The foundation of all good singing is breath control. Therefore I shall devote most of this session to deep-breathing exercises. Remember that your lungs expand low down, your shoulders shouldn't rise up around your ears, and allow your abdominal muscles to relax as you breathe in. You will need their support when you sing.

Here are my pet exercises, though if you have favourites of your own, use them as well! Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth for the first two exercises. You won't breathe in through the nose when you sing, it can be noisy and takes too long, I simply want to be sure that the nasal passages and sinuses are free, as they are all part of your resonating space.

Exercise 1

Stand with your feet apart and bend over so that your hands are almost touching the floor. Make sure that your head and shoulders are completely relaxed. While in this position breathe in a little way, allowing your torso to rise a little with the intake of breath, then breathe out and relax down again. Now breathe in more deeply, coming up a little further, breathe out and flop down again. On the third intake of breath stand up slowly and gradually raise yourarms above your head thus lifting your whole rib-cage high. You should breathe in slowly through the whole movement. Then flop down again, exhaling as you do so. Do this three or four times.

Exercise 2

Stand comfortably upright with your weight a little more on one foot than the other. If you stand guardsman-straight tension can creep in. Relax your tummy muscles and breathe in slowly as you raise your arms sideways to shoulder level, then bring them forward, really stretching ahead. Again, try to make the intake of breath go on for the whole movement. Relax your arms back to the sides breathing out as you do so. Repeat this exercise several times.

You have now stretched your lungs and body and will be feeling very good! You may find that the first exercise causes dizziness to begin with, don't worry, it soon passes.

Exercise 3

Stand or sit comfortably, and pant. Don't slouch, because your lungs need space. Your diaphragm comes out as you breathe in, and pushes in as you breathe out. This is a good exercise for strengthening the diaphragm. Practise it rhythmically. Start with a slow four to the bar, then pant in quavers (eight to the bar) and go on to double that when your muscles are flexible.

Swimming is an excellent exercise too. Not just messing about in the pool of course, but making yourself swim several lengths breathing correctly. This also strengthens the tummy muscles which is vitally important since the voice is supported largely on these muscles.

Someone once said that the voice is like a ping-pong ball balanced on a fountain-jet. The voice is light and frail, needing constant and steady support. If the water pressure falters the ball will fall. If the breath control wavers, the voice becomes unsteady and it is then tempting to try to control the sound with the throat muscles. Don't be tempted. It's not worth it. It is much better to work at your exercises and sing with an open throat, trusting your middle to see you through.

See how long you can keep a sound going. Hiss gently like a punctured bicycle tyre, or hum with lightly closed lips (I can hiss for over a minute and hum for about forty seconds!)

Obviously it is not always necessary to take a huge breath. If you have a short phrase to sing, take a smaller breath. If you overfill, you can find yourself with an uncomfortable amount of air left over. Be practical. Read your lyric through, find the places where you breathe when speaking the words, and then sing, breathing at those same punctuation marks.

One of my pupils sang Moon River to me. He took a big breath at the beginning of the song and didn't draw breath again until the middle of "Old he... (gasp)... art breaker"! When I said please breathe with the sense of the words, he told me that he thought he should sing as much as possible before taking a breath. Not so. The words are your first priority, if you make nonsense of them you'll ruin the song and mystify your audience!

Next month I will give you some vocal exercises, and maybe say a word or two about choosing a teacher.

Exercise regularly and enjoy!

Tona de Brett gained an ARCM in teaching at the arts centre at Dartington Hall and has taught at the City Lit and other adult education establishments. She now teaches solely at home and her pupils have included Green, Morrissey, Curt Smith, Strawberry Switchblade, John Lydon, Edwyn Collins, Martin Fry and Liz Frazer. For a personal reply write to Tona including an SAE at (Contact Details).