Monday, September 4, 2023

How to Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons

The human voice is a beautiful instrument that anyone can master, but do you have to work with a teacher or vocal coach to do it? Actually, there are plenty of ways you can improve your singing voice all by yourself right at home. In this article, we’ve got expert-backed advice to walk you through finding your unique sound and show you the best warmups and fundamentals to take your singing to the next level. If you’re ready to wow your friends with some amazing and fast progress, keep scrolling (and practicing!).

[Edit]Things You Should Know

  • Get to know your voice—record yourself, explore your range, and put your own spin on your favorite tunes to learn who you are as a singer.
  • Sing with a tall posture and support your voice with deep breaths. Release all your tension from your shoulders, chest, neck, jaw, and tongue.
  • Warm up for at least 10 minutes so your voice sounds as “you” as possible. Try to practice daily, but rest when you feel tired to protect your voice.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Discovering Your Voice’s Capabilities

  1. Use all the different parts of your vocal system. In singing, there are groups of notes that resonate in different parts of your body like your chest, throat, nose, or head. These groups of notes are called registers and they share a similar tone quality. Speak, do warmups, and sing in each register to feel and hear your voice in different ways. If a note falls between registers, sing it with both to compare the sound.[1] The main registers are:
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 3 Version 3.jpg
    • Chest voice: the lowest, most comfortable notes that resonate in your chest cavity. Low voices sound warm here, and higher voices sound breathier.
    • Middle voice: the middle ground between your chest and head voices. This is a bright set of notes that resonates in your neck and mouth.
    • Head voice: the upper end of your range. These notes resonate in your head and come easily to higher voices. Most strain and tension occurs here.
    • Smooth transitions between registers contributes to a balanced, blended voice and helps eliminate voice cracks, too.
  2. Record and listen to yourself singing as much as possible. You don’t need fancy recording equipment—use a voice memo app on your phone or make a quick video of yourself singing. Listen back to identify your personal strengths and weaknesses so you can target your practice sessions efficiently. Recording is also a great way to track your progress over time.[2]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 1 Version 3.jpg
    • Evaluate things like pitch ("Did I hit the right notes?"), support ("Did I breathe deeply and use a full tone?"), or rhythm ("Did I sing the words on time?").
    • Compare your recording to a professional’s and ask yourself what you like about their version. Is it their volume? Their expression? The sound of their voice?
    • If you’re preparing for a recording session, use a simple external USB microphone to hear what your voice sounds like on better equipment.[3]
    • Remember, it’s OK if you don’t like your recording. It’s just one moment in time and doesn’t reflect your true talent or skills!
  3. Sing familiar songs that fit comfortably in your vocal range. Pick a few songs you enjoy listening to and pull up the lyrics. Make sure they’re in your lower or middle range (chest voice) to start—this is where you’ll feel most comfortable singing, and you can project without straining.[4]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 2 Version 3.jpg
    • Sing along with recordings, then sing alone to hear how your voice responds to the music. Which notes sound best? What emotions are you projecting?
    • Start with songs you know very well. You’ll sing with more confidence and get a better feel for your voice’s capabilities with simpler, familiar tunes.[5]
  4. Find your vocal range and voice type. On a piano or keyboard app, play Middle C (the 4th C from the left on the keyboard) and match the pitch on an “ooo” or “aah” sound. Sing and play a slow scale downward and record the lowest note you can comfortably hit. Then, do the same going up from Middle C and record your highest note. These 2 notes define your range.[6]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 4 Version 3.jpg
    • Keep an open mind during this exercise—your range may not be as high or low as you thought. Remember that gender doesn’t define your voice type.
    • After you record your highest and lowest note, determine which voice type you most closely fall into:
      • Bass: E2-E4
      • Baritone: A2-G4
      • Tenor: C3-C5
      • Alto: F3-F5
      • Mezzo-soprano: A3-A5
      • Soprano: C4-C6
  5. Inject emotion and expression into your singing. Think about the lyrics and style of the song you’re about to sing—how does it make you feel? Find an emotional connection and then translate that into your voice. Experiment with singing louder or softer, ad libbing riffs, or adding vibrato to your tone. Matching your facial expression to the music can influence your sound, too.[7]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 5 Version 3.jpg
    • Remember to keep control of your voice and diction while you’re emoting. Your audience wants to understand your words clearly.
    • Your expression contributes to the excitement of your performances. Practice in front of a mirror to see what you look and sound like to an audience member.
    • Adding expressive touches to a song makes it unique to you, plus you can adapt it to fit your voice and stylistic preferences.
  6. Sing with confidence! When you're about to sing, take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, and smile at the audience. If you’re shaky, move around to hide your nerves and look like you’re really into the music. When you sing out and stay relaxed, your voice will be more agile and your performance will be electric.[8]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 6 Version 3.jpg
    • Sing confidently even if you’re alone and just practicing—it’s the best way to practice performing and exercise your voice to the fullest.

[Edit]Posture and Breath Control

  1. Maintain a tall, relaxed posture any time you sing. Look straight forward and keep your chin parallel to the ground. Relax your shoulders, keeping them low and slightly back to open up your chest. Let your hands hang at your sides and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees unlocked.[9]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 7 Version 3.jpg
    • Hold your abdomen firm, allowing it to expand outward whenever you breathe.
    • Shift your weight slightly forward so that it’s closer to your toes.
    • Get used to what this feels like by standing against a wall. Make sure your heels, calves, buttocks, shoulders, and head are touching it.
  2. Take deep, supportive breaths with your diaphragm muscle. Your diaphragm lays underneath your lungs and controls your breathing. Stand tall with one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest, then take a slow, deep breath to practice feeling your diaphragm.[10]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 8 Version 4.jpg
    • Imagine your abdomen filling with air and your rib cage expanding as you watch your stomach hand move outward. Your chest hand should be still.
    • Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your rib cage contract slightly as your lungs empty.
    • Use only your diaphragm to breathe—keep your chest and shoulder muscles relaxed.
  3. Sing with your jaw open and elongated, especially on vowel sounds. Face a mirror and say the vowel sounds for A-E-I-O-U (“aah-eeh-eee-ooh-ooo”). If you see your jaw closing on some of the sounds, do the exercise again using your fingers or a small object (like a wine cork) to keep your jaw open wide. An open jaw projects easier and without strain.[11]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 9 Version 3.jpg
    • After you speak this exercise a few times, sing it on one pitch. Focus on keeping your jaw loose and relaxed until it becomes second nature.
    • Practice the lyrics of whatever song you’re working on next, making sure to keep your jaw elongated so each syllable sounds resonant and effortless.
  4. Keep your larynx low and relaxed as you reach for higher notes. Put a finger over your larynx (your voice box or Adam’s apple near the top of your throat) while you sing to check its position—you want it a little lower than it is at rest, but higher than when you’re yawning. As you sing higher, remember to breathe deeply, stand tall, and keep the vocal tract wide to help it settle in place.[12]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 10 Version 4.jpg
    • “Think down” when you sing high. It helps your larynx stay in place and gives a little more weight to your high notes so they don’t sound breathy or strained.
    • A good larynx position blends your voice and smooths out the break from chest to head voice (where your voice is most likely to crack).
  5. Relax your facial muscles, jaw, and tongue to eliminate tension. Use 2 or 3 fingers to make small, circular motions over your forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and jaw to massage them. Slowly open and close your jaw a few times to loosen up the hinge muscles and remind yourself what a proper, elongated jaw position feels like.[13]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 11 Version 3.jpg
    • Feel the soft area behind your chin with your thumb and sing. If you feel pushback, your tongue is tense. Use more air support to relax it.[14]
    • Do some head and shoulder rolls to relieve tension in your neck, shoulders, and chest. Tension in any area is usually the root cause of unhealthy singing.

[Edit]Warmups to Strengthen Your Voice

  1. Do simple warmups for at least 10 minutes before singing repertoire. Always warm up before any practice session or performance—it’s the best way to get a good sound, control your voice, and avoid damage. Include lots of stretching, yawning, and deep breathing to activate your muscles, vocal cords, and lungs.[15] Some simple ones to start with include:[16]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 12 Version 3.jpg
    • Take a deep breath and hold the syllable “eee” for as long as you can, 3 times. Use the note F above or below Middle C (whichever is most comfortable).
    • Glide from your lowest comfortable note to your highest comfortable note and back down on the word “knoll” 3 times.
    • Sing three 5-note scales in the middle of your range on the syllable “oll.” Use the first 5 notes of a major scale (do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re-do).
  2. Sing scales on a “zzz” sound, then switch to words. First, make a “zzz” sound on a single pitch and hold it out—feel how your diaphragm contracts to support the sound and how the vibration loosens up your facial muscles. Once you’ve got it, start singing scales and other musical patterns on “zzz” to blend your voice and increase your agility.[17]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 13 Version 3.jpg
    • Start in a comfortable spot in your voice, then raise or lower each following scale by a half step to warm up your lower and upper ranges.
    • Play around with “zzz” for 3 minutes, then switch to vowel sounds like “aah” or "ooo." After another minute or 2, switch to solfege syllables.
    • Solfege is the 1-syllable words assigned to each note of a scale. The syllables (like you’ve probably heard in The Sound of Music) go do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do.
  3. Vocalize an arpeggio pattern on “nay,” “gee,” or “mum.” An arpeggio is a pattern of notes that goes up or down by skipping notes instead of hitting each one in order like a scale. Start in a comfortable spot lower in your range and sing “nay,” “gee,” or “mum” in the following pattern: do-mi-sol-do-mi-sol-fa-re-ti-sol-fa-re-do (if you prefer a number system, think 1-3-5-8-10-12-11-9-7-5-4-2-1). Start slowly, then move the exercise up and down by half steps.[18]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 14 Version 3.jpg
    • Focus on keeping the syllable pronunciation consistent from the bottom all the way to the top of the exercise.
    • Each of these syllables works a different part of your voice. “Nay” balances air pressure with vocal cord closure while “gee” helps your larynx drop.[19]
    • “Mum” helps you resonate in the spot between your head and chest voices.
  4. Relax your lips and activate your diaphragm with lip trills. Take a deep breath and hold your lips loosely together. Then, exhale through your lips until they start flapping and sounding like a motor. When this feels easy, start vocalizing short scales or note patterns while trilling.[20]

    • Push a fast air stream from your lower abdomen through your lips.
    • The vibrations loosen up your lips and make them more agile for pronunciation and opening up vowel sounds.
  5. Hum scales, arpeggios, or your favorite tunes on an “mmm” sound. Hum for about 1 minute to gently wake up your vocal cords and throat. Keep the range fairly small—try just the first 5 notes of a major scale, up and down (do-re-mi-fa-sol-fa-mi-re-do) or a simple arpeggio (do-mi-sol-do-sol-mi-do).[21]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 16.jpg
    • Start in a comfortable, resonant spot of your range and move up or down by half steps on each repetition. Maintain resonance throughout your range.
  6. Practice resonating by trying to “sing” through your nose. Close your lips and arch the roof of your mouth like you’re yawning or trying to speak through your nose (this raises your soft palate). Start humming like before, except this time the sound will be more like “ng” than “mmm.”[22]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 17.jpg
    • Hold single pitches or do short scale patterns, moving each repetition up or down by half-steps. Do this about 5 times.
    • Focus on keeping the tone quality and resonance the same at all pitches.
  7. Aim to practice for 30 minutes every day. If you’re brand new to singing, start out with 10-minute practice sessions until you build the stamina to go longer. In these short sessions, focus on quality and make sure your last note sounds just as effortless as your first. As you progress, build up to 30 minute or longer practice sessions.[23]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 18 Version 2.jpg
    • Try to spread your practice evenly throughout the week—doing 15 minutes every day is better than cramming in 2 hours the night before a performance.
    • If your voice gets tired but you want to keep making progress, set aside some time to look up new songs to sing.
    • Practice with a metronome (a physical one or a metronome app). Metronomes use clicking sounds to make a steady beat so you’ll sing in time.
  8. Build endurance by reading out loud for a few minutes every day. If you just don’t feel like singing one day, read a short story or news article out loud to yourself (or to a willing listener!). Using your voice with intention helps you work on inflections, enunciation, and stamina.[24]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 19.jpg
    • This is a great exercise for older adults who want to preserve their singing or speaking voice.

[Edit]Taking Care of Your Voice

  1. Stay hydrated and drink lots of warm or room temperature water. Keep your throat moist for the best vocal sound quality, especially if you live in a dry climate or at a high elevation. You can’t moisten your vocal cords directly, but keeping your body hydrated will lubricate them for healthy singing.[25]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 20.jpg
    • If you’re going to be singing for 30 or more minutes, drink warm water with 100% pure honey (add enough to soothe your throat without coating it).
    • Consider humidifying your home or practice space so you’re not breathing dry air.
    • Cold water makes your sensitive vocal cords constrict or tighten up. Room temperature or warm water helps them relax and sound their best.
  2. Try to sleep for 8 or more hours each night. When your body is fatigued, it shows in your voice—you’ll likely get tired more quickly and be more susceptible to vocal damage or overuse. Do your best to get quality sleep every night, especially when you have a big performance coming up.[26]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 21.jpg
    • If you’re short on sleep, try to grab a 20-30 minute nap in the afternoon or before a show or rehearsal to relax and restore your voice.
  3. Keep your stress low with deep breathing exercises or meditation. Stress and nerves can make your voice sound fatigued, higher, or weaker.[27] To calm yourself, get in a comfortable seated position and close your eyes. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts, then exhale for 4 counts. Repeat for at least 1 minute.[28]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 22.jpg
    • Regularly exercising or meditating can also help you stay low-stress over longer periods of time.
  4. Eat a healthy diet and avoid smoking and alcohol. Keep your voice strong and durable with fresh produce, fish, and white meat.[29] Reduce or cut out spicy or acidic foods and dairy, as well as caffeine and mint. Limit your alcohol intake, too—it’s dehydrating, and heavy consumption can damage your voice.[30]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 23.jpg
    • No amount of smoking or smoke inhalation is good for your voice. Cut back or quit smoking as soon as possible to preserve your vocal quality.
  5. Treat your voice gently and go on vocal rest to let it recover. To avoid vocal strain, try to have most of your conversations in a place where you won’t have to talk (or sing) over loud background noise for long periods. Use nonverbal cues, like pointing, or a microphone to replace yelling or screaming.[31]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 24.jpg
    • After using your voice for a long time, take a vocal nap—no singing, talking, or whispering for a few hours.
    • Try not to cough or clear your throat excessively.
    • If possible, sing or practice in short sessions (30-60 minutes) with breaks in between to avoid overusing your voice.[32]
  6. See a doctor if vocal rest doesn’t fix your strained or overused voice. Vocal strain happens when your throat muscles or vocal cords are injured from overuse or improper technique. If you feel strain, go on vocal rest immediately and hydrate until you feel recovered. Visit a doctor if you’re still experiencing any of these symptoms after 2 weeks:[33]
    Improve Your Singing Voice Without Taking Singing Lessons Step 25 Version 2.jpg
    • Chronic hoarseness, raspy voice, voice quiver, or choppy voice.
    • Pain or a lump in your throat whenever you talk or sing.
    • Unintentional changes in pitch or odd-sounding speech.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

  • Remember to always warm up before practicing or performing. Your voice will sound more natural and the most “you” when it’s properly prepared and at ease.
  • Be patient while you work on your voice. The warmups and techniques in this article will improve your singing pretty quickly, but even the greatest singers ever put lots of time and energy into perfecting their craft.
  • Perform for musically-inclined friends or a karaoke audience to occasionally get feedback on your singing. Even when you’re not working with a teacher or vocal coach, it’s helpful to hear what people in the audience think!

[Edit]Warnings

  • Always stop singing and go on vocal rest if you experience pain, fatigue, or any kind of vocal strain. If you keep trying to “push through the pain,” you could damage your voice permanently.

[Edit]Related wikiHows

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

  1. ↑ https://www.topsingingsecrets.com/blog/vocal-registers-and-blending-your-voice
  2. ↑ https://themusicambition.com/teach-yourself-to-sing/
  3. ↑ https://takelessons.com/live/singing/how-to-record-yourself-singing-z02
  4. ↑ https://www.voicesinc.org/how-to-sing-louder/
  5. ↑ https://vocalist.org.uk/sing-with-confidence
  6. ↑ https://www.theatretrip.com/vocal-range/
  7. ↑ https://www.openmicuk.co.uk/advice/singing-with-emotion/
  8. ↑ https://vocalist.org.uk/sing-with-confidence
  9. ↑ https://cmed.ku.edu/gummposture/posture.html
  10. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing
  11. ↑ https://blog.discmakers.com/2021/11/singing-tips-from-an-expert-vocal-coach/
  12. ↑ https://www.utahvocalartsacademy.com/post/seven-facts-about-singing-with-a-low-larynx
  13. ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/ways-relax-singing-muscles-7720/
  14. ↑ https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/tension-enemy-singer-part-tongue-tension-9596/
  15. ↑ http://www.lessonrating.com/students/expert-articles/singing/the-importance-of-warming-up-your-voice-before-singing/
  16. ↑ https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/maintaining-vocal-health
  17. ↑ https://youtu.be/Jn_IIOyTr_A?t=104
  18. ↑ https://singscales.com/vocal-exercises/nay/
  19. ↑ https://www.voicelessons.com/blog/warmups/10-important-vocal-warm-ups/
  20. ↑ https://www.musicnotes.com/now/tips/enhance-your-voice-with-these-vocal-warm-ups-and-breathing-exercises/
  21. ↑ https://www.musicnotes.com/now/tips/enhance-your-voice-with-these-vocal-warm-ups-and-breathing-exercises/
  22. ↑ http://www.lessonrating.com/students/expert-articles/singing/the-importance-of-warming-up-your-voice-before-singing/
  23. ↑ https://www.aimm.edu/blog/will-singing-everday-improve-your-vocal-skills
  24. ↑ https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2014/improve-aging-voice.html
  25. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201805/10-healthy-habits-improve-your-speaking-or-singing-voice
  26. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201805/10-healthy-habits-improve-your-speaking-or-singing-voice
  27. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201805/10-healthy-habits-improve-your-speaking-or-singing-voice
  28. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202204/slow-breathing-exercise-can-reduce-stress-and-anxiety
  29. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201805/10-healthy-habits-improve-your-speaking-or-singing-voice
  30. ↑ https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/ear-nose-throat/maintaining-vocal-health
  31. ↑ https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/maintaining-vocal-health
  32. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201805/10-healthy-habits-improve-your-speaking-or-singing-voice
  33. ↑ https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/vocal-cord-strain


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