When singing,should i breathe in air through my mouth or nose?

Dear Danny(I laughed 2day =D!),

Great question. Most people don't worry about things like these, because they figure it isn't really important. However, breathing is the power behind singing and yes there are things that can make it better.

Breathing from your mouth can be better because it makes you more prepared to sing. As you inhale through the mouth, prepare your lips, teeth, and tongue for the vowel that you will be singing. This will enable you to make a strong and prepared opening at the beginning of your piece and to have crisp and precise entrances throughout your song.

Breathing through the nose also has its advantages. It's a great idea to take a deep breath through you nose before you begin singing. It will help calm nerves and release tension.

In regard to other comments:

Breath support as a whole is key to great singing! The others make comment of "filling your diaphragm". Everyone with any singing experience knows that the diaphragm an important contributor to great breath support, but most don't really know why or how it works. Good breath support training and advice is hard to come by and it gets so confusing when everyone tells you something different.

Singing is a set a cumulative skills that make one huge awesome product. I know I'm straying from your question, but I want to make sure there is no confusion and I hope you aren't the only one reading this.

Before singing one should make it habit to stretch all of the body to release tension and to warm up the vocal instrument. Any tension can and will cause vocal strain and eventually damage.

Nothing should be stiff. Loosen up. Do some light stretching and rub out tight muscles especially the ones around your neck, face, and jaw. It might seem strange, but yes, you should massage your face.

Posture: the foundation of great singing.

(Standing) from the top:
Your head should be level with the floor and you are looking ahead, not up or down. No tension, just placed as so.

When singing everything should be loose with no stiff tension. Tension causes things to be incorrect even when you know the right way and use it.

Next, Roll your shoulders back. Rolling your shoulders back elongates the spine and thorax or chest cavity and lifts the sternum, the bone in the middle of your chest. This allows space for proper breathing.

Keep your knees loose, so that they can bend. Don't lock them.

Keep your feet shoulder width apart. One foot can be a little farther forward than the other if that is more comfortable for you.

Imagine yourself as royalty. This is all perfectly natural and normal. It is simply the way you present yourself--with poise and self-confidence.

(Sitting) additional information:
When sitting it is important to keep all the same posture techniques used for standing.

Make sure you sit as far forward on the seat as possible and keep your feet flat on the floor.

When you have proper posture you can learn to breath properly. Correct breath support and control is the gateway to good singing.

To learn the proper way, you've got to know which ways are wrong.

Improper ways to breath when singing:
1) Clavicular breathing ~ shallow breathing--the shoulders lift
2) Costal breathing ~ heaving like when you are sick
3) Abdominal breathing ~ from just the stomach excluding use of the top of the lungs

To understand diaphragmatic-intercostal breathing, the proper breathing for singing, it is import to understand basic breathing for life. Breathing for life is nearly the same with only a few slight alterations.

How we breathe for living:
1) Involuntary impulse of the brain
2) The diaphragm contracts and flattens to enlarge the thorax or chest cavity
3) The costal or rib muscles expand causing the air pressure to drop within the lungs. The air pressure inside the lungs then equals to the air pressure outside the lungs.
4) Exhale.

Modifications used when singing:
1) More air is required
2) Quicker inhalation
3) Longer periods of exhalation requiring control
4) Voluntary--you determine how and when

**It is impossible to breath correctly if you are not using proper singers' posture.**

Ways to make sure you are breathing correctly when singing:
1) Make sure your shoulders and upper chest doesn鈥檛 rise when you inhale.
2) Make sure you are expanding all around. The stomach, sides, and even the back

The laying down exercise is great for practicing proper breathing. You should practice it every night before you go to sleep. When practicing, pay attention to the appoggio, or the moment of balance between inhaling and exhaling just like breathing for yoga.

Before bed breathing exercises:
Lie on your back and wait until your breathing deepens and evens. You will feel expansion around your stomach, sides, and even back. This type of breathing is the ideal form of healthy breathing and the breathing we use for singing.

1. Practice inhaling over a count of 10 and gradually grow to a count of 15 and as high as your lung capacity will allow.
2. Use inhalation explained in (1). Exhale with a hiss of air. It will sound like "tissss...". Work your exhale from a 10 count to a 15 count and so on.
3. Use inhalation explained in (1). Exhale with a hiss of air and pulse using the abdominal muscles. ("tisss, tisss, tisss,...) Work your pulsed-exhale from a 10 count to a 15 count and so on.

Remember: When people refer to singing from your diaphragm it is meant to be a locational reference. The activities of the diaphragm are completely involuntary. You don't control it--your brain does.

Proper breathing takes time to develop. You have to keep practicing to build strength and endurance.

Thanks for you patience. Good luck and happy singing!

~ moss

Mouth. Suck it all the way down to your diaphragm and push!

Breath in through your mouth and out your nose. But never push it out your ***. It ruins a show

Both, you need to fill your diaphram so that you are able to support yourself when holding a note for several beats, or to support and carry out a chord or note. Try laying down and puttting a book on your diaphram. Breath in through both your nose and mouth and see if you are taking in enough air to push the book upwards. ( Great tip for new singers) Practice in front of the mirror and remember you will have more support if your posture is correct. Shoulders down and back, no slouching. Your feet should be at about shoulders width apart and one slightly in front of the other. Good luck and practice practice practice!

both... and sing from the diaphram.... case u didnt kno ur stomach has to move in and out to sing from the diaphram....

the proper way in singing is to breathe through your mouth..

When you run out of breath just take a quick one through your mouth.. then continue on!! Have a nice day~~Rayann

through your nose

in mouth, out nose

It doesn't matter...just REMEMBER to breath! = D