Voice Singing and Exercise

With much air, there is much sound. With little air, there is little sound. With no air, you're dead. Which would you prefer?

Having sufficient air is foundational to the sound you should produce with your singing voice. Breathing in a full amount of air correctly has to become second nature so that you are not caught off guard with not having enough air to sustain and hold a note or hit that high note.

The more air your lungs are able to hold, the more vocal sound you will be able to produce. The more air your lungs are able to hold, the less possibility of strain to occur with your singing voice. Without using steroids, the most effective way to increase your lung capacity is cardio exercises; exercises that strengthens all parts of your body particularly from the hip up. This includes the posterior muscles, the groin, the diaphragm, and the rib muscles (intercostals).

This entire set of muscles support your vocal sound and projection. This set of muscles allows you to sing with ease and strength. If they are weak, so will your sound be weak. This is why exercise becomes so important.

Consider the following three reasons for integrating exercise in vocal development:

First, consider vocalises [French derivation]. This exercise of different vowel sounds is fundamental in learning how to project and focus a tone to the point that it sounds pure and effortless. A vocalise can help extend your singing vocal range higher and lower. The process of singing much higher or lower during a vocalise requires more air especially when singing at a softer volume. When having exercised the muscles that lie from the hip up, you find yourself being able to breathe in an enormous amount of air to sustain or reach those notes you desire.

Second, incorporate physical exercise in your daily regimen. Any exercise that deals with parts of your body from the hip up is very beneficial to vocal singing. The more active and expanding the exercise is to the abdomen and lung, the better for breath support. When doing such cardiovascular exercises, two things you need to remember: consult your physician and stretch first.

Third, is a point that isn't exactly about exercising but has just as much or more impact on not only your singing voice but your very life. That is smoking.

Smoking puts smoke, tar, nicotine and other poisons into your lungs. Just because you've puffed out doesn't mean these contaminants have been puffed out of your body. Not only do these toxins remain and use space in the lungs for clean air needed, these harmful substances deteriorate every part of your air passage way starting from the opening of your mouth to your inner throat on down to the tiny pulmonary alveoli or hollow cavities in your lungs.

The tiny pulmonary alveoli are the primary sites of gas exchange with the blood. With this passageway of poison from a cigarette to your bloodstream is a sure-fire way of death to your singing voice because of lack of air and death to your life.

But you already know these things. So I'll stop "preaching to the choir".

You will find out the more you exercise whether with vocalises or physical exercises, the easier your voice singing will become. Why? Because your lung capacity will have increased and the strength of the muscles that help produce a full sound for your singing voice are stronger. You will have more sound and will gain more control with your singing voice.

To your singing success,

Houston Simmons