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.

How to Breathe When Singing

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.

Sing with your diaphragm , not your throat

Diaphragm Exercise

Vocal Warm Ups

Vocal warms ups or vocalization is the next important thing a singer must do in order to improve
one's singing. As an athlete or dancer does warm up exercises, so must a singer engage in vocal
warm ups. This is imperative. If you want to be able to sing properly and take care of your voice at
the same time, NEVER forget to do vocalization.

Sing with Your Diaphragm and Not Your Throat

It is beneficial to note that a singer must learn to sing using one’s diaphragm and not the throat. If
you sing using your throat, it’ll end up being sore and it doesn’t sound as nice when you sing using
your diaphragm. Also, you will notice you can hold the notes or sing longer phrases without
breathing difficulties.

Try this: Inhale and exhale deeply and slowly. When you inhale, your abdomen expands and when
you exhale it contracts. Practice this many times. Place your hands on the sides of your waist. Feel
your abdomen as it expands and contracts.

Be sure to watch the videos as they illustrate clearly how this is done.

Quick Warm Up Exercises

Freeing Your Vocal Range

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

Improving Tone

What is tone?

(n.) A sound of distinct pitch, quality, and duration; a note.

(v.) To give a particular tone or inflection to.

(v.) To assume a particular color quality.

By relaxing the throat open, we can improve the resonance and freedom of the voice. These
exercises will bring richness to your tone, and can help to free your vibrato.

Improving tone
Protecting the Throat

How to Not Oversing: Humming Exercise

Protect the Throat

If you sing wrongly, you will notice that your throat will ache. Like me, I often have hoarseness in my
voice following a vocal workout. This indicates that my throat is not fully relaxed and when I sang my
voice was strained.

The combination of an effortless low breath and a fully relaxed throat allows the vocal folds to
vibrate freely. The exercises mentioned on this part of the video aid in training the tongue to remain
gently arched upward and forward, while relaxing the back of the throat.

Try the humming exercise. 

This is another wonderful vocal warm up which helps you to vibrate deeper within your lungs/larynx.

Remember to drink warm or lukewarm water.

How to Hit High Notes When Singing

How to Phrase Words When Singing

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Endless Possibilities: A Personal Performance Training Tool

Openness in Manifesting Abundance

Acting Workshops: A Personal Development Training Ground

Keep Practicing

Remember:

Master breathing properly

Always do vocal warm ups before singing

Do the scales to improve vocal range

Do vocal warm ups to improve tonal quality

Drink water

Humming exercise helps you to use your diaphragm than your throat

In singing high notes, use your head tone

Phrasing is an important part in singing

Take breaks from singing. Don't overdo it.

Find a good vocal coach to guide you and help you see what areas you need to improve on

It takes time, patience, effort and discipline to improve one's singing skills. Don't be discouraged.
Just keep practicing and singing. If you do the vocal warm ups with proper breathing, you can
immediately notice the improvement in the way you sing. I know I did.

What's more when you can learn to sing better, you can also speak better too.

By: Michelle Simtoco

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