their oblique fibers slant upward and toward the center from the iliac crest. Thus, the fibers of the internal and external obliques cross each other at roughly right angles. The internal obliques form two layers and the rectus abdominis lies between them for part of its length. In Figure 3-20, the lighter muscles on the left side of the drawing show the outer layer and the darker muscles on the right side of the drawing show the inner layer. The third layer of the abdominal wall is formed by the transversus abdominis muscles. These originate from the transverse processes of the spine, and the horizontal fibers encircle the abdomen. These three layers of muscle converge into the tendinous sheath that houses the rectus abdomini muscles, which connect the pubic bone with the sternum and the lower ribs adjacent to the sternum (see Figure 3-21). The rectus abdominis muscles each have four sections or bellies, which are clearly visible in people who do lots of sit-ups and have very little body fat. Each of these bellies can be moved separately, which is a very important skill for belly dancers, but not for singers! lh | hh I Hi Il Figure 3-20. The Internal Oblique Muscles with the Rectus Abdominis from the front. From The Body Moveable (4th ed. p. 99), by D. Gorman, 2002, Ontario, Canada: Amper- sand Press. Copyright 2002 by Ampersand Press. Reprinted with permission.