Dré de Man wrote:
> Of course singing in itself is a breathing exercise as well. I for
> myself think sometimes I could use some exercise to widen my ribcage: I
> have the feeling it does not always get as wide as I want it to be,
> especially in the morning. But I must admit I did not do them at all for
> quite a long time.
My teacher believes that one never wants to *force* the rib
cage wider, because that can interfere with proper breath
management (which is the reason for focusing on the ribs).
Instead the rib cage should be free to move as it needs to
when the lungs expand, and it doesn't collapse upon
exhalation in a way that would interfere with the next
breath. I find the best way to deal with the ribs is to
find my best singing posture, with everything lined up
properly, and I usually find thinking about my upper chest
and my back most useful in achieving this. When I have my
best posture, the ribs, along with my entire respiratory
system are ready to do what is necessary to support the
breath for singing. There are times when I might *think*
ribs to remind myself of correct posture. But that's not
the same thing as artificially forcing the ribs (or anything
else) into a particular position.
Peggy
--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...
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