Amazing Singing Tips for Professionals and Beginners

10 Powerful and Easy Singing Tips to Help Create a Beautiful Voice

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Whether you’re a professional singer or beginner you value your voice. Your voice is literally your instrument. You have some singers where every thing they do literally revolves around his or her voice. This is why vocal care is extremely important when you sing. To many admirers and onlookers who don’t sing, it may seem like singing is magic. You may think singers just get up and start singing naturally without applying any care, tips or techniques. Yes, singing is a natural talent and it comes effortlessly for many. However, even the best vocalists have tips and advice they live by for singing. If you’re a beginning singer these singing tips will really come in handy for you. If you’re a professional singer these tips will help you obtain the amazing voice you already have. It may also make you aware of certain things you never knew about singing. Read these 10 easy yet powerful singing tips to help polish your voice and preserve it.

1) Breathing from the diaphragm

On the list of singing tips this one is actually pretty popular now. If you know anything about singing you hear people say “you’re suppose to breathe from your diaphragm” all the time now. Breathing from your diaphragm is when you fill your rib cage and lower back area with air as you inhale. Then as you exhale you slowly release the air. This gives you great breath support while singing. It’s almost like as you’re releasing the air as you exhale the air is sort of pushing your voice out and up through your mouth. A lot of singers that understand this it helps improve their singing tremendously. However, here’s a catch to breathing from diaphragm. Some singers take huge, deep breaths before singing while breathing from diaphragm. They don’t think they’re doing anything wrong since they’re still breathing from their diaphragm. But here’s the thing even when breathing from diaphragm you’re not suppose to take huge deep breaths. You’re not suppose to gasp and take an exaggerated deep breath before singing. This actually creates tension and gives you less air. You’re suppose to take a natural deep breath from your stomach/ diaphragm and then gradually release the air as you sing. This is hands down the most important item on the list of singing tips. It’s literally the foundation for singing.

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Vocal coach and singer Eric Arceneaux gives an amazing tutorial on how to sing correctly from the diaphragm

2) Mouth placement

Mouth placement is the second most important item on the list of singing tips. How you position your mouth when singing is pivotal in getting the right sound, correct pitch and perfect tone to come out. You may think when great singers are singing they just open their mouth and sing. However, if you look closely their mouth is position a particular way and it’s for a reason. The way the singer has his or her mouth placed is a vocal technique within itself. When you sing your mouth is suppose to be wide open. Your tongue should be flat and lightly touching the bottom row of your teeth. The top row of your teeth should be showing as if you’re giving a big smile. You’re bottom jaw should be loose and free. You’re entire mouth area should be free of any tension. The amazing, legendary Whitney Houston is the perfect example of how a singer’s mouth placement should be when singing. If you look at her mouth when singing it’s the exact position any singer’s mouth should be in to get your voice out. Her top row teeth are showing. Her tongue is flat. Her mouth is wide open. Her jaw is completely free of any tension ( this is why her jaw is able to shake and vibrate so well when she sings). How do you get your mouth in this perfect position? Here’s what you have to do:

  • Pretend like you’re about to yawn. Literally open your mouth and act as if you’re going to yawn but instead sing. This automatically places your tongue in a flat position. It also relaxes the muscles in your mouth and jaw.
  • How to get the top row of your teeth showing is to give a happy yawn. As you position your mouth to yawn smile. This way the yawn isn’t sad and causing your top lip to cover your upper teeth.
  • This may seems difficult to do at the same time in the beginning. The solution to that is to simply practice it. Practice it in a mirror so you can see the actual difference.
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Whitney Houston performs in 1988. The new Showtime documentary, Whitney. “Can I Be Me,” includes footage of her world tour in 1999.

3) Singing syllables

When you sing certain syllables enhance your voice, certain syllables do the opposite. Have you ever been singing and noticed certain words are easier to get out than others. Or maybe your voice sounds better singing certain words. This is due to syllables. Your voice can go three places when you’re singing:

  • in your throat
  • in your noise
  • to the roof of your mouth (soft palate)

You want your voice to go to your soft palate. It’s almost like your voice is a physical object shooting to the roof of your mouth. The reality is certain syllables force your voice to go to your throat. Then there are some syllables that allows your voice to go where you want it to go, which is to your soft palate effortlessly. The best way to make all your sounds go to the roof of your mouth is to always sing with certain syllables. This means no matter what word you’re singing always have your mouth positioned in a special syllable. This may seems hard if the word you’re singing sounds nothing like the syllable that enhances your voice. The trick to that is to pronounce the word slightly different. For example if using the h sound “ha” helps your voice go to the roof of your mouth. Then you would add the H sound to every word right before you sing it. Instead of singing “I” you would sing “Ha-i.” But you would do this in a smooth, discreet way. Other syllables that really allows your voice to go to the roof of your mouth (soft palate) are:

  • Ah
  • Who
  • Ya

4) Over pronouncing words

Don’t over pronounce words when you sing. Although you want to “sing like you talk” over pronouncing words can make the sound go to the wrong placement when singing. Like I mentioned in singing tips #3 certain syllables helps your voice go to the right placement effortlessly. If you over pronounce certain words that perfect placement will instantly go away. You have to figure out a way to make your words clear while still staying within your perfect syllable scope. The best way to accomplish this is to develop your over good vocal techniques. This can be done with warm-ups, paying attention to detail and strong practice.

5) Don’t try too hard

Trying too hard when singing can make you sound bad just as much as not singing well enough. This tip is very important especially for beginner singers. A lot of singers make the mistake of trying too hard. Maybe you feel your voice isn’t good enough. Maybe someone told you your voice is too low or soft. Maybe you call yourself imitating a singer with big voice who you admire. However, singing too hard isn’t the solution to your problem. You’re suppose to develop a technique, practice, apply singing tips and blend these tips with your natural voice. Let your natural voice shine through. Don’t force your voice to be too strong, too loud or too high. This causes tension which will make your voice crack. It also puts strain on your vocal cords and larynx. It also causes tension in your stomach area.

6) Knowing the difference between projecting your voice and singing loud

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One of the most important singing tips to remember is to never try too hard when singing.

One of the best singing tips you’ll ever need is to understand volume when singing. Understand the difference between singing loud and simply projecting your voice. When you hear a powerhouse vocalist like Whitney HoustonMariah Carey or Jennifer Hudson you may think, “wow look how loud and good they sing.” You may want to imitate that sound. You then go to sing as loud as you can and wonder why you’re not sounding as good as them. That’s because what you think is singing loud or raising your voice is really just projecting your voice. When you sing try as much as possible not to sing loud. Try to simply project your voice and accentuate certain words and phrases you want to have an affect. However, don’t sing loud. Most singers who have powerful voices don’t sing loud. They are projecting their voice, using their stomach strength, and allowing their natural voice to resonate and echo. Another singing technique singers do is allow the mic to give the illusion they’re singing louder. When they want their voice to project they bring the mic closer to their mouth.

7) Soft speaking voice

Have you ever heard a singer talk during a regular conversation or interview? Most of them have soft speaking voices. They’re very soft spoken and graceful. This is because even your speaking voice plays a part in your singing voice. Your vocal cords are very sensitive and delicate. If you speak too hard or loud it can damage your vocal cords. If you’re ever wondering “how to become a better singer” treating your voice like a delicate flower at all times is the way to go. The best method to start is by talking in a soft, sweet tone.

8) Water and more water

One of the most common and effective singing tips to utilize is drinking water. This tip may seem cliche and also too common but it’s very important. Water is single-handedly the most important item for your voice. It can literally heal your vocal cords if you have cold, sore throat, etc. Of course there are other remedies that can aid in healthy vocal cords. However, water is the best option. Water is also the only liquid you can have while singing. Other liquids such as herbal tea and lemon juice you can have hours before or after a show. But if you take these right before singing it actually dries your vocal cords and throat out. With water you can drink it all the time and never have to worry about it being counter productive. Just drinking water on the day to day basis will naturally keep your vocal cords moist, hydrated and lubricated. Be sure to drink the water in sips and don’t gulp it down all at once. It’s actually healthier and more effective that way.

9) Protect your throat area

Another technique that gets lost on the list of singing tips is protecting your voice at all times. This means protecting your throat area in general, especially during the Fall and Winter season. As a singer you want to get sick as less as possible. You have to make sure your pride and joy which is your voice is protected. The best way to do this is to wear a scarf whenever it’s cold or chilly out. Make sure the scarf is protecting your neck and collar area. Don’t only wear it for fashion. Be sure to wear warm shirts to protect your upper respiratory area.

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RnB singer Mary J. Blige wearing a style scarf while she sings. This is a great way to protect your voice during the colder seasons.

10) Singing warm-ups

A very effective singing tip to always practice is to do warm-ups and vocal exercises. This shouldn’t be optional. Warm-ups and vocal exercises improve singing tremendously. This is  a known fact. Never think “I can sing naturally, so I don’t need to do vocal exercises.” Every professional singer with a singing career do warm-ups and exercises before they sing. This helps trains your voice. It helps you develop stronger pitch. It helps you sing runs and riffs better. It helps build your vocal muscles. It helps prepares your voice before you sing an actual song. If you fall under the category of “singing tips for beginners” and don’t know any vocal exercises there are solutions. You can watch YouTube tutorials with amazing vocal coaches on how to do singing warm-ups or you can get a vocal coach.

These amazing singing tips are guaranteed to improve your voice. They won’t make you sound perfect over night. But once you apply these tips on a consistent basis you will see an improvement. Your natural voice will flow more effortlessly. You sound will resonate better. You’ll develop a richer tone and have great breath support.

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