🎤 Why Chest Breathing Limits Vocal Performance: A Physiological Perspective

🌟 Introduction

It's commonly said that diaphragmatic breathing is better for singing.

However, few people can explain specifically why this is the case.

From my own experience, chest breathing creates tension in the neck and throat, reducing laryngeal control.

In this article, we'll examine this phenomenon from a physiological and phonetic perspective.

💪 1. What Happens with Chest Breathing: Neck Tension Restricts the Throat

During chest breathing, the rib cage expands significantly on inhalation, and upper body muscles—including the intercostals, sternocleidomastoid, and trapezius—engage strongly.

When accessory respiratory muscles around the neck become overly tense, the larynx is pulled slightly upward, making the voice more prone to strain.

Electromyography studies have confirmed that these muscles become hyperactive during chest breathing.

For instance, chest breathing has been shown to increase tension in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and upper trapezius muscles (Clifton-Smith & Rowley, 2011).

🔒 2. How Neck Tension Restricts Laryngeal Freedom

The larynx (the organ housing the vocal folds) is connected to neck and chest muscles via fascia.

Therefore, when neck muscles become excessively tense, the vertical position of the larynx becomes fixed, limiting the ability to fine-tune vocal fold adjustment.

This is precisely what causes a strained voice, difficulty reaching high notes, or a constricted throat sensation.

Speech physiologist Titze and colleagues have reported that excessive neck and chest muscle tension reduces vocal efficiency (Titze, 2008).

🌬️ 3. The Relaxing Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing

In contrast, diaphragmatic breathing (abdominal breathing) reduces upper chest muscle activity and decreases neck and shoulder tension.

Research has demonstrated that diaphragmatic breathing training significantly reduced muscle activity in the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles (Lee et al., 2010).

In other words, diaphragmatic breathing isn't simply a technique for "breathing into your belly"—it's a physiological prerequisite for maintaining vocal freedom.

⚖️ 4. Diaphragmatic Breathing Isn't the Only Effective Approach

However, scientifically speaking, we cannot simply claim that "chest breathing is bad" or "only diaphragmatic breathing is correct."

Studies of professional singers show that many use "mixed breathing," which coordinates chest and abdominal expansion (Iwarsson, 2001).

The key is achieving a state where you can unconsciously optimize which muscles to engage and to what degree.

It's best to think of diaphragmatic breathing as the gateway to building that stable foundation.

🧩 5. My Hypothesis (Summary)

To summarize, my hypothetical model is as follows:

❌ Chest Breathing Pattern

Thoracic breathing → chest expansion → accessory muscle hyperactivity → neck tension → reduced laryngeal mobility → vocal strain

✅ Diaphragmatic Breathing Pattern

Diaphragmatic breathing → descent of the diaphragm → neck relaxation → maintained laryngeal freedom → improved vocal flexibility

This mechanism is consistent with findings from electromyography, vocal physiology, and voice therapy research, and has not been contradicted by current evidence.

Similar principles are applied in treating dysphonia, particularly muscle tension dysphonia (Angsuwarangsee & Morrison, 2002).

🎯 6. Conclusion

I believe the significance of diaphragmatic breathing lies not in "putting air into the stomach," but rather in releasing the neck tension that constricts the larynx.

While not yet fully validated scientifically, this hypothesis is quite compelling when considering both physiological consistency and subjective experience.

📚 References (Selected)

• Clifton-Smith & Rowley (2011) — Breathing pattern disorders in physiotherapy practice

• Titze (2008) — Physiologic mechanisms of vocal effort

• Lee et al. (2010) — Effects of diaphragmatic breathing on upper trapezius activity

• Iwarsson (2001) — Respiratory mechanics in classical singing

• Angsuwarangsee & Morrison (2002) — A physiologic approach to diagnosis and treatment of muscle tension dysphonia