Have you ever dreamed of becoming a great singer? Maybe you have a beautiful voice to discover and listen to: you just have to find it. The key to improving as a singer is identifying your vocal range, using the right techniques, and putting in a lot of practice. Maybe you just need to know a few tricks to start performing without feeling uncomfortable.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Learning to Know Your Voice
Step 1. Determine your vocal range
It's about measuring the octaves you can sing, from lowest to highest. You can find your vocal range by singing the musical scales. Start with the lowest note you can sing clearly and continue until you reach the highest one. There are seven main types of voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, countertenor, tenor, baritone and bass.
- Warm up by singing the major scales starting with middle C. Sing Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-Fa-Mi-Re-Do and continue raising or lowering a semitone for each new scale.
- What are the scales you can sing most clearly? At what point does it become difficult to play the notes? Figure out where you are having a hard time determining your voice type.
- There are apps, such as SingScope, that can help you determine your vocal range by identifying the lowest and highest notes you can sing while staying in tune.
Step 2. Find your texture
The texture includes the notes that you can sing while feeling perfectly comfortable, without straining, so the voice is quite pleasant to listen to. Your vocal range may exceed the texture. You may be able to play very high or very low notes, but there is a group of notes that the voice can reproduce with more ease and power. Identifying this favorable aspect will help you discover the best characteristics of your voice.
- What are the songs that you generally like to sing? If there are any that you love to sing out loud, this is probably because you think you can reproduce them well. Pay attention to the notes of these songs.
- With practice, you should be able to expand the range of notes you can sing as you gain power.
Step 3. Determine when to use the chest and head voice
The chest voice is the one you use when you speak or when you sing low notes. When you sing higher notes, you use your head, whether it's for a delicate sound or for a fuller one.
Pop singers like Ariana Grande and Beyonce manage to use both registers often
Step 4. Learn to use the right singing technique
If you haven't used the correct technique so far, you may not even know what your real tone is. Using the proper technique will allow your voice to sound clear and loud. Keep the following indicators in mind as you practice singing:
- Try to have good posture. Stand straight, so you can breathe easier. Keep your neck straight but relaxed.
- Speaking of breathing, be sure to use your diaphragm. The stomach should expand when you inhale and deflate when you exhale. This allows you to better control your tone.
- Open the back of your throat and say the vowels when you sing.
Method 2 of 3: Practice Songs
Step 1. Always warm up your voice before singing
The vocal cords are muscles, so they need time to loosen up, so they don't get put under too much strain. Start by slowly singing the stairs for about 10-15 minutes. When the vocal cords seem to have warmed up enough and are ready, you can interpret the songs you have chosen to practice.
You could also sing songs and scales by making trills with your lips to warm your voice. This will help you have air support while relaxing your vocal cords. Check out this video to see how Celine Dion warms her voice
Step 2. Choose the right songs
Select pieces that are easily adaptable to your range, so you are more likely to sing well and find that beautiful voice that has been hiding inside you all this time.
- Sing over the recordings of your chosen songs until you are comfortable with these pieces.
- Practice singing the songs without having the recording as a basis. You can use the instrumental part, but not the vocal part.
- Try songs from a wide variety of genres. Maybe your favorite genre of music is hip hop, but you may realize that you are more inclined to sing jazz or country. Give all kinds of music a chance.
- If you particularly love a song, but can't sing it in its original key, use an app like AnyTune to change it while maintaining the same tempo. Or use the app to slow it down as you learn the hardest steps.
Step 3. Record when you sing
Use a tape recorder or other suitable device to record yourself singing after warming up and practicing. Make a note of what you should work on, but also write down what you did well.
Step 4. Perform in front of other people
Sometimes, if we don't get outside opinions, it's hard to tell if we need to improve. Sing for family or friends, and ask them for honest feedback on your voice.
- Remember to warm up before performing.
- Sing in a large, open room with a high ceiling; your voice will sound better than it would in a low-ceilinged, carpeted place.
- After getting some feedback, keep it in mind when practicing in the future.
- Their karaoke nights out are great places to practice and perform in front of other people.
Method 3 of 3: Refine Your Voice
Step 1. Identify your unique style
What makes your voice original? Once you understand the limits of your range, you can experiment with different singing styles to bring out the best in your voice.
- Maybe you have a voice suitable for the opera; practice with opera singing.
- Maybe it has a nice nasal tone in perfect country style. Take advantage of it!
- Shouting and whispering are also styles that find their place among rock legends. Nothing is forbidden.
Step 2. Join a band or choir
Singing with other musicians is a great way to get more creative with your vocal style. Join the church choir or join a music club. Alternatively, propose to some friends that they form a band in which you will be the lead singer. You could also audition for a musical or start earning money by performing on the street if you can't wait to offer your performances to an audience.
Step 3. Consider signing up for a singing course
If you are serious about finding your voice, getting trained by a professional instructor is the best method. Singing masters can teach you to use your voice as if it were an instrument. You will likely find that you have a greater range than you thought and your teacher will be able to help you find the style that best suits your abilities.
Ask your friends or search online to find a singing teacher in your area. Search among those who sing or teach the genres you are most interested in. Meet at least three before choosing the one that best suits your needs
Advice
- Always start with easier songs and then move on to the ones that challenge you the most.
- Think about what you sing about, and try to capture the true passion of the song in question.
- Singing is difficult and you will have detractors. Either way, keep doing it and try to find exercises that make your voice more flexible.
- Don't expect to get good right away. It takes time and effort to do this.
- Drink water at room temperature. Drinking very hot or cold water is harmful to the vocal cords and makes singing more difficult. In between vocal exercises, sip room-temperature water to keep your throat lubricated.
- Try to avoid drinking liquids like milk and orange juice, as they line your throat with excess mucus.
- Try a wide range of songs from different genres, from jazz to hip hop; try to understand which style you would like to interpret.
- Try singing accompanied by a piano to help you hit the right note.
- Exercise is the key to success.
- Don't try too hard, or your vocal cords can get damaged and eventually break.
