9 Tips for How to Sing Better

Always imagined yourself with a mike on stage, wooing people with your voice? If yes, the first question to cross your mind would have been, ‘How to sing better'? If you think that singers are gifted with beautiful voices, sure there are some, but the majority have worked hard to achieve that feat!

There are so many aspiring singers who have dropped out of their learning journeys due to inadequate guidance. What has stopped you from letting your singing journey reach its climax? Studies, work, parenthood, illness, etc., are some of the most common reasons. 

Months or years, irrespective of the gap you have taken from pursuing your passion for singing, it is never too late to resume. So whether you are starting from scratch or resuming to sing, make it to the end of this blog to get your hands-on to these tips.

9 Tips for How to Sing Better:

1. Find a Teacher for Yourself

2. Practice the Right Breathing Techniques

3. Stress on the Basics

4. Do Not Strain Your Voice 

5. Listen to Inspiring Artists 

6. Keep Realistic Expectations 

7. Make the Best Use of Social Platforms 

8. Adopt a Well-researched Marketing Strategy

9. Practice Wholeheartedly

Let's explore the tips to sing better in detail:

1. Find a Teacher For Yourself

'A good teacher is like a candle- it consumes itself to light the way for others'- Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

The internet has made self-training possible, but this does not diminish the importance of a good teacher. Learning from an expert will give you in-depth knowledge of the subject and prevent you from picking up incorrect techniques. For example, before taking a break from singing, your vocal range was better than now; the teacher will help you determine your current vocal range and guide you to enhance it gradually.

Your teacher will enlighten you with the proper techniques, encourage you when you are underperforming, and caution you when you are overdoing it. Moreover, realizing that someone is there watching your progress, backing you up when you lose confidence, and placing trust in you even when you are far away from your goal- will intensify your interest in the art of singing to a great extent. And this 'someone' can be nobody else than a Guru or a teacher. 

2. Practice the Right Breathing Techniques

'Maintain your physical, emotional, and spiritual harmony with the Universe by meditating every day. It is your connection to your higher power.'- Louise Hay.

Singing is much like meditation; it lets you connect with your inner self. And if you are trying to be in harmony with the inside, you must practice breathing correctly! The correct techniques will teach you to breathe consciously, giving you control of all the muscles involved in the process. Following this, you will have a clear tone and an extended vocal range.

When working on breathing tactics, you are converting the breath into fuel for your voice. You are sub-consciously improving your lung capacity, improving the vocal cords' functioning and overall vocal health. Some exercises that can give you greater control over your breathing come under the ambit of Pranayama breathing or deep rhythmic breathing. It involves deep breathing through the nostrils, holding it for a while, and releasing it. Interestingly the exercises go way back to the era of the Vedas- the ancient Indian scriptures! 

3. Stress on the Basics

'Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals'- Jim Rohn.

You might have acquired excellent singing skills earlier, but if you have resumed it after a gap (be it months or years), refreshing your basics from scratch must be the first step. This involves practicing everything from singing the Swaras, the Saptak (the melodic progressions of the notes in ascending and descending order), the Paltas (different patterns or arrangements of notes), the Kharaj, or the practice of singing lower octave notes. These basic exercises are the foundation of the art of singing and must be practised regularly for greater control over the vocal tone and range.

4. Do Not Strain Your Voice

Training consistently will redefine your voice and bring it to its most beautiful shape. But, practicing the wrong way or over-practicing will unnecessarily exert your vocal muscles and damage them.

Straining of voice happens when you overuse your vocal chord. It increases tension in the muscles surrounding the voice box. The strain causes sore throat, voice cracking, tickly dry cough triggering, and pain while speaking. 

No matter at what stage you are in your singing journey, you must know how to take care of your vocal muscles. It would help if you keep yourself hydrated between intervals of your singing practice. Taking steam releases the tension in the vocal muscles and heals after the effects of straining. You should also be careful about what to eat to keep your vocal muscles completely fine! 

Consuming oily food, aerated drinks, and caffeinated beverages may restrict the capabilities of your vocal chord. You must always warm up your throat before your singing lessons through above mentioned basic exercises and practice breathing techniques to prevent or heal straining of the voice. Taking proper rest before every learning session is essential for good vocal health.

5. Listen to Inspiring Artists

'Listening is a great way of receiving gifts of wisdom, intelligence and wisdom, intelligence, and inspiration, but we only hear.'

Listening to the works of talented singers is one of the best ways to stay motivated throughout your singing journey. Listening and imitating the singing style of your favorite artists will always fast forward your learning. You tend to pick up techniques quicker, and in the process, you also innovate your unique singing style. 

While listening, you must also pay attention to the accompanying instruments to understand how to interact with a musical setup or an orchestra when you perform with one. Relating to the subtle sounds of nature and your surroundings will also help you become a more conscious singer. 

6. Keep Realistic Expectations

‘Ignoring the expectations is what leads you to realize the true potential.’- K.K Barret.  

The initial stage of learning anything is the most challenging one. No matter how perfect you were with the fundamentals and the following stages, you must work on the basics to redefine and reshape your voice after a gap. You might feel an urge to quickly progress through the learning stages, but unrealistic expectations and a lack of practice will lead to superficial learning. Focusing on every basic technique and practicing it with patience will help you lay a strong foundation for singing.

7. Make the Best Use of Social Platforms

One of the fastest and most effective ways of getting noticed as an independent artist is by showcasing your work on social media platforms. There are so many well-known singers that have started their musical journey on social media. These individual artists are then approached by brands and established artists for promotion and collaboration opportunities. Through proper research and unique content, even you can reach out to the right people thereby expanding your audience. 

8. Adopt a Well-researched Marketing Strategy

From defining your right audience, finding musicians to collaborate with, participating in concerts, and showcasing your singing talent on social media, to setting the right budget to promote your work, you must do adequate research and chalk out an on-point marketing strategy. While doing so you will be constantly gauging your growth and be reminded of your goal of becoming a Singer!

9. Practice Wholeheartedly

'Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four-hour days'- Zig Ziglar.

Feel lucky to pick or resume your love for your singing hobby!

Cherish every learning moment and leave no opportunity to practice what you have learned so far. Consistency will bring you closer to your goal and transform your singing hobby into a passion for life. 

Technology and the internet have bridged the gap between talented, world-class teachers and enthusiastic learners across the globe. Aspiring singers can now benefit themselves by choosing from a pool of online Hindustani singing courses, Carnatic vocals, or any other music genre and a teacher of their choice and design their learning journey again.