Every Breath You Take

As a voice coach, one of the most fundamental—and often overlooked—areas of vocal training I work on with my students is proper breath control. It's easy to assume that singing is all about hitting the right notes or projecting your voice, but without breath support, even the best technique can fall short. I had one student in particular whose breathing habits needed a complete overhaul before they could make real progress with their singing. Let me take you through how we worked through this challenge and why breath control is so crucial.

A New Student with Big Dreams

It was a typical day in the studio when I met Sarah, a young woman with a passion for singing. She had been singing for years, and it was clear she had the potential to be a great vocalist. Her pitch was mostly spot-on, and her tone was rich and pleasant. But there was something off about her voice. It sounded thin and lacked the power it should have had. Every time she tried to hit a higher note, her sound would crack or fade. She seemed to struggle with sustaining longer phrases, and I could hear her voice getting tight as she pushed through difficult parts of the song.

I knew immediately that we needed to focus on something fundamental: her breathing.

The First Breathing Lesson: Back to Basics

I asked Sarah to take a deep breath and hold it. As she did, I observed her body language. Her chest rose dramatically, and her shoulders lifted—a sign of shallow breathing. This is a common issue, especially for singers who aren't yet aware of how their body should work in harmony with their voice. What Sarah wasn’t doing was engaging her diaphragm.

When we breathe properly for singing, the diaphragm (the large muscle just beneath the lungs) should be the main muscle engaged, not the chest or shoulders. The chest and shoulders lifting only means you’re breathing too high in the lungs, which leads to shallow, inefficient breaths. This makes it hard to support your voice, and over time, it can even cause vocal strain or fatigue.

I explained this to Sarah, showing her the difference between shallow and deep breathing. “Let’s try a simple exercise,” I said, guiding her through a few deep breaths with her hand placed on her abdomen. “You should feel your stomach expand as you inhale, not your chest.” It took some practice, but soon enough, she began to grasp the idea of diaphragmatic breathing. She could feel the muscles engage lower in her body, and her chest remained still.

Understanding the Connection Between Breath and Sound

Breathing is the fuel for your voice. Without it, you can’t sustain sound, and your vocal cords can’t function efficiently. Sarah had been singing with a shallow, inefficient breath support, which was causing her to run out of air mid-phrase, forcing her to strain her voice to compensate. We spent the next several weeks focusing on how to properly control and use her breath.

I had her practice simple breathing exercises every day, starting with deep breaths and gradually moving on to longer, sustained inhalations. Then, we worked on extending the length of her exhales as she sang longer phrases. The goal was to maintain a consistent, even stream of air throughout each note.

I also had her work on breathing exercises in different parts of her vocal range. I would have Sarah take a deep breath and then sustain a note, holding it as steadily as possible. At first, she could barely hold the note for a few seconds, but as her breath control improved, she was able to hold it for longer and with more power.

Overcoming the Tension

As we continued with our breathing exercises, Sarah began to notice a difference in her voice. The thin, shaky quality started to disappear, replaced by a fuller, richer sound. But there was still another challenge to overcome: tension. It’s incredibly common for singers to tighten their throat or clench their jaw when trying to sing higher notes or louder phrases. This tension, combined with shallow breathing, can limit a singer’s ability to project and sustain their voice.

We worked on releasing that tension. I guided her through exercises designed to relax the muscles of the face, throat, and neck. We practiced humming and sighing exercises to allow the sound to flow freely without strain. Slowly but surely, Sarah became more comfortable with her voice and more aware of how she was using her body to support her sound.

Progress: A New Sound Emerges

After several weeks of focusing on breath control and releasing tension, Sarah’s voice transformed. The cracking and thinness in her sound disappeared, replaced by a fuller, more vibrant tone. She was able to sustain phrases without running out of air, and her higher notes were no longer a struggle. The power and resonance that had previously eluded her started to emerge.

But perhaps the most rewarding part of this journey was seeing Sarah’s newfound confidence. She could now sing longer songs without tiring out, and she no longer had to strain to hit those difficult notes. She learned how to control her breath, support her voice, and trust in the technique we had worked so hard to build.

Why Breath Control is the Foundation of Singing

Breath control is often the first thing I address with my students, regardless of their skill level, because it is the foundation of vocal health and technique. If you’re singing with improper breath support, you’re not only limiting the power and control of your voice, but you’re also risking injury. Proper breathing technique allows singers to produce a fuller, more controlled sound while minimizing strain on the vocal cords. It also supports long phrases, dynamic shifts in volume, and smooth transitions between vocal registers.

Breath support isn’t just about getting air into your lungs; it’s about how you use that air. It's about engaging the right muscles, maintaining good posture, and using breath to fuel the sound you want to produce. As Sarah’s story demonstrates, once you’ve mastered proper breathing, everything else in your vocal technique falls into place more naturally.

The Takeaway

If you’re struggling with vocal power, range, or endurance, start with your breath. Take a step back and evaluate whether you’re using your body’s natural support system effectively. Work on breathing from your diaphragm, relax the muscles that might be causing unnecessary tension, and give yourself the time and space to build strong, consistent breath support.

As a voice coach, it’s incredibly satisfying to see students like Sarah grow and transform. Correcting their breathing habits often leads to breakthroughs in their vocal technique, and the results speak for themselves. Singing is a holistic practice, and breath is at the heart of it all. So, if you’re struggling with your voice, remember: it all begins with the breath