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Couple of questions on support

Hi, i didn't quite know which category to put this in out of the ones available to me so hopefully this one is right lol

i recently got the Weekend Warrior course and want to start working through all the content asap, but at the moment i have a couple questions on the support section so i know if i'm doing it right or not,
Firstly i think i have got the hang of support but want to double check, i have a hang of the rib expansion and the downward push but i've notice my lower belly has the sensation of it being pulled in as i sing instead of just falling in! Should i be helping with the pulling physically at all? (i've noticed more power in the tone when i have tried but don't want to cause any problems by continuing to do it) or do i let it happen naturally?

And secondly, (possibly a silly question) i want to work on the sit up exercise but want to be sure on relaxation first, when i have finished a scale and relax in the way Ken say's to, my lungs automatically fill with air without having to take a breathe consciously, as if the relaxing of the abdominal wall is dragging the air in, is this normal? (i know breathing in is, can't think of a way to best describe what i'm getting at) If it is, do i gage my relaxation on how much the lungs fill up again?

Comments

  • highmtnhighmtn Administrator, Moderator, Enrolled, Pro, 3.0 Streaming Posts: 15,378
    You should be controlling the inward stroke of the belly, and making it last the full length of time to get you to the end of the phase of a song or a scale.

    As long as you are fully relaxed, you are OK. As you continue to do these exercises, you will probably just wait a moment until your next singing inhalation to fill your lungs. If that happens a bit on its own, that's OK. When you are used to relaxing and then filling your lungs, it will all kind of become one cycle. Inhale, Exhale, Relax, Inhale...

    The main point of relaxation is to give your diaphragm a break each cycle. If you are inhaling, you are actually flexing your diaphragm again, so it's not really taking a break, but you probably feel more relaxed if you are needing oxygen, than if you wait to replenish it. Like I said, when you know there is enough time to relax and then pull in another breath, you will take advantage of your rest-time, knowing that oxygen will be coming next.
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