BREATHING
As life is dependent upon breath, so is voice, for it is air exhaled from the lungs that sets the vocal cords into vibration, thereby generating tone. It is also breath vibrating in the resonating chambers that gives tone quality and carrying power. ‘Therefore, if you wish to have a pleasant and effective voice, you must learn to breathe correctly.
Since breathing is an instinctive act in living, you would naturally think that it would be done spontaneously and satisfactorily in producing tone. With some persons this is true. But unfortunately, many have acquired ,bad habits which are evident, not only in their voices, hut in their general appearance and health. To illustrate, a person who breathes in a shallow manner is generally hollow chested, lacks vitality, and speaks with a weak and colorless or monotonous tone. On the other hand, an individual may breathe deeply, have an erect carriage and alert appearance, and yet not have a pleasant voice. He may, perhaps, use breath incorrectly and thus produce tones which are husky, too intense or loud, and rasping. A pleasing, vibrant, and well-controlled voice requires a right amount of breath used in the right way.
Regardless of the manner in which you breathe, however, there must be air inhaled or taken into the body and it must be exhaled or sent out. Taking air into the body is called inhalation or inspiration; sending it out is called exhalation or expiration. These two acts are known as respiration. In repose, breathing should be done quietly and leisurely through the nose. In speaking or singing, a greater supply of air is needed and breath is taken through the mouth as well. When voice is not used, and when a person is calm and composed, inhalation is followed almost immediately by exhalation, a slight pause ensues and the operation is then repeated. When voice is used, inhalation is at times very fast and exhalation is very slow, for, in order to express ideas in speech or song, several words must often be uttered consecutively and without interruption. Sometimes one has difficulty in doing this. Possibly too small an amount of breath is inhaled, and the supply is exhausted before the end of a phrase or sentence. On the other hand, too great a quantity may be taken, and, instead of the air being emitted smoothly and steadily, it is exhaled in explosive puffs. The test of breath control lies not in the ability to inhale a great amount of air, but in knowing how to use the amount one has.
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