The Five Steps Necessary to Produce Quality Tone

This is the second in a series of lessons concerning the five steps necessary to produce good tone. The first lesson was about body alignment and posture. The subject of this lesson is proper abdominal-costal (A-C) breathing. Abdominal and Costal refer to the muscle groups mainly involved in the breathing process. The diaphragm is also involved and is very important in the process, but it is an involuntary muscle and we can exert no conscious control over it. To use A-C breathing correctly, three things must occur:

1. The chest must be high before you breathe (the body must be properly aligned in the ready position).

2. The rib cage must expand sideways.

3. The abdominal wall must relax as you inhale in order for the diaphragm to descend.

If you will practice with these three things in mind and master them, it is all you really need to know about breathing. Notice that number one is directly related to the first lesson in this series - body alignment and posture. If your mental imagery has been correct and the body aligned, the position of the rib cage will be correct automatically. That is why any study of voice has to start with posture. If the rib cage is not in a high position, it doesn't matter how you breathe; it will ultimately be unsuccessful. Singing with good body alignment is a plus for both singing and visual categories.

You can actually "feel" number 2 when it happens properly. The expansion should take place in the arc of the solar plexus around the lower ribs. Every time you take a breath in rehearsal or a performance, you must breathe deeply enough to expand the lower rib cage. Only in the case of the very short "catch" breath does the air not go deeply enough to fully expand the rib cage.

Number 3 presents the greatest challenge. Learning to relax the abdominal wall while doing breathing and even singing exercises is easy; relaxing under stress of performance is not so easy. The stress and pressure of performance causes many "untrained" singers to shallow breathe.

The automatic lifting action of the abdominal wall, particularly as it tries to support the end of a phrase, and the accompanying tightness of the muscle, creates a situation in which it is easier for the singer to allow the muscle to stay flexed rather than to allow it to relax properly when taking the next breath. This prevents the diaphragm from descending to allow the intake of as much air as usual. The result is that we are now trying to sing the same length phrases as before but with less than half the original air supply. When this happens, everything suffers - tone quality, synchronization and ultimately the overall performance. You must consciously learn to relax the abdominal wall and subsequently take the deep breath in rehearsal. It will not happen by just talking and thinking about it and then expecting it to be automatic.

Work hard to learn to execute these breathing mechanics correctly in rehearsal (at home and with the chorus). Remember, the real test comes during a live performance. Make sure you are aware of these potential problems as you rehearse. If they are present in rehearsal, you can be sure they will be a problem in performance.

Remember, to become a better singer, you must master the techniques of good quality singing one step at a time. Set personal singing goals and lay out the steps to success. You will benefit, and the entire chorus will become better because of you.

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