Voice Lessons : Tips on How to Sing Better - ripplemaker on HubPages
New to voice lessons? Are you still trying to find the right tips on how to sing better? If you are, I introduce to you the “Voice Lessons.” Included in this page are several YouTube videos to aid you with your voice lessons. What are we waiting for? Let’s begin your Voice Lessons! Drum roll please…
Should I Find A Vocal Coach Or What?
In my early twenties, one of my uncles commented that I had a good singing voice and added, “if you get trained, maybe you’ll really improve.” That prodded me to look for a voice coach on my own. Young and feeling a bit foolish, I enrolled and found myself in the company of a woman in her late forties.
My first voice lesson was held in a small room with a piano and scatter of books and papers everywhere. I frowned upon this clutter but my attention was riveted to my voice teacher who made me stand up in front of her. With no preliminary talks, she gave me a vocal workout. After she asked, do you know the song “Memory?” I nodded meekly, feeling uncomfortable. She made me sing that song. So I sang, “Midnight, not a sound from a pavement…”
For the life of me, I couldn’t recall what happened after that. I just remembered my voice becoming hoarse for days. When I went back the second time, I voiced out my concern. She dismissed it and made me sing again. “Midnight, not a sound from a pavement…”
I don’t know what you would have done. But I never went back again.
Important Tip: If you are serious about your singing career and have the budget for it, invest in finding a good vocal coach. Ask for referrals. Find out what her/his philosophy is and how she/he teaches voice lessons. My own experience made me realized that finding a bad voice coach made me withdraw from singing during that time. Of course, I never bothered to investigate. That was plainly the actions of a young girl who didn’t know any better.
Breathing Properly
The most important thing you should know about learning how to sing better is to breathe properly. This is the basic foundation technique. If you observe, the note that you sing is carried as your breath flows in and out of your mouth. The more you are able to control your breathing, the more control you will have when you sing. If your breath is even and steady, your vocal tone will be strong and smooth. If your airflow is uncontrolled and inconsistent, your voice will sound like that too.
This was one of the things I struggled with. You see because of my chronic sinusitis, I don’t know how to breathe properly. Ms. Daisy Ba-ad, who just recently became my voice coach, told me that I have been breathing wrongly for the longest time. This is the area that I am working on. It really takes time to undo certain habits and retrained myself.
Important Tip: Whether you are new to singing or not, this is a tip one must never take for granted. Learn to breathe deeply, properly and evenly. If you are able to breathe properly, a major foundation has been built in helping you sing better.
Vocal Range
This part of the warm-up will aid in expanding and strengthening your vocal range.
What is vocal range? Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Simply stated, it is the distance between the high notes and the low notes that you can reach.
Vocal warm ups that engage in scales help you expand your vocal range