Drama T1 - Lesson 5 - Breathing

benefits of inter-costal diaphragmatic method

1. thorax is enlarged to fullest, therefore lungs have ample room to expand, maximum quantity of air

2. large quantity of air means firm,steady breath stream, produces good tone, gives support to the breath and helps to carry voice a great distance

3. sustained or continuous speech as we have sufficient breath to phrase correctly

4. support gives smoothness and fluency to delivery

5. large supply of fresh air is healthy, healthy body means good tone, good resonance and crisp articulation

incorrect methods of breathing

1. clavicular method

2. abdominal method

clavicular method

wrong method of breathing, shallow type of breathing
→rise and fall of shoulders, rise and fall of the clavicle or collarbone
→no expansion of the thoracic cavity and only small, poor supply of air is drawn into the narrow upper portion of the lung

abdominal method

wrong method of breathing
ribs are hardly raised at all, breath is taken immediately by the diaohragm
lower abdomen below the navel is allowed to distend
only minimum supply of air is drawn in

disadvantages of clavicular and the abdominal methods

1. non expansion of the thorax, small supply of air

2. small quantity of air results in weak breath stream, poor support, weak tone, lack of resonance, loss of carrying power and audibility

3. phrasing is mutilated, sense destroyed

4. smooth sustained speech is impossible due to jerkiness and lack of breath

5. speaker puts severe strain on the delicately poised laryngeal muscles

   1. rise and fall of the shoulders is very fatiguing and an ungly dropping of the thorax is visible

types of breathing

1. tidal breath

2. supplementary or complimentary breath

   1. residuary breath

tidal breath

normal intake filling only 1/3 of the lung; narrow upper portions

supplementary or complimentary breath

fills 2/3 of the lungs, can only be stored if the correct method of breathing is used and the lungs are allowed to expand

residuary breath

reserve supply of breath, stored at the very base of the lung. expelled by extra force such as abdominal pressure and diaphragmatic compression

Is it better to breathe through the nose or the mouth?

→the nose
→the air is then pure, warm and moist
→tiny hairs lining the nose hold back dust and germs
→blood vessels in the nose make the air warm

what is inspiration

the act of breathing in

what is expiration

the act of breathing out

what is respiration

the full act of breathing in and out