Improving your singing voice isn’t an overnight process; however, by incorporating tailored vocal exercises that consider your vocal register and the critical elements of pitch, vowel, and intensity, you can begin the path to mastering those high notes.
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Thursday, June 29th
Let’s look at some essential tips to help improve your singing voice:
1. Identify Your Weaknesses
To become more aware of how you sing, try recording yourself singing a familiar song. This recording doesn’t have to be of professional quality; use your smartphone or computer to create a sufficient one. Afterward, compare your version with the original singer’s version. Make a note of all of your errors – Was your vocal range inadequate? Did you hit the incorrect notes? Was your breath support insufficient?
You can pinpoint areas that require improvement when enhancing your singing voice by recognizing your weaknesses.
2. Perform Vocal Warm Ups
Vocal warm-ups are essential to keep your throat and mouth muscles in good condition before singing. Your singing voice is a muscle that needs to be warmed up like any other muscle before you start using it. There are plenty of vocal warm-up exercises available for vocal training.
Practicing scales, enhancing coordination between your tongue and soft palate, performing tongue and lip trills, and simply humming are excellent warm-up exercises to loosen up your vocal cords and prepare them for singing.
3. Understand Posture
Good posture is essential for singing well. Poor posture, such as slouching or tilting your head, can harm your pitch and tone. When you sing, air flows through your body.
Lousy posture can prevent your diaphragm from expanding and restrict airflow. In contrast, good posture helps to keep your throat open, allowing you to hold high notes longer and project your voice better. The recommended stance for singing well is to stand straight with relaxed shoulders and abdomen, feet shoulder-width apart, and chin slightly tilted down.
You can practice good posture by lying down, which helps to maintain a straight body line that you can transfer to a standing posture.
4. Think Low
Hitting high notes while singing sometimes means aiming for the highest point of your pitch. Experts suggest thinking low instead, as adding weight and resistance to your vocal cords can help you reach higher notes without straining.
Differentiating between your head and chest voice can also expand your singing range. If you need to become more familiar with these types of voices, you can do some research or ask your vocal coach for guidance.
Another practice to help hit those high notes is to simulate crying while singing. This exercise should be done at home rather than on stage. Pretending to cry tilts the thyroid and makes it easier to reach high notes. With enough practice, you can eventually hit those notes without simulating crying.
5. Caring for Your Voice
If you consider your voice your instrument, taking good care of it is crucial. Just like you wouldn’t leave a guitar or trumpet to gather dust or rust, you shouldn’t leave your voice to chance.
Drinking enough water (eight glasses/day) effectively keeps your vocal membranes hydrated and maintains a healthy voice. It’s advisable to avoid smoking, yelling, or any activity that strains your voice. Even second-hand smoke can result in a sore throat. If you have a hoarse voice, your talent won’t be able to shine.”
BONUS:
Practice daily!
As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” Daily vocal practice is essential to strengthen your vocal cords, improve your range, and develop a better tone. Aim to practice singing for at least 30 minutes daily, warming up your voice first.
If you don’t have a daily routine, consult with your vocal coach to create one that suits you.
This article based on “Tips To Improve Your Singing Voice” published on voicelessons.com
