Learn diaphragm singing in two steps.
Has your child come home asked “Mommy, what’s a diaphragm?” Well, I’m here to tell you what and how to use it, then you can be super mom or dad with all the answers… well, maybe not all. But you’ll at least have this one.
A muscle
First, what the diaphragm is. This is a muscle that lies underneath the lungs located around the middle of the torso. If you place your hand horizontally, where your fingers are parallel to your waistband, the diaphragm is about four fingers above your belly button. Take a deep breath in and your belly should rise. This is the diaphragm at work, moving all your organs out of the way to make room for the lungs.
Use it
Second, how you make sure you’re using your diaphragm. The simple way to know if the diaphragm is being used is to breathe in and see if your shoulders move, but the belly doesn’t, then that’s a no. The lungs expand in the down direction more than they expand out. This is because your ribs are hard, and can’t move as much. So, really focus on relaxing the stomach and breathing in naturally, letting your belly fill up with air.
Follow these two steps and you’ll be a diaphragm master.
