How to Sing

Have you ever been captivated by the sound of someone's voice? The gift of song is one of the most admired talents in society today. It seems that almost everyone wishes that they could sing. Just look at the popularity of American Idol. Singing takes skill, determination, practice, and talent. Just about anyone can learn how to sing. Some will just need to work harder at it than others.

While singing comes naturally to some people, others have actually been trained to develop the skill of singing. You must be willing to take the time and effort it requires to develop your vocal chords. Actually, it is similar to learning how to play an instrument. In other ways, it is also a lot like training other muscles in the body. If you would like to learn how to sing, read on.

Get Professional Assistance
Stay Within Your Range
Stand Up Straight and Tall
Breathe
Warm Up Before Your Exercises
Practice With a Tuned Instrument
Keep Practicing
Stay Consistent

Get Professional Assistance

A vocal coach or the director of a choir or chorus can help you to train your voice. Remember that the vocal chords are a muscle. Just as you can hire a personal trainer to help get your biceps and abs into shape, you can pay someone to help you develop your vocal chords. They can be strained or injured just like any other parts of the body, so learning the proper form and a variety of vocal exercises will make you a better singer.

Stay Within Your Range

Any vocal trainer will tell you that it is important to learn your vocal range. If you join a chorus, you can be classified as a bass, tenor, alto or soprano. The lowest note and the highest note that you can hold without straining your voice is your range. In order to avoid the injury of your vocal chords, always sing songs that are within your range. As you develop your skills, it is possible to extend your range slightly, and it may change over time, especially if you are still developing. If you cannot hit the note, do not attempt to force the sound.

Stand Up Straight and Tall

Poor posture can hinder your ability to breathe properly when singing. Stand properly with your feet slightly apart and with your shoulders back and down. Keep your jaw and face relaxed.

Breathe

Learning to control your breathe is absolutely crucial to singing. Your vocal coach will teach you how to breathe. Singing well is really a skill of breathing properly. Higher notes tend to require a slower release of air, while deeper notes require a quicker release of air and a deeper breathe. Your breathing will also control the volume of your voice. As your vocal chords strengthen, a deep breathe will help you to project your voice so that a crowd can hear you.

The best way to breathe is deep into your diaphragm. Short breaths that only reach your neck or chest will not produce high quality sound or volume. If you do not breathe from your diaphragm, you could injure your voice, or hurt your throat at the very least. This is especially true when attempting to increase your pitch or volume.

Warm Up Before Your Exercises

Just as you would stretch and warm up you muscles before a run, you need to warm up your vocal chords. Start with the center of your range (in between the highest and lowest notes you can sing). Next, sing deeper notes gradually, until you reach the bottom of your range. Gradually sing notes that are higher and higher until you reach the top of your range. Lastly, return to the middle of your range. Once you have warmed up in this manner for a few minutes, begin vocal exercises.

Practice With a Tuned Instrument

Once you learn to hear and repeat notes, you can use a piano or guitar when you practice. Play notes within your range, and repeat them with your voice. Try to really hear it, and aim to be as accurate as possible.

Keep Practicing

Spend about a half-hour per day singing. Practice your vocal exercises, sing words, learn songs, or repeat notes played on a piano. Singing in the bathroom is an excellent way to train your voice. The echo in a room like the bathroom can help you to truly hear your voice. If you practice with music on (not recommended) keep it low enough to hear your own voice. Recording your voice is also a way to get a better grasp of how you sound and what you need to improve upon.

Stay Consistent

If you sing only once in a while, your vocal chords can actually get out of shape. At the same time, if you sing a lot more than you are used to for several days, you can strain your vocal chords (again, like other muscles in the body). Stick to your practicing schedule as much as possible, and sing for about the same amount of time every week.

Soon, you may find yourself on American Idol! If not, you can at least sing for a small audience at a local coffee house. Maybe someone will notice you!