How To Sing: The Complete Guide for Beginners

Young bi-racial female singer practicing how to sing in recording studio

Author: Caleb J. Murphy

Expert Sources: Cari Cole • Teri Danz • Mama Jan • Lis Lewis

Last updated: Sep 27, 2023

Caleb J. Murphy is a songwriter/producer based in Richmond, VA, whose music has been on ABC, NBC, NPR, and in hundreds of indie film projects. His advice for musicians has been featured by Digital Music News, Bandzoogle, BMI, and ASCAP. He also sends a twice-monthly newsletter called 5 Things To Help You Keep Going that features five resources from the internet that will help indie musicians.
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Table of Contents

Introduction
Can Anyone Learn To Sing?
How To Sing Better
1. Step 1: Warm Up Your Body and Then Your Voice
2. Step 2: Release Tension In Your Voice and Body
  1. Throat and tongue posture
  2. Jaw tension
3. Step 3: Don’t Take a Breath Before You Sing
4. Step 4: Don’t Hold Your Breath While You Sing
5. Step 5: Open Up
6. Step 6: Stay Relaxed
7. Step 7: Get Into the Song
8. Step 8: Warm Down Afterward
How To Practice Singing
1. Sing high, stay low
2. Speak on pitch
3. Take care of your body
4. Breathing exercises
5. Vocal exercises
6. Practice proper posture
7. Articulation and diction
8. Song repertoire
9. Recording and self-evaluation
10. Seek feedback
11. Regular practice schedule
12. Take care of your voice
FAQ
Sources

Can Anyone Learn To Sing?

Short answer: yes, anyone can learn to sing. And you can even teach yourself.

Longer answer: let me turn it over to the experts…

Can you teach yourself to sing?

Cari Cole (Courtney Love, Diane Birch, American Idol & The Voice Finalists)

I taught myself to sing until I started vocal lessons. You can sing along to other Singers, copy their vibrato and the way they’re singing. There’s a lot you can learn just by singing along with other Singers. But at a certain point, if you want to take it more seriously, you do need to train because you want to protect the health of your voice. Studying technique can also dramatically expand your potential.

Teri Danz (2019 Billboard Chart-toppers Sweet Eve, Ximxia, Kian Blume)

You can teach yourself to sing, to a certain point, but it is better if you are taught by someone or come from a musical family that sings. My dad was a musician. He would play clarinet, and he could also sing. When I was growing up, my sister would sing one part and I would sing another. My dad would play another on the clarinet. This is the way that you learn early how to do harmonies.

Also, music is a community thing. It’s not something you can do for very long in a vacuum. Like if you start playing guitar, you want to play with other people and learn from them, just by trying to keep up and learning what they know.

Lis Lewis (Rihanna, Miguel, Kali Uchis)

There’s a lot you can do on your own. Just singing teaches you about your voice, when it gets tired, and what sounds your voice makes that you love. Singing different styles will change the way your voice sounds because you imitate the Singer: if you listen to R&B, your voice will sound different than if you’re listening to rock ’n’ roll. Try different things and you’ll learn a lot about how your voice can sound.

Mama Jan (Usher, Drake, Justin Bieber)

Good question. I imagine people can learn most anything these days simply by watching instructional videos and seeking educational materials that are available on the internet. The real question, however, is whether or not someone can teach themselves to sing well. I believe that feedback alone provides information for improvement that one cannot receive objectively on their own.

How To Sing Better

Step 1: Warm Up Your Body and Then Your Voice

When your body is energized and “activated,” your singing voice will respond more quickly. How much should you be warmed up? You should definitely get your heart rate up, and it’s a good sign if you start to sweat. At that point, you can do your vocal exercises.

How do you warm up your voice?

Teri Danz (2019 Billboard Chart-toppers Sweet Eve, Ximxia, Kian Blume)

Do vocal exercises. I have a vocal exercise CD. With a lot of vocal exercise techniques, you have to know what you’re going for, to make sure you’re not doing them wrong. I had a guy come in and say, “I’m hoarse from doing all these vocal exercises!” Well, you can’t do vocal exercises wrong or out of your vocal range and expect to improve your voice. People do that. They’re like, “Oh, I can hit that really high note!” and then they kill their voice.

You can try stuff and see. Vocal warm-ups like lip rolls are always good. There is a thing in pop singing called a “dum dah.” You can look at my video. It’s a drop jaw thing. Think of Ariana. Her mouth is kind of loose and lean. With all those artists who sing that way, their mouths aren’t tight. They’re dropped vertically. It’s a better way to sing.

If you’re working with a Coach who isn’t focused on getting a lot of sound in your mouth, you’re probably not doing current “pop.” I’m talking about what’s on the radio. You can learn a lot, but you have to decide what it is you want to do.

The other thing is, when you study with someone, you want to learn tools. You don’t want to learn to sing one song and not be able to translate to anything else. That’s one of the things I do as a Coach. Though I can if need be, I don’t train Singers to sing or sound like Adele, Miley, or Ariana per se, I teach them how to sing with a current pop technique, so that they can sing anything.

Cari Cole (Courtney Love, Diane Birch, American Idol & The Voice Finalists)

Warming up is a really important thing. When you haven’t done any training, you tend to sing along with other Singers, and that feels like your warm-up. But when you start to understand the mechanics of the voice and that the instrument actually needs the proper warm-up to feel open, then you want to try some exercises.

I have a great set of vocal warmups, The Singers Gift Vocal Warmups that are designed to open and free your voice, creating more range and power.

The problem with singing is that the voice is an instrument inside the body, so you are affected by the state of the body. If your neck muscles are tense, or your larynx is too pushed up from singing the night before, you won’t have the same openness today because you’re already a little tired from singing yesterday. Or say you had a lot of tense communication at work: your muscles are now tight and you don’t even realize it.

Or you haven’t been breathing. If you exercise first, everything is going to be more relaxed. Your muscles will be more relaxed, so when you go to sing, you’re going to feel freer. That’s a trick by the way! Do twenty minutes of aerobic exercise at some point in the day if you have a performance or even if you want to sing for somebody in your living room. You’ll notice it’s much easier to sing.

Singers are physical athletes of the small muscles of the voice and breath. I’m writing a book right now called Heal Your Voice, and it has a lot of these techniques in it. It’s a 21-day plan to vocal health and wellness, but I’m including some of these techniques. My Singers get warmup exercises. We lift the palate. We do all these physical things that aren’t in a lot of other programs because they get a result.

I’ve had clients where I pull out a mat to work on their throats. They come in, and they’re having problems. I roll out the mat, lay them down, and put my balm–my Sunrider Balm that’s like a Tiger Balm–all over their neck muscles. I get down on the floor and literally release their neck muscles. Starting with the sternocleidomastoid muscles all the way to their jaw muscles and their laryngeal muscles, then they walk out of here with their voice.

They come in with barely a voice. The vocal muscles that surround the vocal instrument… All I have to do is just press on my neck muscles. I’m not doing anything else, but you can hear the rasp. That you won’t learn at a Doctor’s office.

Most Vocal Coaches are not aware of that because it wasn’t in their programs. They weren’t trained in that way. I was very fortunate to–for one–be involved with amazing mentors and–two–have an interest in massage, natural herbs, and natural medicine. I bring a whole different perspective to solutions for vocal problems that really work.

Mama Jan (Usher, Drake, Justin Bieber)

Unfortunately, that’s not a one-sentence answer. Warming up your voice is equally important as it is for a professional runner to warm up their body and stretch their legs before running a marathon. It’s about making sure that blood flow and oxygenation are circulating in the voice and through the vocal cords to optimize performance.

It’s one of the very first things I work with artists on so that they begin to understand the physiology of singing. On average, a good vocal warm-up should be at least 17 – 20 minutes but varies depending on how long someone will be singing. And please note that cooling down is just as important and the process that Vocalists know even less about.

Lis Lewis (Rihanna, Miguel, Kali Uchis)

Most people have two voices. A lower voice that we mostly speak in, and an upper voice that we sometimes sing in. The lower voice is called “chest voice” and the upper voice is called “head voice.” The high end is where most people get very uncomfortable. Not everybody: some people are more comfortable in their head voice.

Whichever voice is your dominant voice, it doesn’t matter. They’re both great. What you want to do is warm up each of them individually, then build a connection between them. In order to properly warm up your voice, you need to use both of them.

Your voice might operate really well on some days and not on others. There are reasons for that. For instance, if you haven’t slept well or haven’t had enough water, chances are you’re going to sing poorly. There are people who can sing well no matter what but if you find that’s true for you, then there are a couple of things you need–more sleep and more water for one thing.

You also need to understand what it does to your voice, so that you can combat it when it does happen. It can cause you to use more external muscles–your jaw, your throat, your neck–because you’re trying to compensate. You need to learn how to release those muscles and relax. Let the air and your vocal cords do the work.

Step 2: Release Tension In Your Voice and Body

Tension in your body will affect your singing voice. So it’s a good idea to incorporate things like yoga, deep stretching, and massages in your routine to stay loose.

You also need to make sure your throat and jaw stay loose. Here’s how…

Throat and tongue posture

Sing a phrase of a song and watch yourself in the mirror. If you notice any tightness in your throat or face, you’re probably adding tension to your voice.

If you feel tightness in the larynx (voice box), gently place your thumb and forefinger on your voice box while you sing.

Is it rising or feeling tight? If so, try this exercise: sing the phrase again, focusing on keeping your larynx relaxed.

Now, to make sure your tongue is not tight, place your thumb underneath your chin and feel the muscles between your voice box and chin. Sing the phrase again and check if those muscles are tense.

If they are, consciously try to relax them while singing.

Jaw tension

The jaw has a big impact on your vocal tone and pitch. Your jaw should move freely with the vowel you’re singing.

To let your jaw relax as you sing…

Choose a phrase that feels a bit tight or constrained
Look at your face and mouth in the mirror and speak the words of the phrase
Notice how your jaw opens vertically as you speak
Now, sing the phrase and let your jaw open to the same height as when you spoke the words
Don’t let your jaw hang lower or higher than it was while speaking

Step 3: Don’t Take a Breath Before You Sing

I’m sure this sounds contradictory to what you’ve heard. But think about this: we don’t run out of breath in the middle of talking. We naturally take in enough air to get our sentences out.

In the same way, you need to let your breathing happen naturally. Just think about the words you need to sing and you’ll automatically have the right amount of air in your lungs.

Step 4: Don’t Hold Your Breath While You Sing

As you’ve been reading this article, have you noticed yourself holding your breath? No, you didn’t. That’s how singing should feel. Don’t hold your breath. If you do, you’re creating more tension. Just breathe normally.

Step 5: Open Up

Some artists may choose to sing without opening their mouth very much, but that’s a singing style choice and not actually the proper way to sing. You need to open your mouth.

Go ahead and yawn. That’s how your belly should feel and how wide your mouth should be when you’re singing. In other words, at least two fingers’ width between your teeth.

Step 6: Stay Relaxed

As you sing, don’t let that tension you released in step 2 return to your body, throat, or jaw. Keep your jaw slack, your tongue fat, your lips loose, and your neck mobile. Imagine your head is floating.

Step 7: Get Into the Song

Can a "bad" Singer become a good Singer?

Lis Lewis (Rihanna, Miguel, Kali Uchis)

Yes. Everybody can get better. I’m not sure what “bad Singer” means, but I would guess it means you don’t like the sound of your voice or you’re not singing in tune. Those two things are difficult to fix by yourself. If you’re not singing in tune, you need another person to help you figure out when you are singing in tune and what that sounds and feels like. That can be fixed–you can get better. That’s definitely possible.

If what you don’t like is the sound of your voice, that is also something that can be fixed by having an outside ear tell you why it doesn’t sound good. A lot of people use their throat to sing. I think your readers will recognize if they do it. It’s very, very common. If that’s what you’re doing, then you need to correct it because that’s what makes it sound like you’re straining. It also makes you get tired.

So yes, there are things you can do to make your voice better, and you can do them on your own as well. You can record yourself singing and listen back. I really want to emphasize this–don’t just say, “I hate that.” Instead say, “Well, this note was pretty good, that note sounded like I was flat,” and those types of things will help you move forward by figuring out what you do like, which is even more important than figuring out what you don’t like.

Mama Jan (Usher, Drake, Justin Bieber)

Of course! Can a mediocre athlete improve their performance with regular conditioning and practice? Yes, they can. I work with various degrees of good, bad, and ugly singing on a daily basis and progress happens all the time. Obviously, there are physiological differences from person-to-person, but within the confines of each Singer’s eco-system, it’s not difficult to turn bad around, but it does require diligence and discipline.

Teri Danz (2019 Billboard Chart-toppers Sweet Eve, Ximxia, Kian Blume)

I guess that depends on what you mean by “bad Singer”. A lot of times, a “bad” Singer is someone who doesn’t have ear training and can’t hear or match pitches. A bad Singer can be someone who can sing but doesn’t know how to manage the natural instrument they were given.

For example, if you know you can sing, and still don’t think you sound good, it could be due to many reasons. Students come to me all the time with this problem. For example, you could be singing through your nose, then your sound is nasal. This sounds bad whether you have a great voice or not.

If you sing through the back of your throat and push a lot of air, you lose resonance and tone. With pushing, it is harder to hit notes. Then, your voice is probably going to get tired, and you can become hoarse more easily.

I’ve coached a lot of students to the next level who have been good Singers up to a certain point. They are the kids who sing at home in their small community or they sang in high school and got kudos. However, they can’t make the transition alone to recording or performing. They may not be used to nailing pitches or understanding performance. The list is endless. You can even be a great musician on an instrument and not understand that singing is a different skill set.

I think a “bad Singer” can be a lot of things. Some Singers can’t hear the pitch because their ear isn’t developed yet, or they can’t develop it for some reason. There is such a thing as talent. I think with bad Singers there is a thought process that goes into it. “I want to sing like Maynard from Tool or I want to sing like Whitney Houston or I want to sing like Ariana.” It’s great if you want to sing like Ariana, and you can certainly learn her styling, except that if you’re not a high soprano (like she is) and you try to sing up where she’s singing, you’re going to sound bad no matter what you do.

I happen to be a mezzo soprano, which is like a 2nd soprano. Christina Aguilera is a mezzo. Taylor Swift is a mezzo. Madonna is a mezzo. Mezzos can never get as deep a tone as someone like Adele. Adele is an alto, so is Miley. I may be able to sing in the same key as Adele, but I won’t get the same gutsiness, because I have a higher, lighter voice. Ultimately, you have to accept and embrace your true vocal range. Just being able to hit a note doesn’t make you a good or bad Singer.

There are a lot of people who want to sing out of their range. They think it’s a badge of honor to sing out of their range, but the truth is that you always sound better when you’re singing in your best vocal range. When you utilize your gift, whatever that is, you sound better.

For example, if you’re an alto and you’re always singing higher, you’ll never develop that range and always sound thin–because you’re not using the gift you actually have. I help people find their gift. Where is your sweet spot? Where is it in your range that you actually sound good?

To really be a great Singer, you, first of all, have to have tone. Tone is everything in pop singing. If you don’t have tone, you don’t have anything. When you hear Adele or Ariana or Sam Smith, it’s their tone you’re listening to, not just what they’re saying. It’s because they’re singing in a sweet spot for them. But if I sing in the same key, it may not be my sweet spot.

I also think that people who are “bad Singers” are people who don’t realize their limitations. I’ve had students who want to sing really, really high, like some of the boy bands and rock bands. But the truth is, when they “hit” that note, they’re really hitting under it. It’s this monotonous thing because they barely hit it. To me, that’s not singing.

I also think people don’t understand the discipline and practice it takes to be really good at singing. You can’t take a lesson with me once a week and think you’re going to be better next week. That doesn’t work. I had a Coach who showed me that there is a professional bar. If someone doesn’t know what that bar is, and they go into a competition, they have no idea that what they’re doing doesn’t cut it at all.

It is not that they can’t sing; it’s that they haven’t been trained to sing or compete professionally.

Cari Cole (Courtney Love, Diane Birch, American Idol & The Voice Finalists)

It depends on what you mean by bad. During my career of teaching Singers for three decades, I only had one or two that really couldn’t make the jump even after quite a bit of attention.

I think playing an instrument really helps. Understanding the language of music really helps. You don’t have to have the greatest voice in the room to be a Singer. A lot of people are Songwriters. They don’t have incredible voices, but they have great careers because they can use their voice well enough to express themselves. I think it depends on what your goals are and what you’re trying to do in music.

Not every Singer ends up on The Voice. A lot of Singers are just Songwriters–local Songwriters or people who want to just get out there. You can improve your voice a lot with training. People don’t understand the level to which technique can help. It’s like if you want to go to the Olympics, you go to an Olympic Coach, right?

With technique, there’s a difference between Vocal Coaches and Technique Teachers. I happen to be both. Technique Teachers really understand how the instrument works. When you work with a really good Technique Teacher, you can really improve. But if you haven’t played an instrument and you’re not really musically inclined, it might be harder.

A huge part of singing well is singing with emotion. You’re a human and you’re singing for other humans, so be human. Get into the emotion of the song you’re singing. Put yourself into it. Relate it to something in your real life. Dig down and pull out an emotive performance.

Does humming improve Singing?

Tom Stein

According to many voice teachers and vocal coaches, humming is a great vocal warm-up exercise because it doesn’t strain or push your vocal cords. With the tip of your tongue touching the back of your bottom front teeth, hum up and down a major scale with your mouth closed. Make the “h” sound at the start of every note as you hum. Other humming warm-up exercises are the vocal straw exercise and the lip and tongue trill exercises.

For the vocal straw exercise (also called straw phonation), simply hum through a straw. Start from the bottom of your range and slowly and evenly perform a vocal slide up to the top (like a long, slow siren). Then, hum your favorite song through the straw. You can also blow controlled bubbles in a partially full glass of water while you hum for this exercise. For the lip trill, or lip buzz, make your lips vibrate as you blow air through your mouth and nose at the same time. Hum to make a sound like a motorboat. For tongue trills, curl your tongue, rolling your R’s as you hum through your range from bottom to top These humming exercises are great for both warming up and warming (or cooling) down.

How should I teach myself to sing?

Caleb J. Murphy (CareersInMusic)

Teaching yourself to sing starts with reading and listening to advice from expert singing coaches and singers. And then, maybe the most important part, put their advice into practice. You will not get better if you don’t practice regularly.

How do you sing beautifully?

Tom Stein

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there are some defined areas which taken together could begin to objectively describe beautiful singing in a live performance:

Intonation: Is the singing “in tune?”
Diction: Can we understand the words?
Rhythmic Interpretation: Is the rhythmic phrasing effective, natural, and appropriate to the style?
Vocal Quality: Does the voice sound clear, full, and healthy? Is there a “rasp” or does it sound thin or strained?
Song Choice and Preparation: Is the song a good song for the Singer to sing? Is it in the right key? Is there an effective musical arrangement to complement the voice?
Stage Presence: Does the Singer use their body/hand movements, facial expressions, and appropriate attire to enhance their vocal performance and connect with the audience?
Dynamics: Does the Singer use variations in singing levels and intensity to improve the listeners’ interest in and perception of the song?

Note that there will always SOME subjectivity in evaluating vocal performances since each listener comes with some preconceptions of what beautiful singing is to them. This is why judges in talent shows sometimes give very different scores. But these seven areas above can give you some insight into what most people would consider beautiful singing. Sometimes it’s fine to like something because YOU think it’s beautiful, regardless of what others think.

Step 8: Warm Down Afterward

When you’re done singing for the night, do a warm down. This is when you slide from the highest pitch you can easily reach down to the lowest note you can comfortably sing. Do this for a few minutes. It will re-lubricate your vocal folds.

Can a terrible singer become good?

Caleb J. Murphy (CareersInMusic)

It depends on what “terrible” means. If “terrible” means you’re tone deaf, it will definitely be very difficult, but still possible, to get your voice to carry a tune. It will take a lot of research and practice.

Check out our articles on how to play drums, how to learn piano & how to learn guitar.

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How To Practice Singing

How can I improve my singing voice at home?

Teri Danz (2019 Billboard Chart-toppers Sweet Eve, Ximxia, Kian Blume)

I would do Skype or Zoom lessons. Working with a Vocal Coach is a good start.

The second thing you can do as a Singer is sing with other people if you have people in your family or another connection. If you don’t, it’s really hard to sing along with somebody on Zoom.

In the meantime, most Singers need to understand the keyboard. If you don’t have a keyboard, and you don’t understand how to work with one, then you’re always guessing. I hate guessing where I am and not knowing where I am in my range. Having a piano or a keyboard is great because it’s also really important to know if you’re on pitch.

Lastly, buy some kind of recording device like a digital recorder: something where you can sing along with karaoke and hear what you sound like. Listening to what you sound like gives you a place to start.

If you’re an artist, you have to spend money for your education. It’s like anything else. The myth about Singers is that they just happen. They open their mouth and there you are. Not true!

When he recorded Thriller, Michael Jackson had his Vocal Coach in the studio with him. He’d been performing professionally since he was five. He was 25 when he did Thriller. You would say, “Does he really need a Vocal Coach?” Well, yeah! He wants to be the best in the world! We don’t know everything and having a team really helps. They were doing something other people weren’t doing at the time. They were breaking new ground.

If you want to do a pop thing or be a Pop Star, and your whole background is musical theater on the classical end, everything you approach is not going to sound right. Is that a bad Singer? No, that’s just a Singer who can only do one thing.

Early on in my career, I used to think, “I don’t do that, or I don’t do this.” The thing is, when I had to learn R&B and hip hop, it enhanced me. It didn’t take away from anything I think I can do. It just gave me another tool in the toolbox.

Even if you’re a great Singer, I think singing more is always good. But practicing wrong or straining your voice to where you don’t sound good…you’re only going to get so far. That doesn’t help you. You have to practice something that actually moves you forward. There are people who are okay with where they are, and that’s okay. But you can never be a great Singer if you do that. You have to do the work. You have to keep pushing. To be more. To realize more. To find out more about your instrument and how to use it better.

Cari Cole (Courtney Love, Diane Birch, American Idol & The Voice Finalists)

If you’re just starting out, it’s good to get your feet wet. There are so many YouTube tutorials. We have a whole playlist of exercises on YouTube, and so do a lot of other Vocal Coaches. Use your intuition to see who you really vibe with and who you’re learning from.

After doing exercises, your voice shouldn’t hurt. You might need to grow a little bit in your strength, but it never should hurt. And it’s good to do exercises every day. Pick a Vocal Coach and stick with them for two weeks to see what it feels like. If you feel like you’re resonating with them, continue. Once you’ve got your feet wet for maybe three to six months, consider going to the next level and doing Zoom sessions.

Mama Jan (Usher, Drake, Justin Bieber)

As mentioned prior, one of the best things to do is to seek out information over the internet. The problem with that is there’s SO much information and much of it is contradictory, so how is someone supposed to know what’s right or good for their voice?

Perhaps taking some online instruction would be a good place to start and even attend an online master class or seminar. That, and reading a good book on basic vocal functioning. At Jan Smith Studios we are all about meeting people where they are and helping them to learn more about it! Our goal is to help others achieve excellence in their vocal endeavors. I like to say that we’re changing the world one voice at a time.

Lis Lewis (Rihanna, Miguel, Kali Uchis)

Yes, first of all sing! Then a good next step is YouTube videos. There are some really good free voice lessons. There’s one called New York Vocal Coaching: here’s lesson one.

It gives you an idea of what voice lessons are like and it helps you develop your voice as well. When you decide you’re going to take your voice seriously, the next thing you would do is take voice lessons either in-person or online with a live Teacher.

Singing is wonderful. It’s fun and it’s joyous and you should do it because you love it. There’s nothing more wonderful than being able to open your mouth and have the song come out. Sing all the time. Sing to the radio and turn the radio down a little so you can hear your own voice. Sing along to videos. Sing everywhere because it’s fun and you’ll get better by just doing it.

Now that you have the knowledge to start singing, it’s time to apply it. Practice is essential for becoming a better singer.

Here are some tips to help you structure your singing practice effectively…

Sing high, stay low

When you sing a high note, keep your chin down. Many singers want to lift it up and even stretch their neck back. This can hurt your vocal cords and also makes it harder to hit the high note. Keep your chin level when you sing high.

Speak on pitch

Singing should feel like singing. Put your fingertips on your Adam’s apple (or where it would be if you don’t have one) – what you feel is your larynx, which is where your vocal cords are.

When you swallow, you’ll feel it move up. When you yawn, it moves down. When you speak normally, it stays still.

So when you sing, your larynx should behave like you’re talking – it should stay relatively still, regardless of pitch. So try to relax and keep it still when you sing.

Take care of your body

Singing is like a sport, which makes you like an athlete. So you need to pay attention to and take care of your whole body. This will help you have the proper oxygen, energy, and dexterity to sing well and perform emotively.

Breathing exercises

Practice deep breathing exercises to develop proper breath support and control. Focus on diaphragmatic breathing, where you inhale deeply into your lower abdomen and engage your core muscles to support your voice.

Vocal exercises

Use a variety of vocal exercises into your practice routine. These exercises can include scales, arpeggios, intervals, and vocal runs. Work on different vocal techniques like dynamics, articulation, pitch accuracy, and vocal agility.

Practice proper posture

Maintain good posture while singing to optimize breath control and vocal resonance. Stand or sit up straight, relax your shoulders, and keep your body aligned. This allows for better breath support and unrestricted vocal production.

Articulation and diction

Pay attention to your articulation and diction while singing. Practice vocal exercises that focus on clarity and precision of consonants and vowels. Work on pronouncing words and phrases distinctly without sacrificing vocal technique.

Song repertoire

Choose songs that fit and also challenge your vocal abilities. Practice singing different genres and styles to expand your versatility. Start with simpler songs and gradually progress to more complex pieces as your skills improve.

Recording and self-evaluation

Record your practice sessions or performances to listen back and evaluate your progress. Pay attention to areas that need improvement. Then take note of your strengths and weaknesses and set goals to get better.

Seek feedback

Consider working with a vocal coach or instructor who can provide professional guidance, feedback, and personalized exercises. They can help you address specific vocal challenges, improve your technique, and guide you in reaching your singing goals.

Regular practice schedule

Establish a consistent practice schedule to maintain regularity and progress. Aim for daily or regular practice sessions, even if they are shorter in duration. Consistency and frequency are more important than long, sporadic practice sessions.

Take care of your voice

Maintain vocal health by staying hydrated, avoiding excessive throat clearing or yelling, and practicing proper vocal hygiene. Rest your voice when needed and avoid straining or pushing your voice beyond its limits.

What drinks help your Singing voice?

Tom Stein

Having worked hard to prepare for a Singing performance, you don’t want to make the mistake of drinking something that works against you when you open your mouth to sing. There are some definite dos and don’ts here, so it’s worth knowing what you can or should be drinking as well as what to avoid. These general guidelines apply to the day of the performance, and in some cases afterwards as well.

What you should NOT drink: Ice water, sodas, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, or milk. What you SHOULD drink: Room-temperature or warm water, non-caffeinated teas, honey. You can also add lemon or ginger to the warm drinks with honey. Peppermint tea is also great, and some singers add herbs like slippery elm and licorice root. Warm water is also okay by itself. And it’s very important to stay hydrated. Needless to say, avoid smoking. Drinking just warm or room temperature water will help keep vocal cords supple and hydrated, and less prone to injury.

FAQ

How do I begin to sing?

Tom Stein

Most Singers begin by singing along with the recordings they love to listen to. It’s important to first internalize the style of singing that most appeals to you and listening to the great recordings is a good way to start. Careful listening is a useful tool that will never leave you when you have developed the skill to really hear what is going on in the music.

It’s helpful for the vocal neophyte to learn to play an instrument as well; most choose the piano or guitar as it’s also good for self-accompaniment. Learning the notes, scales, and chords and being able to play them on an instrument is super-helpful for anyone learning to sing since you can use them to check your singing voice for accuracy. Don’t be afraid of learning music and music theory, it’s incredibly useful and there’s nothing inherently difficult about it.

Moving forward, it’s very helpful to have a Voice Teacher or Coach, as we discuss throughout this article. Their knowledge and experience can guide you through all the steps you’ll take to improve your singing. Some of the specific things you’ll learn here include proper breathing and posture for singing, vocal warm-ups and warm-downs, improving your pitch (intonation), diction, and phrasing, learning your vocal range (lowest to highest note you can sing), and tips for maintaining vocal health.

You’ll also learn to build confidence in your singing by singing in front of others, whether it’s your Teacher, other musicians in the ensemble, or a live audience. A Teacher can open all the doors for you, and it’s smart to find a good one if you possibly can.

Can you learn to sing if you have a “bad” voice?

Tom Stein

The voice is a uniquely personal instrument, and no two people will ever sound exactly the same. Some Singers are great imitators while others innovate by developing their own style. Whether a voice is “good” or “bad” is a subjective idea at best; what appeals to one person might not appeal to another. The success of a Singer depends at least partially on whether they can find an audience who appreciates them and their singing.

There are plenty of examples of successful Singers who could be said to have less than great voices: Tom Waits, Bjork, Jimi Hendrix, Randy Newman, and Ringo Starr come to mind. Similarly, there’s not much to be gained by comparing Sade with Celine Dion, or Billie Eilish with Aretha Franklin.

What some Singers may lack in technique can be more than compensated for by authentic feeling and style. Even Adele or David Bowie can be heard singing slightly out of tune if their vocal tracks are isolated from the mix. This doesn’t detract from their vocal performance and might even enhance it since it shows their vulnerability and authenticity in full form.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to improve your singing voice, and there are many ways to do so, as working with a Vocal Coach or Teacher can reveal to you. Almost anyone can learn to sing better regardless of where they stand today if they are willing to put in the time and effort to improve.

Is Singing a talent or a skill?

Tom Stein

It’s both a talent and a skill. Talent refers to what most people would recognize as natural ability, that “special something” that some people seem to be born with more or less of than others. Someone with a natural gift for Singing will still need to develop that gift, however, and that’s where the skill part comes in.

Singing is a bit like athletics, in that there are muscles in the body which need constant training to be able to perform at the highest level consistently. Considering that 98.5% of people have the ability to match pitch, even those with a little natural talent can learn to sing well through training and practice.

Acquiring skills isn’t mysterious, neither is it easy. It takes hard work, persistence, and guidance from a Teacher or Vocal Coach. This means that a Singer with a lot of talent may not show much in the way of improvement if they don’t study and train, while a less talented individual can show a lot of progress if they do.

The best way to move forward is to work at it steadily to reach whatever potential you may have, and avoid comparing yourself to others. It’s fine to study and even copy what the pros do, but at some point, you need to trust in your ability and learn to express the best version of yourself while Singing.

Can I teach myself to sing?

Caleb J. Murphy (CareersInMusic)

According to almost all of the expert singing coaches and singers, yes. You can teach yourself to sing. You actually have no excuse not to teach yourself. The information is out there, you just to find it and apply it with practice.

Sources

Cari Cole

Celebrity vocal coach, artist development expert, and new music business mentor Cari Cole is reimagining how we invest in the future of music through rethinking how we value our artists.

As a thought leader, Cari is helping to shift the music business paradigm back to being more artist-driven by raising the bar on the quality of independent music one artist at a time. In the current music industry climate, when resources available to empower and nurture talent are slim, her robust platform offers singer-songwriters a gateway to a professional life in music.

Cari’s comprehensive program for artistic success includes vocal coaching, artist development, and new business mentoring. Informing these offerings are principles from psychology, holistic health, new media marketing, and personal branding. Clients can study under Cari in a multitude of settings, including private and group sessions, and interactive educational opportunities.

Central to all of Cari’s work is her warm candor, uplifting outlook, humility, empathy, and her profound life journey of reinvention. It’s these qualities that have earned her the affectionate nickname “Mama Lion” by her students.

“I am here to inspire people to unlock their brilliance and create without fear,” she explains. “I am often the one to tell artists what’s not working, what they may not want to hear, but in such a way that greatly accelerates and enhances their progress in a constructive, but compassionate way.”

Cari’s own music career accomplishments extend into diverse arenas. In the realm of vocal coaching, she is one of the most in-demand instructors in the profession. Her work is distinguished by its focus on the techniques that define contemporary commercial vocal styles. It’s an approach that has been recognized by prestigious academic institutions and some of modern music’s biggest stars. She’s taught at Columbia University, NYU, and was on the Board of Directors of NYSTA (New York Singing Teachers Association) for several years. In addition to a rich roster of select emerging and independent artists, her clientele also includes such legends as Courtney Love and the band Journey, Grammy winners Donald Fagen/Steely Dan and Chrisette Michele as well as singer-songwriters Diane Birch and finalists from the hit TV series American Idol and The Voice. Her unique method’s focus on health and wellness tenets has garnered her referrals from doctors to treat vocal ailments such as nodules holistically. Cari is currently writing a breakthrough book for vocalists that explains her results-driven techniques and philosophies.

As an artist development expert, Cari’s transformed the career of numerous musicians by that compassionately critical voice. “As the industry has been downsizing, artists are losing the benefit of getting the chance to incubate. They need the opportunity and the extra push to deepen their work, she explains. Her authority in this capacity has made her a popular speaker at some the industry’s most distinguished forums, including the CMJ Music Marathon and The Grammy Foundation. Cari’s work as a beloved and trusted vocal coach, talent developer, and business owner have enabled her to formulate viable strategies for artists to develop sustainable lives in music. “I’ve worked with celebrities and artist becoming famous, witnessing the stories—how things happen for artists. Through having an insider view, I’ve been able to identify many key factors the successful artists have in common that I can pass along to help guide my artist development clients,” she says. Cari’s also formally studied trends in marketing to empower her clients with personal branding ideas and new media essentials to further their careers.

Cari Cole, the artist, at 40 years old, released the enlightening and award-winning CD Circle Of Fire, a transformative musical statement based on the New York Times bestselling book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. She was signed to a record deal with the publisher of The Four Agreements, and Circle Of Fire went on to sell over 40,000 records worldwide.

Cari’s personal story is both fascinating and inspiring. Orphaned at two, followed by a few years in a foster home, she grew up with her aunt and uncle in a musical household where she learned the fundamentals of music studying classical guitar and flute at the age of 6 on. At fifteen, she boldly left home and left high school early to embark on a self-made spiritual journey that included hitchhiking cross country, hippie gatherings with American Indians, the struggling artist/ bartender/waitress routine, and, finally, an epiphanic period studying voice with her mentor renowned vocal coach Katie Agresta (Cyndi Lauper, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and the Dave Matthews Band). Through her studies with Katie, Cari became one of Katie’s celebrated teachers, found her own calling as a celebrated vocal coach, and reinvented herself as the artistic authority she is today.

“It’s my mission that no artist be left undiscovered. That every artist has the equal opportunity to become the vision they behold.”

Teri Danz

Teri Danz is a club hit Recording Artist, America’s Vocal Coach, and Vocal Producer. She combines her love and passion for singing with a desire to give others a toolbox of techniques they need for pop singing and professional speaking. Named a Top Vocal Coach by Backstage Magazine, she had three students in the Top 20 on the Billboard Charts in 2019 (two of whom she vocal coached and produced in the studio). Danz recently won a Global Excellence Award for 2020 – Vocal Coach of the Year (West Coast USA).

Her diverse and extensive experience lends itself well to assisting others in pursuing their dreams. Danz is an expert in pop technique and brings her experience as a recording/label artist to dynamic workshops and lessons that take singers to the next level in their career and development. At the ASCAP Expo, Danz co-facilitated the Neumann workshops with Brian Walker (Sennheiser/Neumann expert), coaching singers on the microphones.

A classically trained musician, Danz studied with renowned vocal coach Raz Kennedy (of Bobby McFerrin’s VOICESTRA, and coach to Adam Duritz of Counting Crows) and many others. Credits include 12″ dance/club hit, BMI songwriter, songs in Indie films, Tower records in-stores (with her band), national press – Women Who Rock Magazine, Sennheiser and Mackie NAMM booth performances, acoustic recordings with Buddy Halligan (Barry White, Ray Charles, Anita Baker), and many others. Danz also worked with legendary rapper/producer Father MC (FAMBODY) and Gerry (The Gov) Brown (Alicia Keyes, Tina Turner) on a nine-song R&B hip hop production.

Vocal producing/coaching clients include recording artists Ximxia (#19 on the Billboard Charts 2019), Kian Blume (#17 on the Billboard Charts 2019), and Sweet Eve (with student Tony Francis #15 on the Billboard Charts 2019). Danz received a nomination for Best Female Vocalist of the Year, All Access Music Awards 2005, has PRO Endorsements by Sennheiser and Casio, and garnered national press in Women Who Rock Magazine and others.

She has appeared and performed on TV (network and PBS). As a pop vocal expert, Danz is a published writer, having written many articles in magazines such as Electronic Musician, Music Connection, Guitar Player, and various online outlets. Danz recently sang on the Charity single “People Are People” at www.risingvoices.net. Her new YouTube video, Pop Singing Secrets, shares her pop technique.

Danz has extensive studio recording experience both as a singer and coach. In addition, her education includes a degree in Speech Communications/Pathology and a Master’s in Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo and studying at Blue Bear School of Music (San Francisco).

Mama Jan

A nationally recognized singer/songwriter/musician, Jan Smith is also a Grammy-nominated producer, GA Music Hall of Fame inductee, and a multi-platinum certified vocal coach/vocal producer who has tended to some of the most distinctive voices in the business. Owner of Jan Smith Studios in Atlanta, a state-of-the-art vocal coaching, artist development, and production facility offering services nationwide to record companies, artists, producers and motion pictures. Clients include Usher, Rob Thomas/Matchbox Twenty, Shania Twain, Justin Bieber, The Band Perry, Jill Scott, India Arie, David Crowder, Sugarland, Drake, Mastodon, Nicki Minaj, FLA/GA Line, Jesus Culture, etc. (www.jansmith.com). Vocal consultation and production credits also include Tyler Perry Productions, Warner Bros Pictures, Universal Pictures, Paramount, Disney, New Line Cinema, Fox Television, as well as work with award winning actors Liam Neeson, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Christina Applegate, Ed Helms, Jamie Chung, Terrence Howard, Christian Serratos, the girl group STAR on Fox, and White House Correspondent John Roberts.

A frequent media guest and sought-after speaker, Smith has been featured with Usher on MTV’s hit reality show Duets, with Ciara on BET’s Behind the Scenes, on UPN’s RUtheGirl? with Chilli and T-Boz of TLC, on Bravo’s popular Housewives of Atlanta, with Justin Bieber in Paramount’s documentary of Never Say Never, on Nightline’s vocal reporting on singer Adele, on E!’s The Wanted Life (a Ryan Seacrest & Scooter Braun production), and on multiple network news and cable programs. She has been a keynote speaker for such events as the Vineyard SE Arts Conference, TAG Digital Media Summit, the Women of Worth Conference, Grammy in the Schools, the “Project Light” Arts Conference, and most recently was a featured speaker at LeaderCast Women’s inaugural event and the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC. Additionally, Mama Jan was asked to consult the Chinese Audio-Visual Association on the creation of awards categories for their prestigious Golden Disc Awards and continues her work with pop artists from Beijing and Korea.

Her extensive work with artists worldwide and reputation among leading vocal surgeons has provided Smith the opportunity to rehabilitate and help heal some of the highest profile voices for endurance under their demanding schedules. Through her membership at Passion City Church and her ministry with the worship singers for all of the North Point Community Churches (Alpharetta, GA), Jan has tailored vocal workshops directed towards the specific needs of contemporary singers, Christian and gospel artists, and worship leaders in the church and beyond. Among other industry related events, she has provided master classes and intensive vocal workshops for Bethel Music (Redding, CA), the Vineyard SE Arts Conference, The Grove Church, Willow Creek Community (Chicago), the Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church Conference, H-Rock Church (Pasadena, CA), Watkinsville Baptist, Mt. Paran Churches in greater Atlanta, Jesus Culture, Destiny Praise, Worship Circle, and Passion City Church worship leaders. Mama Jan continues to provide ongoing vocal consultations for many worship leaders, pastors and touring evangelists, in addition to assisting many public speakers, politicians, and television news anchors.

Smith has served as President of the Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy for two terms, as a National Trustee for several multi-year terms, and continues to participate on national committees as a voting member of the Grammys in good standing. She continues to see clients worldwide, produces records in her Atlanta Homegirl Entertainment studios, and develops aspiring artists under Mama Jan Music. Jan Smith Studios has created employment opportunities for many others and hosts the largest roster of charting artists of any vocal coaching and artist development facility in America

Lis Lewis

Lis Lewis is a Voice Teacher and Performance Coach in Los Angeles, CA. She has been training recording artists for over 30 years. Learn more about her private voice lessons. Her website, The Singers Workshop, provides information, news and products for pop singers. Lis is the Author of the books The Singers First Aid Kit and The Pop Singers Warm-Up Kit, both published by Hal Leonard.

In addition to private coaching, she has worked in collaboration with Managers, record labels, Producers, bands and Songwriters in the recording and rehearsal studio to get the best performances from their artists.

Her own training started as a child at the world-famous Dalcroze School of Music in New York City as well as with Private Music Teachers. She attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and has a Masters Degree in Theater and Music. She has taken postgraduate classes in management, publicity and marketing.

Her work has been spotlighted in Billboard and by Atlas Obscura.