How to Improve Your Singing Voice
Practice “hiss” breathing., Maintain good posture as you sing., Keep your mouth open as you sing., Open the front area of your face., Keep the back of your mouth open., Make sure your larynx remains steady as you sing., Try to open your jaw more...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Practice “hiss” breathing.
Before you go to sleep and right when you wake up, take five minutes to do “hiss” breathing.
This exercise will help you better control how much air you are inhaling into your diaphragm, instead of into your lungs.
In singing, its very important to control the inhales and exhales from your diaphragm to get the most power and tone in your voice.Place your hands on your diaphragm, or just underneath your ribs.
Inhale as much air as you can into your diaphragm.
Slowly exhale, making a “hiss” sound.
Exhale as slowly as you can.
Count how long it takes you to exhale.
Maybe on your first try, it takes you seven counts to exhale.
Once you do this exercise on a consistent basis, you may be able to exhale for more counts. -
Step 2: Maintain good posture as you sing.
If you slouch or are too rigid when you stand, your diaphragm can lock.
This will close off your breathing.To get a better sense of correct posture and breathing, start by lying on the floor.
Place a book on your abdomen.
Breathe in and out.
Notice if the book rises and falls as you inhale and exhale.
From lying down, you can move to your hands and knees.
As you breathe in this position, notice if your abdomen rises and falls as you inhale and exhale.
Your chest should stay steady and not collapse.
Once you feel comfortable with breathing in your abdomen or diaphragm, try to breathe in a standing position. , This seems like a no-brainer, but many singers do not open their mouths open as wide as they should.
Less space in your mouth means less sound coming out of your mouth, and less resonance to your voice.Test this with the two finger rule.
Try to fit two fingers between your teeth while singing, especially when singing open vowels like “ah” and “oh”.
If you can fit two fingers between your teeth, you are opening your mouth correctly.
If you can’t fit two fingers, open your mouth wider. , Singing from the front area of your face, just under your eyes and around your nose, can create a fuller, richer resonance to your voice.Say the word “hung”, drawing out the “ng”.
Notice how the back of your throat feels closed and the sound comes out of the frontal area of your face, including your nose.
Say the word “hung” again, drawing out the “ng”.
This time, move your tongue down towards the bottom of your mouth.
Sing “hung”, drawing out the “ng” so it sounds like “hungahhh”.
Now, you are accessing the front area of your face as you sing. , This is equally as important as keeping the front of your mouth open.
If the back of your mouth is closed off, the quality of your voice will be off.
Hold the “ng” sound in “hung”.
Note how closed off the back of your mouth feels.
Say “ah” like you’re in the doctor’s office.
Note how open the back of your mouth feels.
Try to leave the back of your mouth open like the “ah” sound to create a beautiful resonance in your voice. , Your larynx is where your Adam’s apple is on your neck (or where it would be for ladies).
Notice if this area of your neck is rising or falling while singing.
If so, you are throwing off your voice and letting your larynx get in the way of your vocal tone.
A raised larynx can also cause your voice to crack.
Rest your hand on your larynx while singing to make sure it stays steady. , This is a great trick to improving your singing voice.Stand in front of a mirror.
Say A-E-I-O-U.
Notice if your jaw closed on any of the vowels.
Chances are your jaw closed on the E and the U, as well as other vowels.
Take your two fingers and pull your jaw down 2 inches.
You can also use a plastic bottle cap or wine cork to prop your jaw open.
Say the vowels again.
And again.
Now, sing the vowels on one pitch:
A-E-I-O-U.
You want to keep your jaw open (long, not wide) so it doesn’t close for any of the vowels.
Keep singing the vowels until you can keep your jaw open.
Try to sing a phrase or line from a song.
Make sure your jaw opens to the same position on all the vowels.
Practice this until it becomes natural.
Your voice should sound louder and more resonant, with less strain. , This simple technique will help you get more power in your voice without straining it.Stand in front of a mirror.
Keep your chin pointed slightly down and your pectorals (or chest area) flexed.
Sing an “ah” scale up and down (1-2-3-4-3-2-1).
Press your chin in, towards the floor.
Don’t let your head bob around as you go up and down the scale.
Your chin may want to raise up when you get to the higher pitch but keep it down.
This adjustment should give you more power and control over your vocals. -
Step 3: Keep your mouth open as you sing.
-
Step 4: Open the front area of your face.
-
Step 5: Keep the back of your mouth open.
-
Step 6: Make sure your larynx remains steady as you sing.
-
Step 7: Try to open your jaw more when you sing.
-
Step 8: Tip your chin down when you sing.
Detailed Guide
Before you go to sleep and right when you wake up, take five minutes to do “hiss” breathing.
This exercise will help you better control how much air you are inhaling into your diaphragm, instead of into your lungs.
In singing, its very important to control the inhales and exhales from your diaphragm to get the most power and tone in your voice.Place your hands on your diaphragm, or just underneath your ribs.
Inhale as much air as you can into your diaphragm.
Slowly exhale, making a “hiss” sound.
Exhale as slowly as you can.
Count how long it takes you to exhale.
Maybe on your first try, it takes you seven counts to exhale.
Once you do this exercise on a consistent basis, you may be able to exhale for more counts.
If you slouch or are too rigid when you stand, your diaphragm can lock.
This will close off your breathing.To get a better sense of correct posture and breathing, start by lying on the floor.
Place a book on your abdomen.
Breathe in and out.
Notice if the book rises and falls as you inhale and exhale.
From lying down, you can move to your hands and knees.
As you breathe in this position, notice if your abdomen rises and falls as you inhale and exhale.
Your chest should stay steady and not collapse.
Once you feel comfortable with breathing in your abdomen or diaphragm, try to breathe in a standing position. , This seems like a no-brainer, but many singers do not open their mouths open as wide as they should.
Less space in your mouth means less sound coming out of your mouth, and less resonance to your voice.Test this with the two finger rule.
Try to fit two fingers between your teeth while singing, especially when singing open vowels like “ah” and “oh”.
If you can fit two fingers between your teeth, you are opening your mouth correctly.
If you can’t fit two fingers, open your mouth wider. , Singing from the front area of your face, just under your eyes and around your nose, can create a fuller, richer resonance to your voice.Say the word “hung”, drawing out the “ng”.
Notice how the back of your throat feels closed and the sound comes out of the frontal area of your face, including your nose.
Say the word “hung” again, drawing out the “ng”.
This time, move your tongue down towards the bottom of your mouth.
Sing “hung”, drawing out the “ng” so it sounds like “hungahhh”.
Now, you are accessing the front area of your face as you sing. , This is equally as important as keeping the front of your mouth open.
If the back of your mouth is closed off, the quality of your voice will be off.
Hold the “ng” sound in “hung”.
Note how closed off the back of your mouth feels.
Say “ah” like you’re in the doctor’s office.
Note how open the back of your mouth feels.
Try to leave the back of your mouth open like the “ah” sound to create a beautiful resonance in your voice. , Your larynx is where your Adam’s apple is on your neck (or where it would be for ladies).
Notice if this area of your neck is rising or falling while singing.
If so, you are throwing off your voice and letting your larynx get in the way of your vocal tone.
A raised larynx can also cause your voice to crack.
Rest your hand on your larynx while singing to make sure it stays steady. , This is a great trick to improving your singing voice.Stand in front of a mirror.
Say A-E-I-O-U.
Notice if your jaw closed on any of the vowels.
Chances are your jaw closed on the E and the U, as well as other vowels.
Take your two fingers and pull your jaw down 2 inches.
You can also use a plastic bottle cap or wine cork to prop your jaw open.
Say the vowels again.
And again.
Now, sing the vowels on one pitch:
A-E-I-O-U.
You want to keep your jaw open (long, not wide) so it doesn’t close for any of the vowels.
Keep singing the vowels until you can keep your jaw open.
Try to sing a phrase or line from a song.
Make sure your jaw opens to the same position on all the vowels.
Practice this until it becomes natural.
Your voice should sound louder and more resonant, with less strain. , This simple technique will help you get more power in your voice without straining it.Stand in front of a mirror.
Keep your chin pointed slightly down and your pectorals (or chest area) flexed.
Sing an “ah” scale up and down (1-2-3-4-3-2-1).
Press your chin in, towards the floor.
Don’t let your head bob around as you go up and down the scale.
Your chin may want to raise up when you get to the higher pitch but keep it down.
This adjustment should give you more power and control over your vocals.
About the Author
Jacob Scott
Writer and educator with a focus on practical home improvement knowledge.
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