Tag Archives: learn how to sing

You can always learn to sing better…

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This is for all the adults who were too shy to sing as a kid, and now as a adult you love singing along with the radio, but you wish you could to it better. Here are a few tips to try…

1. Use a set of good headphones to listen to an easy song by one of your favourite artists.

2. Listen intently and try to mimic the words and expressions but without making a sound. In other words, pretend you are that performer and articulate every word with clarity and preciseness.

3. When you are ready to add your voice, take one side of the headphone off and leave the other side on. You must be able to yourself as well as the performer. 

4. Now sing quietly but intently with the performer. Make sure you are enunciating the words clearly and with expression. Be careful to be on exact pitch as the performer. Remember, you are not trying to mimic your interpretation of the performer’s sound, you are mimicing the consonants, vowels and phrasing.

5.  Remember you are doing this quietly, but not quiet like a whisper, but quiet like you are talking…..just like talking on pitch.

6.  If you find yourself needing to be louder as you go higher, then you are not approaching this exercise correctly. The voice needs stay at the same volume on the low notes as the high notes.

7.  To help find what the high notes will feel like, try a “cry” approach, or a dog whimper to the pitch of the high note. Notice the thinness of your voice when you are in your head voice. Remember, your goal is not to match to “sound” of the performer, but rather the “pitch” of the performer. Sometimes just lightening up on the high notes will usually create the correct connection. This may be very breathy but you are going in the right direction.

9. Now with practise you can start to “lean” into the notes. This should help eliminate any extra air getting through. 

10. One last tip — be true to your voice. It should not be your goal to sound like the performer in the song, it should be your goal to sing the song with your voice to the best of your ability.

Let me know how this exercise worked for you. Do you have any questions?

So you want to be a singer…

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Learning to sing is no different than learning to play the guitar or the piano. It requires a great deal of discipline and practise to get your vocal cords working to the best of their ability. Copying other singers can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. If you are not approaching the pitches correctly, or not using the appropriate mix of head and chest voice for the song, then it can be problem. This can create some very bad habits, and lead to hoarseness and possible damage.

Bottom line is, if it hurts or if you are straining for notes, then you are doing it wrong. Singing should feel easy and free. If you are grimacing and singing loudly during high notes then you are not singing freely.

Everyone’s vocal cords are different. That’s the fascinating thing about the vocal instrument. No two sound alike. Some voices are automatically pleasing, and some not so pleasing. Of course, this is all subjective. What’s pleasing to my ear may not be pleasing to your ear.

If you’re not sure how to make your singing better, then it’s a good idea to see a vocal coach with a reputable background to learn exercises that will help you build strength, endurance and better tone.