(QUIZ) A musician must have conscious control of all 4 stages before each stage can become ingrained into the subconscious, becoming conditioned reflexes. Practice Tips for Proper Breathing Technic: ~ Stand up straight but do not "posture." Think "long and lean" or "stretch" or "stand tall." ~ Keep your eyes straight forward and your chin level, do not look up! ~ Shoulders relaxed. Drop your shoulders. Don't pull them down.
Unlike your heartbeat, your breathing can be consciously controlled. Like your heartbeat, if you aren't consciously controlling your breathing, you breathe anyway!
When singing or playing an instrument, you must learn to breathe properly. This means consciously controlling your breathing until such a time that proper technic is so ingrained, you breathe properly subconsciously as well. This is what practice does for the musician.
In singing/playing an instrument, there are 4 steps to breathing:
mouth shapes the sound
Many people make the mistake of abandoning their practice of these types of technics prior to the ingraining, because it takes many, many, many hours.
~ Never, ever lock your knees (whether singing or not!)
(Looking up constricts the muscles in your throat, making it harder to breathe! )
~ Smile!