This guide is for all those people who love to sing but wish to improve. Whether you want to sing in the bathroom or on stage; these easy tips will help you sing better.
1. Understand what singing is all about
To master singing, you must learn the techniques first. Develop your singing voice and work its different parts and tones. Record yourself and play it back so you know what parts sound great and ones that don’t. If needed, get help. If you know a music or voice teacher, sign up for a couple of classes. Singing is a lifelong hobby so you will need to really practice hard if you are serious about it.
2. Pay attention to your posture
You may not think so, but singing needs a proper posture. Here are some steps that top vocalists take in order to develop the right posture for singing:
- Keep the chin parallel to the ground
- Keep abdomen flat and firm
- Keep feet slightly apart so as to balance and support the body weight
- Keep the hands relaxed and by your side.
- Keep shoulders relaxed. Do not raise them as you sing.
Beginners can stand with their back to the wall supported by it. You can also practice keeping one hand on the abdomen to ensure that it is relaxed and expanding. Keep shoulders held back and down but without straining them.
3. Practice deep breathing exercises
One of the most important ways to sing better is to practice breathing in and out deeply. Start your singing practice with basic breathing exercises for singers:
- Breathe in deeply through the nose and from the lower part of your lungs.
- Breathe in through the throat-making a sound as if the wind is moving through the trees or a tunnel. Practice singing by pressing your tongue down. You can use a spoon to do so. Relax your face.
- Breathe out through the nose and mouth deeply.
- Practice singing in front of the candle-the candle should not go out which means you need to keep in the breath.
4. Analyze the timbre of your voice
If you seriously want to sing better then you must analyze your voice timbre-is it weak, strong, scratchy and so on. Accordingly you will need to practice the scales as the only way to sing better is through practice. Do 30-40 minutes of scales every day and make sure the practice feels comfortable. You can do an 8-note scale for weeks until the tone is fixed and you sound good. If you feel there is a buzzing or vibrato the only way to overcome these is through months of practice. Here are some tips to open your voice:
- Place your hand on the side and sing from the belly. Take a deep breath and feel the diaphragm opening up.
- Ignore the throat and imagine that the tones are coming from the stomach. You must also open the mouth and push up the palate with the tongue down. Experts recommend imagining there is a bubble in the mouth to resonate with your sound coming out.
5. Listen
Good singers who wish to improve must learn to listen to singers better than themselves. Invest in a couple of CDs or go online to find great singers. Many videos and online tutorials can also help. As stated above, you must also record yourself and listen to it.
6. Read books on singing to improve technique
There are some great books out there on this topic:
- Singing for Dummies by Pamelia S. Philips
- Singing Secrets
- Secrets of Singing for female voices
7. Confront your fears
If you wish to sing well on stage, you must confront your fears. Start small-sing before your family or friends to overcome fright you may face before a larger audience.
8. Stop thinking – fear is all in the mind
In most cases, the fear is just in the mind. As stated before, practice, practice and practice till you are confident and till your loved ones feel that you are good enough to sing on stage or before a large crowd. Most importantly do not over think. It is all in your head.
9. Maintain your throat
This is essential to sing better each time. Gargle with hot water to keep the throat clean. Drink plenty of water. Avoid shouting or speaking in tones that can affect your voice. Eat foods that are soothing for the throat. Avoid eating too hot or too cold foods. Stay away for spicy, greasy foods.
10. Keep your emotional life in check
Your voice is affected by your thoughts. If you are a professional singer who wishes to sing better, it is crucial to keep your emotions in check. Be happy and positive always.
We hope these 10 easy ways help you improve your singing.
