Speech Level Singing or Vocal Breathing Exercises?

Speech Level Singing or Vocal Breathing Exercises?

Which one is better for you?

Did you ever wonder just how important vocal breathing exercises really are? Have singing coaches ever told you “Sing from your diaphragm!”? I bet they have! Many vocal instructors say that vocal breathing exercises are definitely the way to go. However, I disagree.

After years of practicing “diaphragmatic breathing”, with little success, I decided to explore other options. I soon discovered that learning how to practice speech level exercises was much more effective than doing traditional vocal breathing exercises.

I am not alone in these thoughts. Such stars as Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Jackson, Keith Urban and Stevie Wonder also use speech level singing exercises, rather than traditional vocal breathing exercises.


Why is all of this the case? Well, one reason is that it takes very little air to sing, actually. Also, when you sing higher notes, your vocal chords will close off a bit. That means that you actually require less air to sing higher, not more. Although many vocal breathing exercises teachers tell you to give your voice more support, meaning send more air to your vocal chords, sending more pressure to your chords when they are already requiring less air will not be useful at all. In fact, it may even be painful to you.

That is one of the primary reasons why I feel that focusing on speech level singing is much more important than practicing vocal breathing exercises. Speech level singing exercises allow you to practice without putting unnecessary strain on your voice.

Speech level singing exercises are good because they target and strengthen the specific muscles you need to use, in order to sing better. That means that your vocal chords will work better and you will be able to easily hit any note that is within your range. You will no longer have to strain to reach certain notes. It also means that your voice will have a consistent sound.

There are a couple of interesting, positive bonuses to using that technique, rather than vocal breathing exercises. One is that, as your vocal chords begin to “zip up” when you practice speech level singing, you will find that you will be able to hit notes that you didn’t even realize were in the realm of possibility before. That’s how much your comfort and range will increase. The other is that, as you do speech level exercises, your air pressure will balance out naturally. That means that you’ll have mastered ‘diaphragmatic breathing” anyway, while improving your voice in many other ways.

So, don’t waste time doing vocal breathing exercises that are getting you nowhere. Jump on the speech level singing bandwagon today. In no time at all, you’ll be singing with the same ease as some of your favorite superstars. You don’t need vocal breathing exercises to improve your voice!

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3 Responses to “Speech Level Singing or Vocal Breathing Exercises?”

  1. Chequer says:

    Until 6 days ago I wouldn’t have believed this review but after starting Brett Manning’s ‘Singing Success’ course I am astounded at the changes in my voice already.
    The years I spent battling with my voice in ‘classical training’ seem such a shame now that just these few pointers have made such an impact.
    Speech Level Singing is definitely the way to go and, if you haven’t already started, get going as soon as you can. You won’t regret it.

  2. Chequer says:

    I was ‘classically trained’ and have been unhappy with the resulting lack of top notes for years. I’ve recently discovered Speech Level Singing and feel a bit aggrieved that none of my teachers offered me these excellent techniques. I heartily recommend any voice students to get started as soon as possible!

  3. Luigi C says:

    Dear Gillian

    I always had a problem with speaking too fast and been Jewish Italian does not help me much. I am studying for my MBA at the present time and would like to move up in my career as soon as possible, reason why i would like to learn to breath and speak slowly and not like i have done for the past 26 years of my life (like some sort of gum machine)

    I was wondering if breathing techniques will help me, how many sessions would i need and how much the whole exercise will cost me and if you do know someone you could refer me to.

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

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