Day 5 – Four Ways to Breathe

How you breathe affects how you sound, how you feel, and how long your voice lasts. But there’s no single “correct” way to breathe when singing.

One of the most common myths in singing is that diaphragmatic breathing is the best—or only—way to breathe. While it can be useful in certain styles or situations, it’s far from a universal solution.

In fact, singers tend to default to one of four main breath patterns—and each has its strengths. These aren’t ranked, and none is inherently better than the others. They’re tools — each suited to a different task.

Today, you’ll explore all four.

Experience This

Each pattern below is described simply. Try all four in a row. Notice how each one changes your tone, your effort, and your mindset.

Start by breathing in and humming gently on a comfortable pitch. Then, for each breath type, try sustaining an /i/ vowel and then an /o/ vowel on that same pitch. Observe how your sound, ease, and control vary with each pattern.

Use a mirror—if available—to watch for movement in your body—shoulders, chest, belly—and place a hand on your belly or ribs to feel the motion. Between feel, sight, and sound, you’ll start to map your patterns.

1. Diaphragmatic

This pattern emphasizes abdominal expansion during inhalation. You can experience this by placing a hand on your belly—it should move outward as you breathe in. The diaphragm contracts downward, allowing the lungs to fill. This type of breathing lowers the larynx, slows the heart rate, and creates a calm, grounded feeling. It’s often favored in classical singing but may feel sluggish or disconnected in some CCM styles that demand quicker phrasing, brighter tone, and significant physical activity.

2. Thoracic

The thoracic breath centers on lateral rib and chest expansion. As the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles engage, the ribs move outward and slightly upward, expanding the chest without engaging the shoulders. This breath is common in speech and singing alike. It often produces a sense of power, width, and control, making it a go-to for many singers across genres.

3. Clavicular

This breath lifts the sternum and collarbones, sometimes involving visible movement in the shoulders. It brings air into the lungs quickly. While it’s challenging for long phrases or stable phonation, it connects deeply to heightened emotional states—think of gasping in surprise or seething with rage. It raises the larynx and creates a sense of urgency or brightness. Useful when dramatic, fast, or speech-like phrasing is needed.

4. Balanced

This breath involves coordinated movement of the belly, ribs, and chest without over-relying on any one area. The inhale is smooth and gentle, resulting in minimal visible motion but optimal internal coordination. It maintains a relatively neutral laryngeal position and supports flexibility across singing styles. Balanced breathing tends to feel sustainable and adaptable, ideal for long rehearsals or varied repertoire.

It may feel like doing all three previous breath types at once. Watch the mirror, feel your movement, and listen closely.

Reflect: What did you notice?

Take a moment to jot down your thoughts in a notebook or notes app. These self-observations will become valuable reference points later.

  • Which breath pattern felt most familiar to you?
  • Did one feel easier for the /i/ vowel? Another for the /o/?
  • Which changed your sound the most?
  • Which gave you the most control or ease?
  • Did anything feel awkward or unfamiliar? Why might that be?

Try it in Action: Apply what you found

  1. Sing a song you know well and pay attention to how you’re breathing. No judgment — just observe.
  2. Try singing it again using different breath types. Notice how it changes your phrasing, tone, or ease. There are no wrong answers — only information.

You’ll likely use all of these at some point. But knowing your default helps you understand your body’s baseline — what’s easy, what’s efficient, and what might need intentional work. It’s the first step in building conscious control.

What This Builds

  • Awareness of multiple breath strategies and their physiological effects
  • The ability to adapt breath patterns to suit different musical styles, phrases, or emotional contexts
  • A clearer sense of what your body does automatically — and how that shapes your vocal habits
  • A foundation for understanding how breath choice affects tone, control, and stamina
  • A growing understanding of your physical defaults — and how to work with or change them

Want more on this? Listen to the VoSci Podcast episode on breath types for a deeper dive.

This sets the stage for tomorrow’s work — learning how sound begins.