Learn How to Sing in the Fastest and Easiest Way
At eHow to Sing you will find everything that you need to learn how to sing like a pro. Find all of the lessons, tips, vocal workouts and techniques that you have always wanted, all in one single place. Our lessons are very easy to follow making learning to sing fun and enjoyable.
How to Sing: Learning About the Vocal Range
Determining your vocal range can help you pick the most suitable songs for your voice and give you confidence while singing them.
The vocal range varies for each person. Many singers do not even know their own vocal range, which is the amount of continuous notes that can be reached while singing.
It is very important to sing knowing your vocal range. To determine or to find your vocal range, first we need a harmonic instrument such as the piano or a guitar to accompany us.
We have to understand that each voice has its limitations, although it can be broadened or perfected with practice. In the simplest way, voices can be grouped into two categories: high and low.
It is important to note that a person with a deep voice should not try to sing very high notes, since over time there is a possibility of suffering injury to their voice and/or vocal cords. In the same way, a person with a high voice should not try to sing very low notes. It is crucial that you always maintain the health and care of your voice.
Finding your Vocal Range Using the Piano
The vocal range, as we mentioned previously, is the amount of consecutive notes that you can sing. For example, using the piano, start out singing the middle C note (this is the C note that is approximately halfway down the keyboard, it is the 4th C on a standard piano, also called C4). Continue down the keyboard toward the lower notes, or to the left as long as your voice stays audible. The last specific note in which your voice is audible is the lowest note of your vocal range.
It is best to start with the lower notes since they don’t strain your voice very easily and at the same time this serves as a warm up before you begin the high notes.
The next step is to start again in middle C and go towards the high notes, or to the right of the keyboard, as long as you are capable of producing an audible and clear sound. You should include your head voice and also falsetto; don’t forget to breathe correctly and avoid straining your voice as you reach the highest notes.
What is my Vocal Range Exactly?
You can now figure that your vocal range would be from the lowest note that you reached on the keyboard to the highest. You can count how many octaves there are between all of the notes that you have sung.
An octave is a consecutive series of twelve semi-tones, either towards the high notes or towards the low notes, from the middle C (which is C4), for example, until you get to C5.
You should not limit yourself to the vocal range in this exercise, since with more practice and vocal training you can amplify it even more. We will later explore the most common types of voices. Knowing more about the type of voice that you have and discovering your vocal range is very helpful when you are learning how to sing the right way.
How to Sing: Discovering your Resonance When Singing
Recognizing resonance in singing is vital since it helps to broaden your vocal register. Some singers do not know what this is, but when you discover it you will realize that it is one of the most important elements of singing.
Resonance is one of the properties of sound. Sound is a wave that travels through the air. Resonance is related to frequencies. When sound goes through different mediums such as walls, roofs, glass, wood, metal, water, etc. it amplifies certain frequencies; the high or low frequencies may become more noticeable.
When you sing, sound that you produce travels throughout all of your body. Sound does not resonate exactly the same in each part of the body. For example, in your head it would sound different than in your thorax.
The best thing is to discover the best resonating parts of your body and use them when you sing to produce the high and low notes well.
Practicing is the best way to expand your vocal register, especially when you are first learning how to sing.
Vocal Resonance Exercise
Let’s do a short exercise to practice resonance.
Close your mouth and start to say the letter “M” like “mmmm” for a few seconds.
A) Try to make it sound only in your throat.
B) Let’s repeat the same sound, but now make the sound between your nose and your mouth.
C) Now let’s make the same sound but this time try to make it sound only in the center of your head.
You will start to notice that when you make the sound between your nose and your mouth, the high frequencies sound the best. The high sounds sound second best in the center of your head. You will see that the high sounds do not sound as clear when you make them from your throat.
If you still cannot seem to note the difference in the quality of the high frequencies, keep practicing until you are able to detect where to locate the best sounding high notes.
To broaden your practice, try to make the sound in different keys. You can also use the sound “maaa” while trying to reach higher notes each time within your vocal register. See how each sound resonates and how it sounds as you practice in the different zones and forms that we have mentioned.
We recommend using the area that is above your palate, between your mouth and nose, if you want to expand your vocal register, adding more high notes. Opening your mouth more and tensing up your facial muscles will help you reach even higher notes.
Once you have practice and have a good grasp on resonance, you will be able to better control where to send the high and low notes when you are singing.
How to Sing: Health and Care of the Voice
The voice is the main musical instrument of our body. For some people it is a tool used for work. Taking care of our voice is important whether we are professional singers or amateurs and are just learning how to sing. If we do not take care of our voice well, it can cause us problems such as respiratory infections, inflamation of the throat, etc.
We will now talk about some healthy habits and other things that we should avoid in order to maintain good vocal health.
Some good habits to always keep in mind are:
Drink plenty of water, at least 2 liters or 8-10 glasses per day, which is not only good for the body but will also keep the vocal cords hydrated.
Eat foods that are easy to digest such as fruits, vegetables, fish and chicken. Apples are great to help clean out the mouth. Citrus fruits are helpful in giving you a boost of vitamin C to keep the common cold away.
Try to sleep at least 8 hours a day, especially before a vocal performance; sleeping enough each day will give your body extra energy and will help fight off sicknesses that could ultimately affect your throat and vocal cords.
Sit up straight and maintain good posture for when you breathe. This will help your lungs fill to their fullest potential and help control your air intake.
Always warm up your voice before singing; this could stop you from injuring your vocal cords and will help to keep your voice more in shape.
Some things to avoid are:
Don’t eat spicy foods which could irritate the throat, especially right before singing.
Don’t wear very tight clothing, especially on the stomach, chest and neck which could constrict the air control and breathing necessary for a perfect performance.
Avoid being exposed to very cold winds; cold air tends to dry up the vocal cords.
Don’t drink cold or iced beverages which could cause your voice to crack easier, impeding on your voice’s full reach.
Try not to scream or talk very loud, this could cause you to lose your voice quickly.
Avoid going to places that are very loud which could cause you to talk over the noise, this could wear out your voice.
Do not smoke; everyone already knows that this, in fact, will ruin your voice little by little over time. It also is very harmful to the lungs and will not allow them to fill with oxygen to their full capacity.
Don’t sing too loud, forcing yourself to arrive at notes that are at a higher vocal register, this could tire out your vocal cords and possibly damage them.
If we want to sing well, we don’t only need to have good vocal techniques and methods but we also need to have healthy habits and take good care of our voice. Our vocal cords are like all the other muscles in our body that need good training, rest, and care so that they perform well.