Some More Tips

I've met a flood of people recently who are keen in learning singing tips, tricks and techniques that will help improve their quality of singing. The truth is, most people don't want to 'learn' anything. They want a quick fix. They want instant gratification. Something that will instantaneously transform their vocal abilities into what they envision only in their dreams.

Now don't get me wrong ...dreams are a good thing. We all need something to strive for. After all, it's all about passion. But we have to start somewhere. We have to do a little bit of the 'right stuff' everyday to then eventually see our progress.

Singing is like a musical extension of your natural speaking voice. The only difference is, you gotta' learn some techniques which will allow you to a) not damage your vocal chords ...and b) to sing the best you possibly can.

This is regardless whether you're trying to be the next Whitney Houston ...or if you're simply tyring to get to the next level.

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*Breath Control*

You shouldn't be taking in gulps of air when you're singing. This is the wrong approach. Take 'sips' instead. Take what is required - a sufficient amount of air. There is nothing worse then feeling giddy because you're taking unnecessary deep breaths.

Also, don't hold your breath when singing.... EVER. This only wastes energy - which you could use on things like performance and tone control.

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Use Tone Control

Forcing out notes to make them sound louder is a common mistake amongst aspiring singers. What you should aim to do is use (what we call) 'vocal resonance'.

Stay with me here.

Don't get put off by the term 'resonance'. All this means is that we can use certain parts of our upper body to amplify (ie. make louder or richer) our singing tone.

So, for example we can use our chest to amplify a lower notes for a more robust sound. Or, we can use our head to reinforce the more higher or 'nasal' sound.

As you aim to sing higher, try to use your head to create a bigger sound. As you go for a more lower sound, try to use your chest to make that sound richer.

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Forget About Increasing Your Vocal Range Initially - Strengthen it!

Ah, I think the most common misconception is that you can improve your vocal range by another octave (ie. 8 notes). This is rarely the case. The truth is generally most people who take singing lessons will not drastically increase their vocal range. They may get an extra two or three notes, but usually this won't change much.

BUT, this should NOT be your focus.

Your focus should be to actually strengthen the voice across it's 'whole range' ...from the lowest notes to the highest notes.

Quite often people will use the 'middle' of their vocal range completely neglecting the lower or the higher parts. They're blissfully unaware that there is another world of 'notes' to be discovered! And it's these notes that we can work on... thus strengthening your entire vocal range. Not just the middle part.