Most singers don't realize how important having a strong and conditioned diaphragm is
to not only singing, but correcting the vocal problems that plague most singers.
Improper diaphragm usage can rob you to up to 50% of your vocal power & severely
limit your vocal range.
Without a properly conditioned diaphragm, you approach singing while already being in
the body and as a result are only using 25% of your lung capacity. If you want to sing
with more power, clarity, and have a wider range then we need to use 100% of your
lung capacity. You will know that you aren't using your diaphragm properly when you
breathe and your shoulders rise or you don't feel your belly expand when you breathe.
This causes unnecessary tension and can lead to injury while singing. We must learn to
breath low into our bellies and use the longer, stronger muscles in our stomachs so that
we can lower our larynx, have more space in our bodies to sing, and breathe lower into
our bellies for more power and clarity.
There are a number of exercises that you can do to help you get the most out of the 360
degree breath. They are explained in detail in the video but I want to give you the
routine below:
Doing the 360 degree breath correctly will cement breathing lower into your belly and
have it enter into your muscle memory. When this happens you will naturally have a
lower larynx which will help you to sing with more power and also expand the range.
You'll know it's time to move onto the next video when you are able to do the 360
degree breath and consistently feel full expansion in both your fingers and your thumbs.
It may take you a few days or maybe even a week to get it right so be patient with
yourself.