SINGING LESSONS A2Z
D = Diaphragm Mechanics
Consider the diaphragm as the air-traffic controller of your voice.
(1) The SPEED of the air released - is it a horse and buggy or a Nascar® racer? When practicing, try altering the speed of your air and gauge your results. Knowing how minute changes in your actions can change your sound is a big step forward in that knowledge/power thing.
(2) The QUANTITY of the air released - if you know your stuff about airflow, then you know your airstream needs to be focused and direct, as if travelling through a straw (instead of a megaphone). So...do you have complete control? Pay attention when you sing... are you releasing a coffee stirrer size stream or a big old fat fast food super-size straw stream.
(3) The QUALITY of the air released - how many pixels per square inch travel through that straw, for all you fellow geeks out there (shout out). Another way to think about it is that the canoe (your note) needs to ride down the river. Is it doing so in a well defined, evenly moving river? Or is the ride more like skipping rocks?
In addition to the airflow, the actions of the diaphragm also play a great role in tone placement as frequencies are moved into different resonating chambers.
So you can see why the diaphragm is the KING of the singing muscle jungle and why I like to call it the air traffic controller. It's actions have a direct impact on our airflow, which is the root key of our sound.
The problem with the diaphragm is that after we stop crying regularly as a baby, it loses it's strength and for many singers the diaphragm is just plain lazy and out of shape. Unfortunately, the overzealous membranes and muscles in the throat will generally step up and take over. It gets you power for an hour, but that technique will keep your career short lived. Learn to use the diaphragm and practice regularly (with the diaphragm as the focus) to keep the muscle in shape.
The DIAPHRAGM, use it or your voice will lose it.
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