Holding Your Breath While Singing?

[Billy Budapest]

I noticed something last night while singing. I noticed that sometimes when I sing, I take a breath and actually hold it while singing. Everything I've ever read says "sing on the breath".

Have any of you experienced this and if so, how did you stop it? I would think that this'd create a lot of throat tension and really interfere with things.

?

[MB20]

What do you mean "hold it when singing"? It would be impossible to actually hold your breath while singing, as you can"t sing without exhaling. However, the feeling/sensation of holding your breath when singing is actually a very good sign that you are supporting/managing your breath very well :D

[VideoHere]

ken tamplin refers to this as glottal compression...like mb said..it's a "feeling" of holding your breath (critical: below the neck) so as to not pass a lot of air past the folds when singing, especially demanding songs.

doing this in combination with support gives you more control of your exhalation which helps float the tone rather than blast it out.

[Guest]

Have any of you experienced this...

Once

...and if so, how did you stop it?

I passed out.

[Billy Budapest]

hahah, you guys are funny

to MB20, that's how I think of it too, but I also notice that doing that creates tension and tension is what I'm trying to get rid of. Half the time, I feel like I'm shouting. The other half stuff is free. I notice notes at the top of my chest range have this "held breath" feeling...

[VideoHere]

billy,

if you are supporting well, not taking in too much air, and not closing off at the neck you won't be.

[Felipe Carvalho]

When trainning, never.

When singing, may happen if you choose to let your larynx go higher by completely openning vowels and effectively singing without covering and forward placement to help protect your voice. Without a VERY skilled used of support and all other technical aspects working at a very high level, including your own ability to know when damage is happening, its vocal suicide.

[jonpall]

Holding your breath as in letting air out very, very slowly = good (and necessary to get power in high notes).

Holding your breath as in not letting ANY air out when you sing a phrase = bad.

[gno]

Billy - as Bob said, this is one of Tamplin's descriptions of glotil compression. This really helps the efficiency of the folds - same sound with less air, or more sound with same air.

He purposely does not reveal this technique until his more advanced lessons because it is easy to also engage the constrictors which is bad. So, when you feel tension that is not good. In his beginning and intermediate levels he works on getting rid of the tension, then finally, once you have that down, he gets into "holding the breath".

[VideoHere]

exactly.

getting to a stage where you can consitently support any tone of any power and any duration by simply using the lower core while keeping everything above relaxed takes a lot of physical strength and concentration.

[Guest]

You know, it's a funny thing, this support stuff. There are so many ways one could describe the feeling. I can see where the feeling of holding the breath comes in. I have heard people explain how blowing air through pursed lips gives an idea of the feeling. Then there is the opposite pressure sort of like expanding the ribs as as you draw the abs in...or something like that. Tonight I was at a restaurant and had to pee. While at the urinal, with someone in the urinal right next to me, I had to fart. The feeling I got, peeing while trying to hold a fart in at the same time, reminded me of support

Tommy

[ronws]

I would just go ahead and let go and clear the room. I like my privacy, at times.

:lol: