Singing is both an art and a skill. The passion to sing combined with perseverance are the main requirements to become a professional singer. Practicing regularly can bring you one step closer to your ambitions of making it big on the stage. Do you want to sound like a seasoned professional? The following vocal exercises can take your singing to another level:
#1. Warm-ups and cool-downs
Warming up clears your voice and prepares your vocal cords. Just like stretching is important before workouts, your voice requires proper conditioning in the form of warm-ups before singing. All vocal lessons should begin with warm-ups and end with cool-downs.
- The first warm-up exercise is “ma, mae, me, mo, moo”. Start by singing these syllables on a single pitch. Then gradually, work on increasing and decreasing the scale with the same pattern.
- Humming is one of the most common and effective warm-up exercises. It widens the throat, soothes the texture of your voice and teaches you how to maintain the same pitch.
- Lip buzz is another good type of warm-up exercise. Produce vibrations with your mouth and lips with a pitch. Making buzzing sounds like that of a bee brings more clarity and control to your voice.
#2. Solfege
We are all familiar with the classic “Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do” in singing. Start out by singing this pattern in one key and eventually moving it up and down.
- This exercise helps you to gain an understanding of intervals between notes and develop a singing range.
- It causes you to build muscle memory, understand pitch changes and strengthen your music senses.
- This exercise helps to stretch your vocal cords.
#3. Vocal sirens
Just like the same suggests, this vocal exercise involves transitioning between different voice ranges, imitating a siren. This exercise proves to be very effective before and even after your performance. Avoid adding unnecessary strain to your vocal cords but always try to modulate your voice into a higher range.
- Sirens can be performed with lip, tongue trills or vowel sounds. Try singing without any breaks for approximately five minutes.
- It helps you understand the current potential of your voice. The muscles in the larynx usually stretch when you sing at comparatively higher scales. Start by singing softly on a lower scale and increase the volume and range as you go along.
#4. Breathing exercises
Controlled breathing along with a good posture is the most essential part of singing. Proper breathing patterns improve the quality and resonance of your voice. Some types of breathing techniques are:
- Long breathing: Inhale deeply through the nose and hold your breath for three seconds. Now, exhale deeply through your mouth and repeat this cycle at least three times.
- Hiss: Clench your teeth and make a hissing sound with your tongue. Breathe using your diaphragm and push out maximum air with every exhale.
- Snatched breaths: Think of your lungs filling up in quarters. In every other second, increase the breaths. On the count of one, breathe in ¼ lungs full of air, on the count of two, breathe in ½ full and so on. In the fourth second, breathe in the final quarter. Keep your belly flat and feel the diaphragm movements at all times.
These exercises take a minimal amount of time and effort and give you long term benefits. You can always get yourself a coach or take singing classes if you want to pursue singing professionally. Always remember that the only way to learn something is by doing it!
Online singing classes with Monali Thakur
Unluclass is offering online singing lessons by the award-winning singer Monali Thakur. Join her specially designed classes to know about the ins and outs of singing as a career. Visit our website for more information on this online singing course.