Singing should be an easy thing.
We all do it at some time or another, whether it is at church, choir, in the car on the commute home, or even in the shower.
Some people are pretty good at it, others are OK, and others...
well, let's just say they aren't exactly the next Celine Dion! But believe it or not, there is a right way, and a wrong way, for normal people like you and I, to sing.
Singing correctly, with correct use of vocal chords, can mean the difference between singing in healthy and sustainable, as opposed to unhealthy and potentially harmful, ways.
To keep your voice sounding as good as it can be and lasting your lifetime means that you have to make an effort to be physically fit and in good health.
This means maintaining a healthy diet, sleeping well, exercising once in a while, not using drugs, and not drinking too much alcohol.
Perhaps the most important aspect of voice training lessons is learning how your voice apparatus functions and how to use it correctly without causing any voice problems.
To do this, you need to have good posture, breathing support, and projection in order to maximize your vocal chords.
When singing, you should stand up straight, but relaxed, pull back your shoulders and keep your chest high, though not as rigidly as a soldier standing in attention position.
The following is a good exercise for this posture: stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
Standing on your tiptoes, bring your arms in a circular motion across your body and above your head, at the same time while taking a deep breath.
Exhale and bring your arms down to your sides while holding your shoulders and chest the same posture they were.
Got this first step of voice training lessons? As you inhale again, while your spinal, abdominal, and diaphragm muscles work together, you should feel full expansion around the belly part.
Remember, breath support is another one of the most important elements in voice training lessons to produce a beautiful sound, and without straining of the throat.
Once you've taken the full breath in, breathe out again, and this time, release with a hissing sound while maintaining the expansion of your middle section.
This practice may take some time to master, but it will assist you in strengthening your singing muscles and help you sing in a healthy, sustainable manner with less vocal fatigue and better tone quality.
Remember, this is only the beginning of your voice training lessons.
Another important aspect of singing, in addition to proper posture and breathing, is your tone quality.
For most singing, vocal teachers recommend what is called a "mixed tone," which means the sound is coming from both your pharynx (mouth and throat) and your head (sinuses).
With this combination, you will feel the sound vibrate in the area of a half-face Halloween mask while singing and it is called "mask resonance".
To perfect this "mixed tone"or "mask resonance" you can practice the following exercise: take in a good, deep breath, and starting on a high note (for your vocal range), sound out the syllables "hoo" or "hee," then slide from the top note to a low note.
Do this exercise akin to yawning after you've taken a nap and you should feel vibration in the soft palate (roof of your mouth) and in the triangle between the bridge of your nose and your eyes.
This exercise, along with our earlier breathing exercise, will ultimately teach you the basic steps necessary to sing in a healthy, sustainable, and most importantly, beautiful manner.
In no time, you will be able to impress your friends and family with the progress you've made!
We all do it at some time or another, whether it is at church, choir, in the car on the commute home, or even in the shower.
Some people are pretty good at it, others are OK, and others...
well, let's just say they aren't exactly the next Celine Dion! But believe it or not, there is a right way, and a wrong way, for normal people like you and I, to sing.
Singing correctly, with correct use of vocal chords, can mean the difference between singing in healthy and sustainable, as opposed to unhealthy and potentially harmful, ways.
To keep your voice sounding as good as it can be and lasting your lifetime means that you have to make an effort to be physically fit and in good health.
This means maintaining a healthy diet, sleeping well, exercising once in a while, not using drugs, and not drinking too much alcohol.
Perhaps the most important aspect of voice training lessons is learning how your voice apparatus functions and how to use it correctly without causing any voice problems.
To do this, you need to have good posture, breathing support, and projection in order to maximize your vocal chords.
When singing, you should stand up straight, but relaxed, pull back your shoulders and keep your chest high, though not as rigidly as a soldier standing in attention position.
The following is a good exercise for this posture: stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
Standing on your tiptoes, bring your arms in a circular motion across your body and above your head, at the same time while taking a deep breath.
Exhale and bring your arms down to your sides while holding your shoulders and chest the same posture they were.
Got this first step of voice training lessons? As you inhale again, while your spinal, abdominal, and diaphragm muscles work together, you should feel full expansion around the belly part.
Remember, breath support is another one of the most important elements in voice training lessons to produce a beautiful sound, and without straining of the throat.
Once you've taken the full breath in, breathe out again, and this time, release with a hissing sound while maintaining the expansion of your middle section.
This practice may take some time to master, but it will assist you in strengthening your singing muscles and help you sing in a healthy, sustainable manner with less vocal fatigue and better tone quality.
Remember, this is only the beginning of your voice training lessons.
Another important aspect of singing, in addition to proper posture and breathing, is your tone quality.
For most singing, vocal teachers recommend what is called a "mixed tone," which means the sound is coming from both your pharynx (mouth and throat) and your head (sinuses).
With this combination, you will feel the sound vibrate in the area of a half-face Halloween mask while singing and it is called "mask resonance".
To perfect this "mixed tone"or "mask resonance" you can practice the following exercise: take in a good, deep breath, and starting on a high note (for your vocal range), sound out the syllables "hoo" or "hee," then slide from the top note to a low note.
Do this exercise akin to yawning after you've taken a nap and you should feel vibration in the soft palate (roof of your mouth) and in the triangle between the bridge of your nose and your eyes.
This exercise, along with our earlier breathing exercise, will ultimately teach you the basic steps necessary to sing in a healthy, sustainable, and most importantly, beautiful manner.
In no time, you will be able to impress your friends and family with the progress you've made!