how do I improve my breathing?

Q - I need someone who can give me some breathing exercises cause I find it difficult to sing a note for a very long time without breathing. (Nigeria)

A - holding notes for longer is exactly much more complex than working with the breath. It's not really about the amount of air you take in, it's about how you release that air and use it effectively. Best way to work on this is:
when breathing in, make sure it's a natural breath, think of the breath as going low & do not lift the shoulders when you are breathing in... when releasing the breath for singing do not engage the diaphram to push it out, or try to manipulate the breath in any way... follow the natural function of the body, by experiencing the rib cage relaxing and the breath moving because of that relaxation... and use this natural body breath to create sound

always initiate the voice gently, as on a sigh -- in other words, float the voice on breath that is already moving naturally and easily from the body,

never push the voice; try to sound like someone else; or yell, scream, whisper; no smoking, minimal drinking; do drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day; get good sleep

ensure that you are standing naturally, look at something that is at eye level, do not lift the chin or stretch the neck

work on singing lyrical phrases -- singing is all about phrasing... that means the individual notes are less important than the phrase... think of singing phrases like a violin or cello would play them... smoothly, connected ("legato")

work on shaping words effectively - most untrained singers sing with shapes that are wide and flat. Think of singing your words so that the vowels are tall and slim - this will focus the tone and use the breath more effectively

energy is important when singing... when holding a note you need to imagine a forward moving pulse in the tone.... best way to practice this is to walk forward with purpose as you are singing the note... you feel yourself staying underneath the voice more effectively

lastly, placement of the voice is important as well... say 'gah gah gah' now say 'bah bah bah' - can you feel the difference? We want to imagine that the voice begins at the lips... where the 'bah' is... imagine being the opperative word

try singing songs on vowel-based syllables -- boh boh boh, for example, to achieve some focussing of tone and effective placement

that's the best I can do without having you in my studio... these things take time, and experience, and the alert ear of an experienced teacher... in order to understand and practice effectively. Words simply aren't enough to expres the complex skills required to sing in a healthy, easy way.

If possible, take a few lessons with a qualified, experienced teacher of vocal technique... perferably the Italian method... but whatever the method, it should always work on you singing with your voice most effectively with minimal effort. Naturally. Healthily.

cheers
Hummin'bird