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- Timed “sss” hiss
Timed “sss” hiss
Release air on “sss” for as long as you can. We measure seconds. Goal: 30+.
The Timed “sss” hiss has no pitch. You exhale on a steady “sss” for as long as you can, and the app counts the seconds; the goal is thirty or more. With no note to sing, all your attention goes to the breath: how evenly you let it out, and how long the ribs stay open before they collapse. The “s” is a valve: air leaves slowly and audibly, so you hear any unevenness at once.
How to do it
- Sit or stand tall. Breathe in low and slow, letting the belly and ribs expand.
- Start the timer and begin an even “sss” at a moderate level, not loud.
- Keep the hiss at the same loudness from first second to last. Watch the seconds climb.
- Stop when the sound becomes ragged. Note your time and try to beat it next session.
Coach's tip: An even hiss from start to finish – not louder at the start. Ribs “open” as long as possible.
What to watch out for
The common mistake is a loud, forceful “sss” at the start that fades to a whisper. Start quiet and stay quiet; second two should sound like second twenty. Pulling the belly in hard at the start dumps the air; let the ribs stay wide and the belly come in slowly. Don't lock the throat to stretch the time. If you feel lightheaded, stop and breathe normally. A steady thirty beats a ragged forty.
Who it's for
A level 1 exercise for everyone, especially beginners who don't yet know how their breath behaves. Use it at the start of a session, before any singing, or between blocks as a reset. It leads naturally into Long note 6 s, which adds pitch to the same steady exhale. Hum on one note is another gentle follow-up. Listed in Breath and long phrases.
Part of programs: Breath and long phrases
Opens the app in your browser. Free to start, no account needed. Put on headphones first.
Related exercises
- Long note 6 s Hold one note steadily for 6 seconds.
- Long folk phrase without vibrato An original phrase in the style of a folk song, on the pentatonic, all on one breath. Straight tone, no vibrato – as in acoustic singing. The score also counts how steady the long notes are.
- Legato line on one breath Five steps of the major scale up in long notes, the fifth held for four beats and a quicker way down – the whole phrase on one breath, with no gaps between notes. A first step toward long, even classical phrases.
- Long note 10 s Ten seconds without wavering and without sagging.