Beginner course day 2

 Hi, when I was practising the warm-ups, i felt a slight tightness in my chest. Is this common and what can I do to resolve this?

Thanks

Hi Mark! Since the only "action" related to singing in your chest might be your breathing, I'd encourage you to practice low, relaxed belly breaths. The goal is to take relaxed, silent breaths (usually through the mouth, since our mouth has to be open to sing), and to breathe in such a way that the belly, ribs, and back all expand. 

We want to avoid shallow breaths, or clavicular breathing, in which the chest rises and falls. This causes tension where we don’t want it!

Rather, relax your abdominal muscles and let your belly expand and contract as you breathe in and out. If you’re having trouble with this, try the following:

Breathe in and out through the nose.

Pretend you’re drinking air through a straw.

Lie down on your back and relax your belly as you breathe. 

Build the habit of taking deep, relaxed belly breaths throughout your day to calm your body and train this “singer’s breath”, 

Note: careful to not over-breathe! Over time, your body will learn how much breath is needed for a given phrase. But don’t confuse “deep breathing” for filling up to the max. If you take in more air than you need, tension will result, as your body now has to hold all that extra air back.