Some people think that they are stuck with the voice they have. This is not ture !
By applying these techniques you can change your voice in minutes !
This can’t be true, some say ?
Well we say, give it a shot and see for yourself.
BELOW ARE TIPS AND EXERCISES TO DEVELOP THE MANY AREAS OF YOUR VOICE AND IMPROVE YOUR SINGING :
1. START WITH YOUR BODY
You should start by warming up your body before your voice.
Go from the head to the toes.
- Stretch out any and all tension from the body
- Move your head, Left and right
- Stretch out your neck
- Move all the muscles in your face
- Move your tongue in a circular motion and also in and out
- Stretch your shoulders
- Move your body side to side whilst being in a fixed position
- Stretch your legs
- Finally take 3 deep breaths and your good to go
2. HUMMING
Humming is considered the best warm-up for your voice. This is because it prevents vocal strain, relaxes your facial muscles and releases any tension in the tone.
How to warm up your voice with humming :
- First you should relax your facial muscles and body
- Then place the tip of your tongue behind your bottom front teeth
- Make a “hmm” sound with your jaw open and your lips closed
- Hum notes up and down your range while keeping your mouth closed
- Repeat this exercise several times until the buzzing feeling becomes automatic
- After this, produce an “ah” sound while humming notes. Your mouth should be open when you do this particular exercise
3. RELEASING TENSION
The most common forms of tension while singing is Jaw,neck and tongue tension.
A loose jaw and flexible tongue results in good singing.
For a more detailed explanation and exercises to release tension ,Click here.
4. KNOW YOUR RANGE
Vocal range is the musical term for how high a singer can sing in their voice.
Knowing your vocal range is one of the most important things you can do when trying to find your tone and style as a singer.
Vocal range is often divided into two categories: low and high singing voices.
Knowing your range helps you :
- Find your voice type
- Learn about your weakness
- Measure your progress in voice training
- Pick the perfect song for your voice
There are seven main ranges or voice types :
- Soprano
- Mezzo-Soprano
- Alto
- Countertenor
- Tenor
- Baritone
- Bass
The first 3 are ranges for women while the later 4 are men’s ranges.
To find your range, you should start by singing the highest note you can and go down to the lowest note you can hit.
You can find your vocal range in 1 minute, here’s how.
5. BREATH
Learning to breathe correctly is vital for singing.
You should also know that your emotions change the way you breathe. So, you should be in control of your emotions when you sing.
Breathing well will support your voice.
You should practice different breathing techniques on an ongoing basis ,if you want your voice to be on point every time.
Diaphragmatic breathing or breathing from the belly will support your voice.
You can also try this Hissing exercise:
- Breathe in to the count of 4, breathe out, hissing, to the count of 4
- Then, breathe in for 6, and hiss out for 10
- in for 6, out for 12
- in for 2, out for 12
- in for 4, out for 16
- in for 2, out for 16
- in for 4, out for 20
- in for 1, out for 20
6. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
The foundation of great success is believing in yourself.
Self-esteem is a crucial part of success. It allows individuals to carry themselves with confidence and helps them achieve their goals.
Self-confidence is the belief that you can do what you want, be who you want, and have what you want.
If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will.
If you lack confidence in your singing , practice affirmations and visualization techniques.
A few affirmations :
- The more I sing, the bigger my audience gets!
- My songs are on everyone’s lips!
- I fill the world with song and song fills me with life!
- I am a world-class vocalist! I have Superstar written all over me!
- I am an absolute original! I put my unique stamp on every song I sing.
- More
Visualization help place your attention on actions that will enable you to achieve personal success
Meditation is another useful tool for singers to alleviate anxiety.
Here are a few Inspirational Songs About Believing in Yourself :
- This Is Me from The Greatest Showman
- Fight Song by Rachel Platten
- Who You Are by Jessie J
- Brave by Sara Bareilles
- Rise Up by Andra Day
7. BECOME THE SONG !
You should be connected and fully immersed into the song. You can think of personal experiences that connect you to the song.
“Words make you think… Music makes you feel…but a song makes you feel thoughts”
—Yip Harburg
Listen to the words, reflect about how and why you feel connected to each song, dance that feeling, draw that feeling, sing along, and enjoy it.
This makes your performance believable.
8. SING VOWELS WITH YOUR JAW OPEN
You probably know this because this is a beginner singing tip but it will be discussed in this blog because it can make your sound better instantly.
Practice this while looking at yourself in the mirror.
Say, A E I O U with your jaw open (long not wide) .
Repeat this until it becomes registered into your muscle memory.
By opening your jaw more on your vowels, you will sound better instantly.
One of the most common mistakes people make when speaking and singing is opening their mouth too much. This causes sound to be lost in the form of breathiness.
To avoid this, try opening your jaw more on your vowels to sound better instantly.
9. PRACTICE
“Music is a proud, temperamental mistress. Give her the time and attention she deserves, and she is yours. Slight her and there will come a day when you call and she will not answer. So I began sleeping less to give her the time she needed.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
You have the power to shape your voice. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. Don’t neglect it. practice everyday.
Singing is a healthy activity that can help you develop your voice, improve your vocal range, and strengthen your vocal cords. It is important to practice singing for at least 1 hr a day in order to see these benefits.
Check out the 3 best ways to train your voice.
10. TRAIN YOUR EAR
Ear training can help anyone improve their music, dance, or language skills.
Ear training is a core component of music theory and something that everyone should learn how to do.
Ear training is the process of connecting music theory (notes, intervals, chords, scales, melodies, etc.) with the sounds we hear.
Ear training involves:
- pitches
- intervals
- chords
- scales and modes
- chord progressions and cadences
- rhythm
What are the benefits of ear training ?
Ear training is an extremely valuable skill for musicians and music students.
- It can improve your ability to hear and transcribe melodies, chords, and harmonies as well as help you develop a better sense of pitch.
- Develop greater confidence in what you do
- Instrument versatility
- Expand your musical horizons and broaden your abilities to tackle less familiar kinds of music
- Improves your rhythmic skills
- Improves your singing skills
- You will have greater sensitivity towards dissonance
- It builds your stockpile of music knowledge
- Interact with other musicians more easily
- Compose music faster
- Sing on pitch
In short, you’ll become more deeply attuned to the wonderful world of music!
HOW DO YOU STAND OUT IN A SINGING AUDITION?
- Be prepared
- Arrive on time, you don’t want to stand out for being late
- Be confident
- Own whatever song you are performing
- Practice every chance you get
- Rest a day before your audition
WHAT DO JUDGES LOOK FOR IN SINGING AUDITIONS?
Vocal technique, rhythm and tempo accounts for 50%.
Your expression and performance accounts for 30%.
Your showmanship accounts for 20%.
Major Categories Judges use to Evaluate Your Performance :
- Stage Presence/Audience Communication
- Diction
- Intonation
- Vocal Quality
- Rhythmic Interpretation
- Dynamics
- Song Choice/Song Prep
WHAT DO SINGERS DRINK BEFORE THEY SING?
The day of a performance for anything, the body needs to be well hydrated with water. The most important thing to remember is that the body needs to rest.
It’s recommended to stay hydrated with water the day of your audition,but remember to lay off on the water intake several hours before you go on, since there won’t be too many bathroom breaks.
What to avoid:
- Dairy
- Caffeine
- Soft drinks
- Refined sugars
- Chocolate,
- iced drinks and alcohol.
Conclusion
It is important to practice as much as you can and not just rely on the tips that we discussed in this article.
Secondly, singing is a skill that needs constant practice and attention.
Lastly, don’t forget to be patient with yourself and don’t give up too quickly!
Leave a comment with your opinion or any questions you may have below…
