Breathing Exercises

I’ve been beatboxing for many many years but it wasn’t until I began a study of various Yogic breathing exercises that I realized something spectacular: breathing is a huge aspect of the human voice.

I admit, I soon discovered I’m a little on this one, as it turns out singers have been doing breathing exercises to complement their singing for EVER. Just youtube it.

Rolling/buzzing one’s lips to relax the right vocal muscles while singing a simple scale? Genius! And it does seem to prepare the voice for trying new notes previously outside the established vocal range.

While walking the dog this morning I met a Baltimore-based bassoon player and builder. He told me about a tuba player named Arnold Jacobs who stressed the importance of breathing exercises in one’s daily practice. I found an old video from a masterclass he taught. Check it!

And just in case you’re interested in trying some Yogic breathing exercises…