Many beginners eager to master singing techniques often hear advice such as, "Sing using your stomach." However, few people explain what "singing with your stomach" truly means.

This leads many to assume that the stomach must be actively engaged during singing. At first, it may feel like this technique stabilizes the voice, but over time, it often results in fatigue, hoarseness, difficulty reaching high notes, and reduced stamina.

These issues commonly arise for those who believe that singing requires active stomach tension. Professional guidance reveals that singing involves keeping the abdominal muscles completely relaxed. This relaxation is closely related to diaphragmatic breathing.

When using diaphragmatic breathing, the diaphragm relaxes and descends as you inhale, causing the abdomen to expand outward due to the diaphragm’s downward push. This process allows the lungs to inflate fully, much like a balloon. During exhalation, the diaphragm rises back, and the abdomen gradually contracts as air is expelled, resembling a deflating balloon.

This method maximizes lung capacity, in contrast to the common breathing pattern where the abdomen pulls inward during inhalation and pushes outward during exhalation.

What "Sing From Your Stomach" Actually Means

Video by Singgeek

The reverse breathing pattern is often linked to being taught to "stand tall with your chest out and stomach tucked in." This posture contracts the diaphragm, forcing lung expansion upward and causing the shoulders to rise with each breath. While this approach may maintain posture and aesthetics, it is unsuitable for singing or extended speech. Notably, newborns naturally breathe diaphragmatically.

Singing requires diaphragmatic breathing, where the abdomen expands during inhalation and contracts during exhalation. The diaphragm remains relaxed throughout. However, if the diaphragm relaxes only during inhalation while the stomach pushes outward forcefully during exhalation, excessive air pressure builds up, leading to overuse of the vocal cords.

Prolonged use of excessive air pressure to vibrate the vocal cords can cause issues such as fatigue, inflammation, nodules, or polyps. These conditions result in hoarseness, fatigue, and discomfort.

From a physical perspective, pushing the stomach outward during exhalation resembles extracting air from a fixed-size container, creating a vacuum effect. This increases the pressure of the outgoing air. While this technique may be useful in specific scenarios, such as when out of breath but needing to complete a performance, its prolonged use can strain the vocal cords.

To protect the vocal cords and maintain a healthy voice, singers should focus on proper diaphragmatic breathing and avoid using excessive abdominal pressure during exhalation. This approach ensures sustainable voice use and reduces the risk of long-term vocal damage.