Everyone is born into this world with inborn talents. Some talents are God gifted and some are developed through practice and training. But to develop your inborn talents, you need proper guidance and training.
Some people have interest in dancing, some in sports, some in arts, some in academic, and some in singing. So, in every field, you must work hard and be willing to persevere through many challenges to achieve success.
When you are a beginner, you will face many obstacles, not just from outsiders but also from yourself. Even professional singers must work hard to maintain their singing abilities.
There was a time when there was no guidance or training programs for vocalists. But today, there are all kinds of resources you can easily access.
So, here are 10 tips for beginner vocalists.
1. Keep it Simple
Beginner vocalists tend to over-complicate everything. But a good vocal performance has nothing to do with complexity. Your technique and performance are far more important.
When you know how to control your breath, select a song that’s in your range, and use your diaphragm to project, you will increase your chances of delivering a great performance and reduce your chances of harming your vocal cords.
2. Record Your Singing & Listen Back to it
There is a difference in how you hear your singing and how others hear it. When you hear your own voice for the first time, you might be shocked. You’ll catch all your faults and hear where you’re making mistakes.
With the guidance of a qualified teacher, you’ll learn how to use your vocal cords and larynx to achieve a better sound. The larynx is the muscular organ forming air passage to the lungs.
But first, it’s important to identify your problem areas. It will force you to become a better listener, and whether you’re training to become a singer or instrumentalist, it’s important to have a good ear.
Take advantage of a Voice Recorder to capture your vocal performances and listen to them critically.
3. Avoid Tensing Up & Get Comfortable While Singing
Get comfortable while you are singing. Avoid tensing up and straining your voice. Pick a song that’s in your range, and only use techniques you’re familiar and comfortable with.
Don’t worry about what other people are thinking while you’re singing. This can make you nervous and cause you to tense up unnecessarily. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. All beginners make mistakes, so make note of where things went wrong, so you can revisit sections you’re having trouble with and work on them.
4. Listen to Your Favorite Singers
Listening makes you more passionate about singing. There are many genres and different styles of vocalists you can listen to, classical, pop, folk, country, rock, and more.
Listen to singers you want to emulate, in a style you want to sing in.
Also listen to talented singers who generally sing in a style you aren’t as comfortable or familiar with. You never know what you might pick up from them.
As you listen to more vocalists, you’ll notice that there are many differences with style, voice quality, techniques, and more.
Ultimately, you’ll want to sing in a style that suits you best. Listening to many singers may help you identify which genre of music your voice is suited to, and what techniques you’ll need to learn to sing the style of your choosing.
5. Warm Up
It’s important to warm up your voice before singing, whether you’re practicing or performing.
Professional athletes always warm up before a match. Before putting themselves through any rigorous exercise, they often do some stretching and light jogging.
Warming up your voice before each session will cause your voice to fatigue less and reduce the chances of damaging it.
6. Try Playing with Volume
Singing a song at the same volume from start to finish can get a big boring. Once you become more comfortable with a song, why not try changing up the volume throughout. This may help you stress different words and express emotions at exactly the right time.
When you stress the right words at the right time, it will draw in the listener more. Variety adds spice to your singing.
7. Drink Plenty of Water
Drink plenty of water. Even famous singers recommend drinking at least eight glasses of water per day.
Drinking water helps you bring vibration and modulation to your voice. Your tongue plays an important role in singing, and if you aren’t drinking enough water, it will make it harder to pronounce as effectively. Your vocals will not sound as good dehydrated.
8. Avoid Salty & Spicy Food
Professional singers often avoid a variety of beverages and foods to keep their voice in shape. Some sacrifices will need to be made if you want to be a great singer. Avoid salty and spicy foods, which can irritate your throat and vocal cords.
9. Get Adequate Sleep
Sleep is a macro factor that affects all aspects of life. If you don’t get adequate sleep, you will naturally feel more sluggish, tired, and you may even suffer from brain fog throughout the day.
Caffeine can dry you out and negatively affect your vocal cords as well.
So, try to get plenty of sleep. For most, seven to eight hours per night is recommend. If you find you need a little less or a little more, there probably isn’t anything wrong.
10. Be Confident
Easier said than done. But the reality is we’ve all been blessed with a unique voice. Learn to respect it. No one will appreciate your voice if you don’t. There’s no sense in just imitating others. Express your individuality.
11. Seek Out Proper Training
If you apply the above tips and access other resources, you will see some success with your singing. But oftentimes, that simply isn’t enough. When there is no one giving you direction with your singing, you could easily end up making mistakes and injure your vocal cords. Or, your bad habits and techniques may need to be corrected later.
A qualified vocal coach or instructor can help you find your voice and avoid costly mistakes. They can help you build a strong foundation, so you’ll be able to apply what you learn and excel in your career, no matter where you end up taking it.
Conclusion
When it comes to singing, there is plenty of conflicting advice out there. Don’t worry about trying to get everything right. Take what makes sense to you and apply it, and brush the rest aside.
If you want to learn more about how to sing better and become a better rounded musician, sign up for access to the PDF Vault now.
- Top 11 Tips For Beginner Vocalists - April 10, 2018
