Chapters
- 01. Take Singing Lessons
- 02. Vocal Exercises
- 03. Vocal Techniques
- 04. Ear Training
Some of the best moments in life relate to music. From graduation to the first dance at your wedding all relates to music. Music and singing bring out many emotions in people and many long to have a good singing voice. However, many feel like it is impossible to achieve because they feel only people with natural talent can sing. Singing is a skill that can be learned and you will reap many benefits from it.
It is a common saying that practice makes perfect. However, with singing like all other creative activities, practice might not make you perfect. It will definitely make you improve and get better.
It is not about doing it many times. But it is about singing well and learning every time you do it. If you keep repeating the same thing over and over again, there is a chance that you are doing it wrong and end up wasting time.
There are many methods available in order to become a great vocalist in the Malaysian music industry. In this article, we will look at the best methods to use in order to learn singing for beginners. If you do not know where to start, we hope this article will guide you to the right path to achieve your goal to sing well.
Click here to find out all you need to know about singing.
Take Singing Lessons
People are usually interested to learn singing but are unsure if it is worth investing to take lessons. Whether you are looking to turn your passion into a singing career or a hobby, singing lessons will help you achieve your goals.
As a beginner, you will be unsure of how to get started. This is where an experienced singing instructor or coach comes in to guide you. You can either take private lessons or join a class with others. It depends on what makes you comfortable. By taking private lessons, you can discuss your goals with your instructor and lessons can be tailored to suit your needs. In a class, you get to learn together with others. This will give you a chance to meet new people and work together as a team as you move forward. It all depends on your preference.
Having someone to guide you will boost your confidence and make you a better singer. A vocal coach will provide feedback for you to improve. You can work on having the right breathing techniques and correct posture to enhance your singing. Therefore, when you perform in front of others, you will feel confident that you are giving a good performance.
The ultimate goal for every singer is to sing with ease and clarity. With lessons, you can achieve a finer grasp of a musical style, apt performance techniques, focus, proper articulation, and delivery. You will learn how to project your voice and discover your unique style that you are comfortable with.
If you are looking to take lessons, Superprof has many tutors available for you to choose from. Whether you are looking for a tutor to teach your child or you are an adult who is interested to start learning for yourself, Superprof has the right tutor for you.
Vocal Exercises
Before you start singing, it is vital to do vocal exercises in order to warm up. Many people say that they feel silly doing vocal exercises. We admit that doing them does make you feel silly but it is the best way to learn to sing better and improve your singing voice.
Just like an athlete doing stretches before a big game, you can do simple warm-up exercises to prepare your voice. The concept behind a good vocal exercise is to keep something consistent when you are going from the bottom part of your voice to the top part of your voice.
There are many exercise options that you can choose from. We have listed 2 simple options which suit beginners.
Humming warm-ups
Humming is a gentle way to begin vocalising as it does not put a lot of strain on your voice. You can even do this exercise in public. This will come in handy especially before an audition or performance as you are able to hum in the hallway or backstage before going in to perform.
In order to do the humming warm-up, place the tip of your tongue behind your bottom front teeth. Keep your lips together and teeth apart and hum up and down the major scale. Each note should sound like “hmmm” including the “h” sound which is less stressful.
Yawn-sigh technique
The aim of this technique is to release tension in the vocal cords which is within the Adam’s Apple area.
Place fingers across your Adam’s Apple and swallow, pay attention to the way your Adam’s Apple moves up. Keep your fingers in the same position and yawn while noticing the same movement. The downward motion releases the tension from your throat. Repeat it a few times and end it with a soft sigh like an ‘ah’.
There are many other warm-up exercises out there like tongue trill exercises, vocal slides technique and many more. Try it all out and use what works best for you.
Vocal Techniques
After warming up, it is time to look at vocal training techniques or singing techniques. These methods serve as the fundamentals for good singing. Knowing and understanding these components will help you practice better by breaking it down into different key areas and working on each part in a more focused way.
Breath
Breath control is achieved by using the many different breathing exercises, specifically diaphragmatic breathing which helps you sing more loudly and for a longer period. The key to using diaphragmatic breathing to improve your singing is to master a slow, controlled exhale. This is because this breathing technique helps expel the air stored up and create a better sound.
Pitch
Pitch refers to singing in tune or in key. Pitch in singing refers to the voice creating a noise that has a regular number of variations per second. In order to sing in tune, you can play a single continuous note on an instrument like a piano or guitar or even use an app on your smartphone. Match the pitch of your voice with the continuous note. It is recommended to start from the middle C note.
Rhythm
Rhythm refers to singing in time. Rhythm is the beat of the song where the notes and the pauses fall. Keeping to the tempo or the speed of a song is an important element of singing. A good way to practice your tempo is by using a metronome. You can either buy the device or simply use the many apps available on your smartphone.
Diction
Singing with clear diction is important for your listeners to understand your words. Diction is important for both singing and speech. However, there are differences between both where singing focuses on maximising your airflow to allow you to sing at your best. Consonants are also far less pronounced in singing.
Voice
Apart from all the above components, your voice is what will make you unique and stand out to your audience. It depends on what you prefer, a cleaner purer tone or raspier tone. Find out what suits you.
Ear Training
It is difficult to determine if you are practising your singing correctly unless you have ear training. This is the method used to improve your musical ears as a singer. This will help you identify different pitches, melodies, chords, intervals, rhythms, and various other basic elements of music. Ear training will make you a better singer as it not only improves your pitch but also analyse and decipher what you are hearing in order to understand the connection between musical elements.
There are four essential ear training exercises you should do to improve your singing.
Active Listening
Active listening involves changing how you take in music from simply hearing it to listening. Many tend to just hear music as they do other things as a form of entertainment.
As a singer, you should relate to music by fully concentrating when listening to songs and not doing anything else to avoid distractions. This will help you develop your musical ear.
Pitch Skills and Singing in Tune
Singing in tune means having an accurate pitch. This is an essential skill for singers. The ability to sing in tune relies on you being able to listen to the tune in the first place. That means using your ears to judge whether notes are too high or too low.
Training yourself to hear the different pitches in music is called pitch ear training. This training will help you improve your voice.
Relative Pitch Skills and Pitch Leaps
Relative pitch is the ability to tell how far apart the notes are from each other. It is related to pitch skills that were mentioned earlier but it is a different skill.
Relative pitch is knowing how far apart two notes are when you need to transition from one to the other. Your ear should be able to instinctively tell the distance which will help improve your singing.
Audiation: Hearing Music in Your Head
Audiation is the act of listening to music in your mind. It can be a tune you just heard, a song you know well or a song you are going to perform. By doing this, you can hear the music vividly and accurately in your head. Of course, this takes practice to achieve. It is a good way to train your ears and musical imagination which will improve your singing voice.
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