How to Sing
Setting the Foundation
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Find your vocal range. This is essential, as singing pieces written for the wrong range may strain your voice until you sound like a wookie with a cold.
- Your range is largely determined by the size and shape of your instrument: your voice. The size and shape of your larynx is the primary factor in your vocal range. You may be able to push the boundaries, but your range is largely fixed. Here is a general guideline to help you find your range:
- Sopraninos: Reaching the highest of the ranges, a Sopranino can sing to D6 and beyond.
- Sopranos: Sopranos sing from C4 to A5, or even higher.
- Mezzo-soprano: The mezzo-soprano range extends from about A3 to F5.
- Alto: The standard range for altos is approximately E3 to E5.
- Contralto: The lowest female voices are called "contralto," and extend below E3.
- Countertenors: Males with very high vocal ranges, into the alto and soprano ranges of female vocals, or have a strong, clear falsetto, are called "countertenors."
- Tenor: This is near the upper end of the male's vocal range. A tenor can comfortably sing between C3 and A4
- Baritone: A baritone singer ranges between F2 and E4.
- Bass: The range for a bass singer is around F2 to E4, with a comfort range normally between G2 and A3.
- Contrabass: If you can sing G1 or lower, you are what's known as a sub-bass, contrabass, or a basso profundo.
- People will love or hate your voice based on its sound character, not just how many notes you can hit or runs/trills you can do. Your range can be developed with the right training but be sure to use proven techniques that do not strain or wear out your voice.
2
Get started for free. There are hundreds of vocal training videos on YouTube, filled with everything from amateur tipsters to educated, professional singers. It can be a bit tricky finding a good vocal trainer on the Internet, but think of it this way: It's a great way to find out if you like being taught how to sing, whether you're ready to practice, and most of all, if you're ready to start taking lessons.
3
Take lessons. Find a vocal coach or qualified voice teacher who can help you become a good singer. Check with your local music store or your school music teacher.
- If you're serious about becoming a singer, taking lessons sooner rather than later is the way to go: Poor performance techniques can ruin your singing voice for good!
- If you cannot afford a teacher, or do not want the dedication that comes with hiring a professional voice coach, consider joining a local choir.
- There are also a few learn-at-home vocal training courses out there such as Singing Success, Sing and See, Singorama, Singing for the Stars and Vocal Release, but be sure to do your research to see which ones have really worked for other singers.
4
Get to know your singing tools. The more familiar you are with how everything is supposed to move and feel, the more attuned to your voice you will be.
- Touch the top of your collar bone. About a half of an inch below your finger is the top of your lungs.
- Examine your ribs. They move like bucket handles attached to your spine and your sternum. When you breath in, they move upward as your chest expands. When you breathe out, they move downward as the air in your lungs is exhaled.
- Find your chest line. This is the place where your lungs expand the largest. Place your hands about halfway down your torso, towards the bottom of your sternum. Take a deep breath, and move your hand till you find the point of maximum extension of the ribs.
- The bottom of your lungs is right below your sternum, where your rib cages meet. This is the bottom of your lungs and the housing of your diaphragm. The reason your stomach may pooch out when you breathe deeply is because your diaphragm is pushing down on everything below your rib cage, not because your lungs are in your stomach.
Healthy Singing Habits
1
Stand up straight! Correct posture helps so stand tall with one foot slightly in front of the other one, feet shoulder width apart. This allows you to breathe easily and to allow maximum lung capacity to allow better notes and phrases.
- Stand up straight, shoulders back and down, floating over your torso. Make sure that your chest is high to give room for your lungs to expand and contract. Relax.
- If you're sitting, the same things apply! Keep both your feet flat on the floor--don't cross your legs. Keeping your body in line allows for more control and sustained singing without strain.
2
Breathe properly. The voice is best described as a wind instrument, because breathing is 80% of singing and proper singing begins and ends with proper breathing. Breathe low, from your stomach, and push out, tightening the muscles when you exhale.
- If you try breathing from your chest, you will find you won't have enough support for high notes.
- Practice the old fashioned book method: Lie on the ground and place a book on your stomach. Sing a comfortable note, and when you are exhaling/singing, try to make the book go up.
3
Practice your warmups. Before you begin singing or doing practice exercises, it's always best to warm up. Try this: sing in your middle range, low range, then high range, then back to middle.
- You should spend at least 10 minutes on each range and do not stress your voice if you're frustrated and cannot hit a note. Relax, then try again, carefully. Other things to practice:
- Dynamics: Dynamics are variations to the intensity of your resonance. Even the simplest use of dynamics will make your songs come alive, and the more you practice, the louder and softer you'll be able to sing healthily. Sing a comfortable pitch and start very softly, crescendo to loud then decrescendo back to soft. When you start out you will probably only be able to sing from mp (mezzo piano, or moderately quiet) to mp (moderately loud), but your range will increase with practice.
- Agility—Hit the "do re mis." Try singing from do to sol, back to do really fast back and forth, trying to hit all of the notes. Do this in increments of half steps on different syllables. This will help your voice more flexible.
4
Pronounce your vowels correctly. Practice all your vowels at every pitch (high, low and in between). In English there are very few pure vowels. Normally, we will encounter diphthongs which are two or more vowel sounds elided together.
- In classical singing, the singer will sustain the note on the first vowel and then say the second on the way to the final consonant. In country, singers like to slide through the first vowel and elongate the second vowel on the sustained note.
- For example: whereas a classical signer might sing "Am[aaaaaaai]zing Gr[aaaaaai]ce" and a country singer would sing "Am[aiiiiiii]zing Gr[aiiiiii]ce".
- If you can, always sing the first vowel for as long as you can before letting the second vowel in.
- Here are some pure vowels to practice with: AH as in "father", EE as in "eat", IH as in "pin", EH as in "pet", OO as in "food", UH as in "under", EU as in "could", OH as in "home".
5
Practice scales. Practice this often, especially if you have pitch problems. Most coaches will recommend 20-30 minutes a day when starting out, as practicing scales will also strengthen the muscles used for singing and give you better control.
- To practice scales, identify your range (tenor, baritone, alto, soprano, etc.) and know how to find the notes that cover your range on a keyboard or piano. Then practice the major scale in every key, moving up and down using the vowel sounds.
- At some point you can start working in minor scales as well. Solfege (Do,Re,Mi,...) is also an effective tool for improving pitch problems.
The Attitude
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Be confident. Do not care what people think, just keep practicing. If you are limited by your inhibitions, your voice will be, too.
- Be confident that you are going to get better, and you will continue to improve. Making safe decisions will not stretch your abilities. In order to do new things with your voice, you must be fearless.
2
Be reasonable with your expectations. Regardless of where you are coming from, if you can devote 20 minutes or more a day to practicing scales and songs, you can expect measurable improvement within four weeks.
- Most pitch problems can be corrected within 3-4 months. Understand that your progress is linked to your ability to practice daily (as with most training). If you only do 10 minutes a day, a few days a week, you could spend a year or more.
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