Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
Breath Control	bluebags	12/16/04
I find that I gasp or am out of breath when I sing. My singing sounds choppy and my throat feels strained, too. What am I doing wrong? How can I improve?
Answered By		Answered On
VocalCoach		12/18/04
Hello: Thank you for an interesting question. Being out of breath and gasping for the next one generally points to several on-going conditions for most singers, not just you. If you are working with a vocal coach, never book another appointment. Obviously, you are not being properly trained. If you are not currently working with a coach — why not? Time to book an appointment with me. Poor breath management generally starts with being in poor physical condition, especially aerobically. Singing is an athletic experience before it is an artistic or spiritual experience. My clients know that I start my discussions about “How To Sing” with the idea that you want to pay your bills with the sound of your voice. Besides the producers, directors, conductors or agents you must audition for, you have to develop and sustain a paying audience. Thus, you must be in (and constantly strive to be in) Olympic condition in order to do that. Simply stated, you gotta get to the gym and start looking like a centerfold. Even if they don’t show, you must strive to develop those abs of steel or you’ll never have the abdominal support you need to sustain a phrase, a series of climactic high notes or 8-shows-a-week. And in order to maintain a workout schedule, every wannabe performer must monitor and moderate their diet, alcohol (or recreational) consumption and their social life. Gets to be a real drag. Until one day your pants fit better and you’re not turning blue in the middle of a song or breathing between syllables of a word. Choppy singing equals bad phrasing, inconsistent volume, poor pitch control, tardy entrances, bad articulation, and an unbalanced register – from lowest note to highest note. Solution? Training. All singers are musicians. You need to become a better musician. As a singer (as your competition) and as a vocal coach (your personal trainer), straining from the throat is the biggest dead giveaway that you really don’t know what you’re doing and that you cannot be depended upon to replicate a successful performance – even if it’s just for tomorrow or even later that same day. If you are feeling it, we’re probably hearing it. Simple. Until you get some professional help, it’s only going to get worse. Straining can lead to nodes which leads to permanent vocal damage and/or the operating table and then it’s back to the day job. Forever. In the meantime, consider that straining can also mean you are not singing in the keys suited to your vocal category, i.e., tenor, baritone or bass. For women, the vocal categories are soprano, alto, and contralto. Do you know your vocal category? Speaking in treble clef, can you name the lowest and highest notes in your vocal range? My job is to develop and expand your range and to give you the tools you'll need to endure long hours of rehearsal and extended performances. That can’t happen on an Internet bulletin board. There’s only one way to fix the problem: a reliable vocal workout. Come to me and I will identify your vocal category and your vocal range. After that, it’s about training you with a series of scales – just like an instrumentalist. You have to know what kind of instrument you’ve got in order to then learn how to play it. What you play on it / what songs or type of material you choose to sing – is up to you. But, that’s where and how it starts. In order to fulfill your wish to be a better and more reliable vocalist, you must have a better understanding of and a greater control over the most fundamental components of vocal development. Bottom line is — it’s about consistency. Day after day, year after year, at any time, no matter what mood you’re in or what holiday is happening next week. Most sincerely, Seán Martinfield http://www.geocities.com/broadwaybelters

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