Diaphragmatic Breathing & Appoggio; Supporting the Phrase
“It is a common belief that we breathe with our lungs alone, but in point of fact, the work of breathing is done by the whole body. The lungs play a passive role in the respiratory process. Their expansion is produced by an enlargement, mostly downward, of the thoracic cavity and they collapse when that cavity is reduced." Alexander Lowen.
The above quote may same counterintuitive to most of us because we are so addicted to chest breathing that it never occurs to us that there is another, a more natural way. Chest breathing is like a thirst that can never be quenched simply because the expansion of the chest only minimally expands the lungs. This leaves us feeling very unsatisfied; we have the sensation of never having enough breath so we become addicted to grasping for it. This brings about a vague malaise in the intercostals which can cause us to sigh often and wearily and brings the feeling that nothing is going right. The answer is to find the natural breathing we see in a young child. This is a major goal of singing—and many spiritual paths--because within the breath are all the elements of both surrender and vigorous purposeful action. Coming to terms with these opposite polarities can bring balance to every aspect of a life.
My experience of diaphragmatic breathing in singing is that it can awaken the viral centers in the viscera, leading to a more authentic vocal expression of who one is and one’s unique personal journey. This awakening tales one to the very core of who we are, and safely grounded in the strength and stability in the viscera, we can let rip an expression which is both pleasurable to the listener and healing for the singer. Eventually, the technique transcends effort and becomes a portal to deeper self awareness and tranquility.
Finding Ease in Breath Release
We all sing better in the shower than we do in company. One reason for this may be difference between the way we breath when we're relaxed and anxious. Functional breathing is one of the most important aspect's of voice work: Not only with regard to supporting and sustaining notes, but also in the release of stress and renewal of vitality which carries the singer forward with energy and confidence. Here we'll explore all aspects of breathing with vocal exercises designed to make your singing experience more fun and effortless. We'll see how easy and enjoyable it is, with the exhale, to release all tension, anxiety and stress at the end of a phrase. We’ll see how the quality of this release profoundly impacts the quality of the next inhale and the accompanying renewal of energy for the upcoming phrase. Our mantra for robust-relaxed singing will be Effort—Release—Renew—Repeat!! Good breathing is literally the Holy Ground from which good singing (and all musical authenticity) blossoms.
APPOGGIO—"Breath Support"—Delaying Lung Collapse
Many beginning singers have uneven energy throughout their phrasing. This is mostly because it is not supported from beneath with sustained and even breath power. This power, in turn, comes from the expanded lungs, lower ribs and abdominals. If the lungs collapse too quickly, or the diaphragm tenses too quickly, the breath runs out and consequently, the energy of the phrase will peter out. Worse, as the singer notices the energy waning, he/she may try to overcompensate by pushing with the diaphragm which can make the latter end of the phrase artificially emphatic. The key to the problem is a technique called Appoggio or Outie Breathing. The word Appoggio means “I lean.” We lean down on the rising diaphragm like leaning on a beach-ball held under water. The resulting feeling of a satisfying compression coupled with resisting the collapse of the breathing mechanism brings about controlled, judicious breath pressure throughout the phrase. The feeling in the voice is strong and robust—not timid hesitance.
With regard to the evenness energy throughout the phrase try the following: Imagine a billiard table with a cue-ball and six other balls all lined up in a straight line. Think of the other balls as being the musical phrase you’re about to sing and think of the cue-ball as power behind it. When you hit the cue-ball you want the power to follow through so as to hit all six balls in front. It’s the same with the phrase; you want the power of the first onset to continue right the way through every note of the phrase. Now when the cue-ball hits the first ball, that contact has the most power and it gradually lessens as it hits each ball. When the singer feels this dissipation of breath she may be tempted to squeeze or tighten the diaphragm upwards to eke out more energy. This also tightens the throat and chest causing deterioration of tone and an audible lack of skill. With the billiard ball metaphor, imagine if we could divide the initial energy evenly between all the balls instead of having it dissipate gradually.
The key, once again is Appoggio; delaying the rise of the diaphragm and resisting the collapse of the lungs and ribs (called the “vocal struggle”) and keeping the sternum fairly high, is akin to dividing out the energy between the billiard balls. The leaning on the bed of air-pressure gives a very satisfying feeling of support and compression which energizes the singer and vitalizes the phrase with sustained, even tone.