3 Ways To Breathe Correctly To Protect Your Singing Voice - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Breathe Correctly to Protect Your Singing Voice PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Amy Chapman, MA

Last Updated: May 15, 2025 Approved

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  • Learning Breathing Techniques
    • |
  • Focusing on Your Posture While Singing
    • |
  • Protecting Your Vocal Cords from Damage
    • |
  • Expert Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
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This article was co-authored by Amy Chapman, MA. Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 15 testimonials and 97% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 837,793 times.

Proper breathing is an important aspect of singing. Not only does it allow you to hold long and powerful notes, but it can also protect your singing voice. Certain breathing techniques can take pressure off your vocal cords, allowing your voice to maintain its sound. You should learn proper breathing techniques and work on your posture to breathe properly for singing. You can also take steps to protect your vocal cords from damage and overuse.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Learning Breathing Techniques

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  1. Step 1 Breathe from your diaphragm 1 Breathe from your diaphragm. When singing, you must take deep breaths and breathe from your diaphragm or abdomen. This will ensure that you are not keeping too much air in your throat and placing strain on your voice. To ensure that you are breathing with your diaphragm, try the following exercise.[1]
    • Stand up straight and place your hands around the sides of your waist (between your pelvic bone and lowest rib). Then, take a deep breath in and try to make your fingers expand.
    • Alternatively, you can lie on your back on the ground and inhale. Try to make your stomach, not your chest, rise when you inhale.
    • This will help you learn what it feels like to breathe from your diaphragm.
  2. Step 2 Practice combined breathing. 2 Practice combined breathing. When you are singing, you want to try to inhale through both your nose and mouth. If you only inhale through your nose, you will struggle to intake enough air. Similarly, if you only breathe through your mouth, you will put strain on your vocal cords by drying them out. This can impact the quality of the sound you produce.
    • Practice breathing in through both your mouth and nose while you sing.
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  3. Step 3 Control your release. 3 Control your release. Another important aspect of singing and breathing is slowly exhaling. This will allow your tone to remain even while you sing. To practice controlled breathing, take a deep abdominal breath, then release your breath and make "a “ssss”" sound. Continue to exhale for approximately ten seconds.
    • Continue to practice this technique and work on creating a consistent “ssss” sound throughout the entire exhalation.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Focusing on Your Posture While Singing

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  1. Step 1 Bend your knees slightly. 1 Bend your knees slightly. Posture is extremely important and will make it easier for you to breathe properly while singing. This will take pressure off your vocal cords. Your feet should be positioned shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly bent. Never lock your knees in place. [2]
  2. Step 2 Raise your chest. 2 Raise your chest. To maintain proper singing posture, you should raise your chest slightly and keep your abdomen flat. By engaging your core muscles, you can help ensure that you breathe from your diaphragm. This will help to protect your vocal cords.[3]
  3. Step 3 Keep your head up. 3 Keep your head up. While you are singing, your chin should be parallel to the floor. This will help to take pressure off your vocal cords, making it easier to sing clearly.[4]
  4. Step 4 Keep your shoulders relaxed. 4 Keep your shoulders relaxed. When you are breathing for singing, your shoulders should be relaxed. This will help to ensure that you take deep abdominal breaths, rather than shallow breaths. Avoid raising your shoulders while you breathe in. Instead, keep your shoulders down and relaxed.[5]
  5. Step 5 Relax your neck, jaw, and face muscles. 5 Relax your neck, jaw, and face muscles. While singing, you do not want to strain or put pressure on your vocal cords by tensing the surrounding muscles. This can make it much more difficult to sing and will put additional strain on your voice.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Protecting Your Vocal Cords from Damage

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  1. Step 1 Warm up before singing. 1 Warm up before singing. Before you begin singing, you should warm up your vocal cords. This way, you will not strain your voice. This will help ensure that your vocal cords and diaphragm can support and produce the sound that is required while singing.
    • You could try humming or practicing tongue twisters before you start singing.
  2. Step 2 Give your vocal cords adequate rest. 2 Give your vocal cords adequate rest. You can strain your singing voice through overuse. Avoid talking too much in extremely loud environments. Similarly, you should never sing when you have a cold. This could put unnecessary strain on your voice. Make sure you give your vocal cords time to rest and repair.
  3. Step 3 Drink water. 3 Drink water. You can also protect your singing voice by drinking plenty of water. Make sure to drink between six and eight glasses of water daily. This will keep your vocal cords hydrated. A dry throat can strain and damage your singing voice.
  4. Step 4 Avoid smoking. 4 Avoid smoking. Smoking cigarettes can cause irreversible damage to your lungs and vocal cords. The smoke dries out and irritates the vocal cords, causing them to swell. If smoking continues over a long period, your voice may begin to sound hoarse and raspy.
  5. Step 5 Exercise regularly. 5 Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise, such as swimming, running, or cycling, can help to expand your lungs and clear your airways. This will make it easier for you to sing and will improve the quality and control of your singing voice. For the best results, exercise for at least 30 minutes four to five times per week.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question Why do I run out of breath when I sing? Amy Chapman, MA Amy Chapman, MA Voice & Speech Coach Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association. Amy Chapman, MA Amy Chapman, MA Voice & Speech Coach Expert Answer answer video Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 11
  • Question How can I strengthen my lungs for singing? Amy Chapman, MA Amy Chapman, MA Voice & Speech Coach Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association. Amy Chapman, MA Amy Chapman, MA Voice & Speech Coach Expert Answer If you want to improve your lung capacity, take a deep breath that fills up your chest, your lower back, and your intercostals. Then, as slowly as you can, release the breath with a hissing sound. You can even time yourself, so if you do it and you can hiss for 40 seconds, you might try it again and try to extend it to 45 seconds, then 50. That will help strengthen your lungs and your support system. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 20
  • Question Why do I sometimes feel like I'm going to pass out when I sing? Community Answer Community Answer You may be holding your breath for too long. Practice breathing to avoid feeling faint. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 130
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Tips

  • When breathing out, pretend there is a lit candle right in front of you, and you need to avoid blowing it out. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
  • You can also strengthen your breathing through physical exercise. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
  • Practice singing in your stomach voice, head voice, and throat voice. Find out wich one is best for you.
  • Practice regularly and try exercises like running and jogging that help expand your lungs.
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxB2792Gq6w
  2. ↑ http://cmed.faculty.ku.edu/gummposture/posture.html
  3. ↑ http://cmed.faculty.ku.edu/gummposture/posture.html
  4. ↑ http://cmed.faculty.ku.edu/gummposture/posture.html
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1iuLtHcAuc

About This Article

Amy Chapman, MA Co-authored by: Amy Chapman, MA Voice & Speech Coach This article was co-authored by Amy Chapman, MA. Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association. This article has been viewed 837,793 times. 30 votes - 97% Co-authors: 66 Updated: May 15, 2025 Views: 837,793 Categories: Singing Technique

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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Article SummaryX

To breathe correctly to protect your singing voice, breathe from your diaphragm so your stomach, not your chest, rises when you inhale. Also, practice breathing in through both your nose and mouth at the same time when you're singing, which will put less stress on your vocal cords. When you exhale, avoid breathing out quickly. Instead, you want to control your breath and breathe out slowly. To learn how to maintain good singing posture so you're breathing correctly, scroll down! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Amy Chapman, MA Co-authored by: Amy Chapman, MA Voice & Speech Coach Co-authors: 66 Updated: May 15, 2025 Views: 837,793 97% of readers found this article helpful. 30 votes - 97% Click a star to add your vote Robbin Auston

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