Singing is a wonderful thing. Many musicians assume that nobody is really unmusical, it is also something that everyone can practice. Throughout this article, we will give you some actionable tips that will help you improve that innate singing voice YOU possess, which we believe almost everyone can improve upon – song long as you aren’t tone deaf.
Tips for Improving That Singing Voice
A good prerequisite is already the fact that almost everyone is capable of learning to sing. Infants are known to produce very loud sounds, because they instinctively master the right technique: the abdominal breathing. This ability can be regained through practice, expanded and then honed precisely to produce far better musical sound than a dissatisfied baby.
Before looking for a choir or a vocal teacher you should ask yourself the following question: Do I like classical singing or do I prefer to dedicate myself to pop, rock or jazz singing? The fundamental difference between the two groups is that the latter types of vocals tend to be based on the speaking voice. The classical song is a very unique art form. The voice is artificially changed. The vocal folds are stretched through the vocal cartilages and thus thinner – Tild is called this technique. From the speaking voice the resulting sound quality is far away.
This article is well supplemented with another article on our site on learning how to sing. Starting from that article may provide a better scope of understanding for the following tips!
Learn Singing: Tips & Exercises for all Ages
“Learning to sing is like a journey to yourself,” says Uta Habbig, jazz singer and vocal teacher. The voice is the most intimate instrument that can be used to make music. Because every mood and every feeling has an effect on the voice, so we reveal a lot of us at every vocal statement. So, if you are afraid to open yourself to others, it can be a bit difficult at first. On the other hand, learning to sing is also a good way to get rid of such fears.
The anatomical conditions that are fundamental in singing are the larynx and the vocal folds inside it. These produce the sound of the voice. That’s why every human being has his own vocal color, also called timbre. For example, some people have vocal folds that never close completely. This always releases some air without causing the vocal folds to vibrate. This is not bad, but can even be used as a stylistic device in singing.
In the course of their training, professional singers must acquire a whole repertoire of variants with which they can change their voices (such as the falsetto voice). But even when you start, you bring along a range of attitudes of the voice. Uta Habbig speaks of everyone being shaped by music that they like to hear and to sing along. These forms of the voice can be used as a basis and expand in the classroom.
Singing can be learned at any age, and we have a specific article to help you get your child to sing. If you have a kid, then this informative article will give you some ways to help integrate your child into the craft.
Find Indifferent Situations
Every human being has an innate range of sounds called ambitus. You can also extend this by practicing and teaching. It is based on the relaxed voice, the indifferent situation. You can find them by watching the pitch of the voice in a relaxed conversation. From there one can work on expanding the boundaries of one’s own ambitus.
Relax Your Face
In order to be able to sing relaxed, one should loosen the face, in particular the cheeks, but also the throat and the diaphragm. One way is to pretend to yawn. Also, stroking the cheeks can help to make the face more flexible and open the mouth further – an aspect that should not be ignored, so that your singing is easy to hear!
Understand Anatomy and Technology
In order to have no mistakes and to be able to control the voice in stressful situations such as high-profile auditions, it is important to master the technique that you practice with your voice. Mastering your voice involves mastering the vocal chords and the diaphragm. The latter is a muscle that separates the lungs from the abdomen. The diaphragm raises and lowers with the breathing. The more pressure the diaphragm makes to squeeze the air out of the lungs, the louder the sound becomes.The diaphragm can be trained by exhaling three times with an “f” sound, as if you were blowing out a candle. Moving quickly, the diaphragm stresses itself to quickly move and then subsequently loosen. Do it as if you were scared for the best results!
Breathing While Singing
The basis of the song is the abdominal breathing. You need the high breathing, i.e. the breathing in the chest, in order to achieve high performance quickly. However, you do not need much air for singing. It is more important here to control the respiration so that you can generate specific sounds. You can also prevent overexertion while singing with the right breathing technique.To practice this, put your hand on your stomach and inhale. When the abdominal wall lifts, you open up the stomach to produce optimal sounds. This test can also be done on the sides by placing hands on the waist and inhaling. Even there, the abdominal space should expand.The upper part of the trunk should also be included, so hands can be placed on the ribs to control the dilation of the abdomen. Here you should make sure that the shoulders remain relaxed. Then the quality of your notes improves dramatically.
Body Connection
This is the name given to the idea that you use the entire body to sing, to take the tension out of your throat and not over-strain it. The whole body serves as a resonance chamber, which amplifies the sounds that arises in the larynx. While high notes tend to resonate in the head and upper body, you can feel low notes rather in the stomach.
Also in the head, certain ways to use the voice may sound in the head or back of the head. The following exercise will teach you to feel where the voice sounds: Try to speak like a witch. Then imitate the laughter of a Santa Claus. Pay attention to where you notice the vibrations of the voice. Those of the witch must be felt further up, Santa’s in the back of the head.
Myth Head and Chest Voice
On the feeling that the voice sounds rather down or up in the body, is also the naming of certain sounds as chest or head voice. But there is no such subdivision. From a certain height you can only reach sounds by using the “Tild” technique explained above. Then you draw the vocal fold artificially in the length. However, this is not tied to specific pitches. If you apply more pressure, ie tighten the diaphragm while singing, you only have to use the Tild at higher tones than when you are singing softly. This is often done with soul singing. The technique of pushing the pressure of Tild to higher notes is called belting.
Learning to Sing: The Attitude
The posture of the body should provide good conditions for the voice to unfold. Stand firm with both feet, but relax. The knees do not have to be fully extended, but remain flexible. Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed and not drawn to the ears – even when singing high notes.
Training your Hearing
Recognizing sounds that are predetermined with the ear and singing with your voice is a complex matter. That may be difficult in the beginning. One reason for this is that hearing in everyday life is overwhelmed by the multitude of noises. With practice of your overall craft, you’ll develop instinctive understanding of singing notes with your ears, and this will only serve to improve your singing itself!
Vocal Care
Drinking plenty of water helps the voice. Sage sweets help with throat scratching. Always remember, alcohol and cigarettes are extremely toxic to your singing voice, so remember to keep that in mind next time you engage in consumption of either poisonous substance!
Try to practice the basics of singing at first. Trying things like adding grit and distortion to your singing voice aren’t really for beginners, and can do much more harm than good to your voice!
Einsingen
At the beginning of each session you should allow the voice to warm up. This will make your voice more flexible. Sing a middle C and then DEFG and then FED C. Then, starting from C, raise one semitone higher and sing up a scale from this tone (Cis / Des) and down again. Use an instrument, a tuning fork or an app for orientation!
Relaxation and Good Mood
The psyche has an immediate effect on the voice. Because emotional tension leads to muscular cramping. The vocal apparatus is affected by this. On the other hand, something that helps to stop the air is to helping to breathe again and to let out the air by making “f” sounds in quick succession. Singing with the right mindset is important, and daily meditation can help you become more centered which will allow you to focus on your craft and your fundamentals in a more relaxed state of mind.
Therefore it is also important to find a suitable vocal teacher or choirmaster. In the search, well-being should serve as the highest criteria: after the lesson you should not hurt anything. So if you feel a sore throat or tension in the throat or shoulders, try to get into another singing lesson or choir rehearsal!
As the Head Editor and Writer at Music Grotto, Liam helps write and edit content produced from professional music/media journalists and other contributing writers. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. Liam is also the founding member of Music Grotto and is passionate in disseminating editorial content to its readers.
Liam’s lifelong love for music makes his role at Music Grotto such a rewarding one. He loves researching, writing and editing music content for Music Grotto.