Abdominal breathing

Many musicians are taught the importance of breathing abdominally. Of course this is very important, but I see many musicians who hold their chests still in order to breathe more into their bellies. There are even some schools of breathing that advocate holding the chest still. Doing so limits lung capacity and stiffens the ribs and thoracic spine. There are a multitude of other reasons why holding the chest still is not recommended. Some are: The shoulders and arms loose support and range of motion. This can lead to poor use and even injury. The neck is less free and that should be fairly obvious why that is not beneficial. It requires more energy, i.e. muscles working to hold the chest still. I’ve even heard from doctors who will say that tightness in the chest can even be detrimental to the heart. I could go on, but will stop for now. I will write more on this theme later.

If you have questions or comments, please e-mail me at: john.tarr@dynamicmusician.com