One of the vocal books I have recommends the following (I can photocopy that page for you if you'd like):
Take a measured breath in (I can't remember the count). Say the alphabet. When you run out of breath take a catch breath and continue. The goal is to say it three times in one breath.
Another exercise that my conductors often lead:
Breathe in on a count of 2 (although I think we should sometimes do a count of 4 because always doing 2 trains us to breathe late.) Hiss out for a count of 8 Repeat with a 12 count hiss, and then a 16 count hiss, then a 20 count hiss. The goal is to be completely out of air at the end of the hiss without having a big explosion of air at the end. (I try to achieve this by conserving until the halfway mark.)
And my vocal instructor used to have me buzz my lips (hmm, I'm not sure I'm explaining well. It sounds like a motor; the lips really get flapping) while doing certain vocal warmups, which was also for placement, but is a great breath exercise because it takes so much air to keep the lips flapping.
Yay swimming! Be sure to remember to stretch since you're doing all sorts of new things to your shoulders.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 02:31 pm (UTC)Take a measured breath in (I can't remember the count).
Say the alphabet. When you run out of breath take a catch breath and continue.
The goal is to say it three times in one breath.
Another exercise that my conductors often lead:
Breathe in on a count of 2 (although I think we should sometimes do a count of 4 because always doing 2 trains us to breathe late.)
Hiss out for a count of 8
Repeat with a 12 count hiss, and then a 16 count hiss, then a 20 count hiss.
The goal is to be completely out of air at the end of the hiss without having a big explosion of air at the end. (I try to achieve this by conserving until the halfway mark.)
And my vocal instructor used to have me buzz my lips (hmm, I'm not sure I'm explaining well. It sounds like a motor; the lips really get flapping) while doing certain vocal warmups, which was also for placement, but is a great breath exercise because it takes so much air to keep the lips flapping.
Yay swimming! Be sure to remember to stretch since you're doing all sorts of new things to your shoulders.