Breath Support and Singing

Singing is essentially an exercise in managing ariflow: how we use the air we breath in to make certain pitches, sounds, and colors.  The body, when singing, is actually a large wind instrument.  No wonder that any voice lesson is almost always centered on how to use one's airflow to make a more powerful, free sound. 

Trying to describe proper use of airflow in singing (known as breath support or management) is hard to describe online.  Breath support has a LOT of components to it, but the basics boil down to this: is your voice balanced sufficiently supported to make a pitch without it sounding 'forced', 'strained', or 'pinched?'  I personally believe this is the most important responsibility of a voice teacher because good breath support not only makes a nice sound, it makes singing an enjoyable physical activity.  Once a voice is freed up with proper support, singers often feel real physical release and pleasure from a well-supported sound.

Singing should never FEEL hard.  It may require lots of concentration, but a well-supported sound feels physically easy to produce.

DWS