Practical Tips For Better Singing

Everyone is blessed with our own unique instrument in the form of our voice. Whilst singing may not come naturally to everyone, learning how to improve your singing abilities can be a great way to develop your skills as a musician and improve your confidence.

In this article we share with you some practical tips for better singing which you can use to strengthen your vocal skills. Read on below to discover!

The Warm Up

When we sing, we engage several body parts such as the mouth, vocal cords, lungs and diaphragm. Just like any other body part, the human voice performs best once it has been warmed up, and so our first practical tip for better singing is to always warm up your voice before your gig, concert or recording session.

The goal with vocal warm ups is to reduce tension in your face muscles and relax your vocal cords. This can help to improve the tonal quality of your voice and allow you to access your full vocal range.

There are many different warm ups you can do, but to keep things simple we recommend singing through the song you are practising a few times, starting very low intensity and gradually increasing the intensity with each repetition until you are at roughly 80%. From there you can move up to full intensity once you feel ready.

Just like with practising any other instrument, the best results will come from consistent repetition, so try and complete 10-20 mins of vocal warm up exercise each day to keep your voice in top condition.

Good Posture

Our next practical tip for better singing is all about posture. If you have never been taught how to set yourself in a correct singing posture then you may be unknowingly holding yourself back from singing to your highest potential.

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and set yourself with a neutral centre-of-mass (don't tilt too much to the front back or sides). Keep your back straight allowing your spine and head to align down to your hips. Allow your shoulders to relax and fall back, and your chest to open.  You should be loose with little tenison or rigidity in your body. 

Maintaining a good posture and body position when singing will give you better control over your breathing, and allow you to project your voice more strongly.

Find Your Best Vocal Register

You wouldn't take a formula 1 car and try and win a Nascar race with it, and it's the same when it comes to singing. Each voice has its own "sweet spot"—the range of pitches that feels most comfortable and natural. Sing songs which complement your vocal style and are in the best register for your individual voice.

Finding your best vocal register comes from experimenting with and exploring the capabilities of your voice. You can practise singing songs from different singers you admire and see which songs fit your voice the best. When you're in your ideal register you will generally find it easier to hit the notes required with minimal strain, and your voice will generally be more relaxed. If you find yourself straining to hit notes or if your voice is cracking then you are likely pushing yourself outside of your best vocal register.

Going beyond simple register, you can also play to the strengths of your voice when it comes to tonality. If you have a clean and crisp voice you may be better suited to musical theatre style singing, whilst if your voice is more raspy and gritty you would be better suited to genres such as blues, jazz or rock.

Controllavoice can help you to find your best vocal register. You can clone your voice using Controllavoice and hear how your voice would sound performing songs in different registers.

Record Yourself When Practising

One of the best ways to improve your singing is to record yourself when you're practising and listening back with a critical ear. By listening back and analysing what is working and what isn't, you are better equipped to make adjustments to your performance and deliver the best possible rendition of the song.

You can use a DAW such as Logic Pro x or Garageband to record several takes of yourself singing a song. Listen through each take and make notes about what aspects of your singing need to be tweaked, breathing, pitch, volume etc. You can then record some new takes with these adjustments and compare with the previous takes to see what works the best. By repeating this process a few times you can really refine the fine details of your singing technique.

As well as recording yourself to work on your lead singing technique, you can also use it to practise harmonising with yourself.

Controlla voice be used in combination with recording yourself when practising to offer further benefits. You can use Controlla voice to clone your voice and listen to how your voice performs in different styles of songs.

Work With a Vocal Coach

For those more serious vocalists, (and who have the budget) working with a vocal coach can be a fantastic asset for improving your singing abilities and overcoming any challenges you are facing as a vocalist. An experienced coach will be able to offer tailored advice, and guide you on how to correctly improve your breath control and expand your range.

The biggest benefit of working with a vocal coach is that they can give you personalised advice to your exact voice and level of singing experience. This can allow you to progress much more quickly than if you are just figuring out for yourself. Working with a vocal coach also has the added benefit of making you accountable to someone, so you will be extra motivated to remain consistent with your practice.

If it's not possible for you to work with a vocal coach due to budget or time restrictions, then you can consider following online guides or tutorials.

Care For your Voice

Our final practical tip for better singing is to properly care for your voice. This comes down to following healthy lifestyle choices combined with proper physical maintenance and care for your voice.

Overuse and poor vocal habits can contribute to hoarseness and potential vocal damage if you are not careful, and so always be mindful of not straining your voice too hard. Allow yourself regular breaks when singing for long periods, and stay consistent in your warm up exercises.

Other practical tips for caring for your voice include staying adequately hydrated to keep your vocal cords lubricated. Dry air is the enemy of great singing so if you live in a colder climate or one with dry air, you may want to consider using a humidifier to counteract this. It's also recommended to avoid smoking at all costs as this can massively impact the long term health of your voice. 

For more helpful tips on caring for your voice, check out our recent blog article about the best soothing tea for singers - https://www.controlla.xyz/post/the-best-soothing-tea-for-singers

Whether you sing professionally or just for fun, by incorporating some of these tips into your singing practice you can hopefully improve your overall vocal performance. Stay mindful of caring for the health of your voice, and with diligent practice you can continue to sing with growing confidence and ability.

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