Can Speaking from the Diaphragm Improve Your Weak Voice?

Speaking from the diaphragm – what does it really mean and can using your diaphragm properly improve your weak or tired voice? Let's untangle some myths about diaphragmatic breathing and let me tell you that some interpretations of “speaking from the diaphragm” can put even more stress on your voice. 

The phrase “speaking from the diaphragm” is very misleading and in my 20+ years of experience, I have seen many people pushing more air and creating more tension in their voice when trying to “speak from the diaphragm”. So, let’s unpack this phrase and see if there are more useful instructions to improve your weak voice. 

In my opinion, the phrase “speak from the diaphragm” is very general and vague. It really does not give you any specific instructions that you can execute successfully and improve your voice in any way. Even if you know where the diaphragm is located, how do you actually speak from the diaphragm? What exactly do you do? What muscles do you engage in? What muscles do you release? How does it feel to speak from the diaphragm?

When people are asked to “speak from their diaphragm”, the usual reaction is: big breath with shoulders moving up with tension in the upper torso. This type of breathing creates more tension, puts more strain on the vocal folds and does not improve vocal strength.

Additionally, you cannot really control your diaphragm in isolation when speaking. Your diaphragm will move down when you inhale and will move up when you speak, whether you want it or not. Of course, you can postpone or deepen your inhalation, and you can slow down or speed up your exhalation. But is this something that will strengthen your voice? 

I am not quite sure where the phrase “speaking from the diaphragm” came from but I know that it’s the most useless phrase you can give to anyone. And you may not agree with me but from my experience, there are far more specific and useful instructions for strengthening your voice.

In fact, you most likely have enough air in your lungs for speaking unless you have an acute or chronic pulmonary condition, such as COVID or COPD. When you have healthy lungs, your brain knows exactly how much air to inhale for a given spoken phrase. We rarely run out of breath when speaking.

If you are running out of breath at the end of spoken phrases, it’s most likely due to low vocal effort, not due to lack of air in your lungs. Or if you feel the need to push air at the end of spoken phrases, it’s not because you don’t have enough breath, it’s more likely that your abdominals are too tight, which causes a loss of air. Or if your voice is breathy and weak, it’s not because you did not inhale enough air, it’s because your vocal folds are not closing properly and they are leaking air. In all of these scenarios, “speaking from the diaphragm” would only deepen the problem, not solve it.

Watch the video below to do a little experiment to find out how much air you really need for speaking.  

In my experience, many vocal issues, including a weak voice, vocal strain or even pain, are caused by too much breath. Large lung volumes are hard to control. Large volumes can create high breath pressures under the vocal folds, which puts strain on them. 

When you drive too much air through the vocal folds, there are two things that can happen. Too much air can cause the folds to constrict or work extra hard to withstand the high pressures underneath them. Too much breath can cause constriction and strain in other parts of the vocal tract. Or the vocal folds just simply give up and open completely, which results in a breathy and weak voice. 

If you are experiencing vocal strain, tension or even pain when speaking, and you are ready to work towards a free, strong and confident voice, you can apply to our Vocal Freedom System coaching program. Click here to schedule a call with me.  

So, the question is: what can you do to strengthen your weak voice? Let the diaphragm do its job. Unless you have a chronic respiratory condition, your diaphragm will work well without you paying too much attention to it. When you start interfering with the natural flow of the breathing mechanism, it often leads to discoordination. 

 Link to the video: https://youtu.be/5wrlIs2fO6I