LA Music Review | Art, stories and advice
by Linn Holmstedt
Whether you have been singing for a long time…
are an aspiring singer or just really enjoy it – strengthening your voice can be quite a task. As it is not a visible instrument but a part of our bodies, growing as a vocalist can seem quite abstract. We carry our instrument everywhere we go and it affected by all that we do, whether it is regarding practice or our all over health. Sometimes it can be challenging to know where to start on the journey of becoming a more powerful singer, so here are 5 ways to help you strengthen your voice.
1. Begin with your breathing
The breath is at the core of your vocal capabilities – the better breathing technique you have, the stronger your voice will be.
It may sound simple, but it can be much more challenging than expected. In order to use your full lung capacity and to engage the diaphragm muscles needed to support your voice, you can start by practicing breathing excises regularly. There are so many different exercises out there, including ones that help you access your full lung capacity as well as increasing it, but which also assists you in learning to control your airflow and supply.
The key components to optimal breathing is to keep your shoulders low, chest relaxed, neck straight and to find the breathing stemming from your diaphragm. You can even lay down on the floor and place a book (or a similar item) on your diaphragm to see if it moves with your breath. These exercises will surely assist you in strengthening your voice from the very core.
2. Always Warm Up
Another way of giving your voice more strength, but which also assist in taking good care of your voice, is to plan a warm up routine and to always practice it before singing. It can include a variety of exercises – such as breath work, humming, scales, riffs and runs, etc – and it will not only set you up for a productive and healthy vocal session (whether it is a gig or simply practice) but it will also enhance your vocal agility.
Start the warm up with something easy in order to stretch out and prepare your vocal chords, then gradually expand the level of agility as you go. Don’t overwork your voice, but make sure it feels warmed up and ready before starting your singing session. This will not only make the singing easier and more efficient, but it will also assist in preserving your vocal health in the long run.
3. Practice Your Ears and Improve Your Pitch
One of the most important aspects of singing is pitch, which is the quality that making it possible to hear if a note sounds ”higher” or ”lower” as associated with a melody in a musical context. Ones pitch can be trained and improved, though tedious, it will come in very handy for anyone wanting to grow as a singer. This is possible through practicing ear-training, with exercises such as pitch-matching and singing scales.
Play a melody on the piano and practice singing it back. There are plenty of ”sing-a-long” ear-training videos on YouTube, apps containing different exercises or piano apps for your device with which you can practice your exercises anywhere! Ear-training can be as advanced as you would like, however the true key is consistency. Just a little bit every day or every other day will make a huge difference.
4. Record yourself singing
Another tip I would give in order to strengthen your voice, is to record yourself singing. Many people are not comfortable with hearing themselves back on a recording, however I strongly believe it really does increase your awareness of how you sound in reality (which can often be very different from how one sounds in ones head) and which can be very helpful on your vocal journey. It does not have to be a question of ”good” or ”bad” and should not be an avenue to criticize yourself – but simply for you to hear what you sound like. This way you can both discover how far you have come on your vocal journey, while simultaneously finding areas you would like to improve. Vocal awareness is so helpful when it comes to improving your vocal capabilities.
5. Take good care of yourself
Lastly, but definitely not least – take good care of yourself. Remember, you carry your instrument wherever you go and it is affected by all that you do. Make sure you stay hydrated and well rested for optimal vocal capabilities – especially before a gig, recording or a voice session. If your voice feels fatigued, give it a break. Singing a lot and practicing is great, but rest is also productive. Your vocal chords are made of muscles and needs time to recover, much like your muscles after a workout. Give your body and mind the love and care it deserves!
Another aspect of vocal health is knowing how choices in food and such can affect your vocal chords. For example, there are certain foods that produces excess mucus, foods such as dairy or very spicy foods. This excess mucus can prevent a voice from it’s optimal potential and make you feel like there is something stuck on your vocal chords, which can lead to excess strain and vocal damage over time.
However, a healthy level of mucus is great due it’s qualities of keeping the vocal chords lubricated. Another example is coffee – as much as many of us love it (me very much included) it is very de-hydrating and I do not recommend consuming it before singing. All over, it is good to be aware of what affects your voice and how it responds to certain things – because at the end of the day our instrument is a part of our body and we want to take good care of it. Health is key!
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