My Take on Breath Support | Lucas Lesson

In one minute, I describe my breathing technique for singing opera. This is just a basic and fundamental explanation of what I do.
www.lucasmeachem.com
www.thebaritoneblog.com

[@cleon_teunissen]

As my singing has improved over the years the following visualization is ringing more and more true: I think of the flow of the breath as the motion of the bow of a string instrument.
I think of the flow of the breath as _touching_ the vocal folds, but not pushing the vocal folds. If a violinist _pushes_ with the bow then the vibration of the strings will be suppressed.
All of my practice has this underlying theme: first the voice must be ready to produce the sound I hear in my head, then the breath must accommodate that.
This is particularly important for intonation. If the singer's intonation is off (singing flat), then there is nothing helpful the singer can do with his breath. Increasing the breath pressure may result in change of pitch, but it sounds ugly. The voice must be ready; then the breath can come in. So: above all I avoid doing something with my breath to elicit change of intonation.
I aim for the goldilocks point where the vocal folds close just enough so that there is no breathiness to the sound. The folds are capable of closing tighter than that, but I don't want that. The amount of breath pressure I use/need is small; it is far less than the pressure needed to inflate a party balloon.
When I am singing I am hardly aware of any breath pressure, since the pressure I use/need is so much less than what my diaphragm is capable of delivering. As a choir singer my voice carries more than the voices of my fellow singers. I attribute that to the fact that my attention is towards giving the voice freedom to carry.

[@LucasMeachem1]

solid explanation!

[@pangelingua8547]

You crack me up, Lucas! Now I’ve got some fun, new mental imagery to work with!!

[@wotan10950]

Great advice! I’m not a trained singer, but I took voice lessons in college waaay back in the day. We practiced breathing over and over and over again. And 45 years later, I can still sing long phrases on one breath! I’ll link a song if you’re interested, and I won’t be insulted if you’re not! :)

[@GersonHM4]

Put the link, im curious about it

[@wotan10950]

gersonhdezm Here is one of them, a country/western style song. The second half 1:45 is more difficult because there are few places to breathe, so the breathing practice helps a lot!
th-cam.com/video/afPHJrTEq4Q/w-d-xo.html

[@davidsosa538]

I think I had never cliked so fast !, great video Maestro. Thanks. (a little short though :( )

[@galenboulanger8769]

Amazing!

[@holkn]

thanks for the vid lucas. I have a question, when I do the SSSS exercise, i feel pressure in my throat as im restricting air flow to produce the sss sound. This is not the sensation im supposed to feel when singing correctly. Am I doing it wrong?

[@LucasMeachem1]

Try this. Breath in on an "OH" vowel. Feel the cold breath over the back of your throat and keep that open position. Additionally, you have to use both your jaw and your tongue but they should be lightly used. If you overuse either the exercise can become tiresome. Good luck!!

[@holkn]

@@LucasMeachem1 thanks lucas you are a good dude

[@Callmealejandroo]

Thank you Maestro!!!

[@steponaszonys8393]

So you don't breath in into your back region?

[@lorenzofurnari]

in opera singing intercostal diaphragmatic breathing is better.

[@ItsWayMoreThanMusic]

I thought that was the only way to breathe in singing! What did I just see?

[@lorenzofurnari]

@@ItsWayMoreThanMusic yes, you should use only the intercostal diaphragmatic breathing.
Instead he says diaphragmatic breathing should be used. The belly must not swell (diaphragmatic breathing), the chest must be inflated at the last ribs

[@ItsWayMoreThanMusic]

@@lorenzofurnari I did diaphragmatic breathing in flute and when I started voice lessons, I had to unlearn all that in order to do intercostal breathing. Very hard then but knowing what I can do now, I'm glad to say there is no turning back.

[@maximillian6222]

​@@ItsWayMoreThanMusic and what is the exercise??

[@nickevershedmusic8927]

My breath support is so bad when I’m singing, it must also be affected by my Asthma

[@nobodycares28]

Funny to hear somebody talk non descriptively about support with porn music playing behind it

[@asdfgzxcn]

ahaha that snake look LOL

[@tesfuweldemikael2902]

I watched twice, once with reduced speed. Still didn't understand a thing.