How to have a better singing voice

As musicians, we are constantly looking for new ways to grow and improve. But did you know that your everyday activities have a huge impact on the voice you currently have? We often talk about improving your voice when you begin your singing lessons for adults, however, there are steps you can take to make the most out of your voice, no matter where you are on your journey. Keep on reading for our expert tips on how to have a better singing voice.

Practice Regularly

Do you ever feel like you have plateaued, and your voice just doesn’t seem to develop as quickly as you’d like it to? You have bursts of regular practice routines, maybe you are prepping for a show or a recording, but it all goes out of the window, and you don’t sing for weeks. Then, when you come back to singing, you must start again from scratch. It’s normal for your practice routine to eb and flow depending on your workload and the projects you have lined up, but you should make the effort to practice for at least 30 minutes every day. Short, but regular and consistent practice sessions are better than no practice at all. This will help you maintain your vocals so you can always sound your best and keep developing further.

Get to Know Your Voice

Understanding your tone, vocal range, the good qualities of your voice and potential weaknesses will help you bring out the best in your singing. As you embark on singing lessons for adults, a vocal coach can give you a proper vocal assessment and help you get to know your voice. From there, you can choose songs that complement you and identify appropriate challenges for your voice to develop further. Often, beginner singers want to imitate their favourite vocalists and fail, as their own natural voice is likely completely different. Our voices are unique and that’s the beauty of singing! Learn to love it and work with your voice to make it sound the best that it can.

Work on Your Breathing

Singing starts with breath, so it’s important we learn to breathe properly as vocalists. Breathing exercises are not just helpful for your voice! They can also help with mindfulness, stress and anxiety and they are great for supplying more oxygen to your brain. There are plenty of free exercises found online and your vocal coach can advise further in your singing lessons for adults.

Warm Up

Always warm up before every singing session, performance, or recording! Gently warming up your voice and slowly progressing to more advanced exercises will ensure your voice always sounds its best when it’s time to perform. A good vocal warmup will also help to prevent vocal strain and injury and engage the necessary mechanisms in your body for singing. Take a look at our best singing exercises for the voice here. ( https://www.londonsinginginstitute.co.uk/the-best-singing-exercises-for-the-voice/ )

Take Care of Yourself

The more experience you gain as a vocalist, the more you will notice foods, drinks and lifestyle choices that have a negative or positive effect on your singing. Generally, singing with a full stomach will be detrimental to your sound. Caffeinated, carbonated drinks, alcohol and smoking always tend to affect your voice negatively. Some people find that dairy creates mucus which impacts their vocal cords. Learning to recognise these triggers as well as getting plenty of sleep and staying hydrated is vital for keeping your voice happy and healthy.

In addition, it’s important that you don’t do anything that harms or hurts your voice. If something causes discomfort, stop, and consult your vocal coach to find out why that might be happening. Don’t strain your voice, choose songs that are completely out of your range or practice unhealthy vocal techniques. The best way to prevent vocal damage is to work with a qualified vocal coach who can recognise your bad habits and help you prevent them.

Keep Developing

No matter where you are on your journey as a vocalist, a key part of how to have a better singing voice is you must keep growing and developing. This is how you keep singing fun, add a challenge and prevent yourself from stagnating. Each vocalist will have areas of improvement, regardless of their level of professionalism. You can identify them together, whether that’s your pitch, expanding your range, strengthening your voice for better projection, working on your diction and more.

Developing your craft can also come from learning new techniques. For example, if you’ve always been a jazz singer, maybe you’d like to try rock or musical theatre lessons? Expanding your musical and technical knowledge can inspire you to apply these tips in your usual preferred genre. Mixing different styles of music can make for more interesting, captivating song writing that stands out among the rest. Similarly, applying different singing performance techniques across other genres can make your shows particularly unique and enthralling. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, whether that’s with more complex songs, venturing into other genres or finding new ways to improve certain areas of your voice.

Bonus Tip: Take Lessons

Taking lessons with a professional vocal coach will ensure you keep developing your vocal, while practicing healthy habits. Having regular sessions is the best way to have a better singing voice. You will progress quicker, safer and have the support of someone who is constantly rooting for your success and helps you make the most of your voice.

Here at London Singing Institute, we specialise in singing lessons for adults. We focus on creating an encouraging environment where you can feel comfortable expressing yourself and our expert coaches have years of industry experience in all areas of making music. We offer lessons in a range of genres, including jazz, rock, pop, musical theatre, classical and blues. No matter your goals, we will always personalise lessons to suit you and your unique voice specifically. Contact us today to find out more about our singing lessons for adults in London or online, wherever you are.