Air while singing

[jzhang172]

Is there supposed to be air coming out while singing? If so, how much? Does this vary depending on volume or the highness of the note?

[Gina Ellen Vocalist]

yes, you sing as you exhale (breathe out). the air passing up through your vocal folds (cords) causes them to vibrate and this is what makes sound. so no air would mean no sound. Singers need to learn to breathe from their diaphragm (low torso, back and anything on the lower half of your body) think low breaths and not from your chest and make sure your shoulders don't rise as you breathe in. Breathing this way means that you can then control the breath that you supply to your vocal cords.

and yes, this does vary depending on pitch, volume, expression

[Matt]

it shouldnt be audible. Imagine blowing across the lip of a bottle like a flute. The airier the sound, the worse the tone, the more waste of breath and the sooner you'll run out of air. it should work the way letting air out of a balloon works. Pinch the valve and you get a squeal (good), leave it too loose and the air rushes out sounding like flatulation blowing a raspberry(bad)