Singing can seem intimidating and challenging when you are just starting out, and that is fair! After all, it is a delicate balance of a lot of techniques. Strangely enough, everyone expects it to just come naturally.
If you have always believed that singing is a natural talent or that it cannot be taught, we are here to debunk the myth. As a beginner, you can follow these steps and start your singing journey with confidence.
Fix your posture:
It is surprising that a lot of people learning to sing underestimate the role posture plays. As you engage your whole body while you sing, bad posture is detrimental. Always start each session by ensuring your body is aligned in the right way using this simple checklist:
● Balance your head in a neutral position; it should not be turned up or down. This avoids tensed neck and jaws.
● Throw your shoulders back into a relaxed position, neither too tensed nor drooping.
● Stand or sit tall, with your chest propped up and out, although not unnaturally. Do this while keeping the chest and the shoulders comfortable. A slouching posture hinders the airflow.
● Balance your torso on your hips without bending inward or outward. Let your spine curve naturally, keep your chest broad and open.
● Keep your arms relaxed and by your side when not gesturing.
● Stand or sit with your feet about shoulder-width apart, without any tension.
● Do not lock or bend your knees while standing up and singing.
● In short, avoid any strain or tension in any part of your body. Loosen up and keep your body relaxed, yet firm.
Learn to breathe correctly:
Do you know what supports your voice while you sing? It is your breathing technique! It carries your voice and can make or break your career as a singer. Ideally, you should be breathing by expanding your diaphragm and not your chest alone.
There are a lot of breathing exercises that you can dig deeper into. To begin with, lie down on your back and place your hand on your abdomen. Slowly inhale while allowing it to expand.
You will notice your hands go up when you breathe in and down when you breathe out. Try to follow the same technique when you sing.
Find your range:
Your singing range is defined by the lowest note you can sing and the highest note you can hit comfortably. The distance between these two notes is your range.
Finding your range will help you pick songs that are within it, so you can sing them well.
To find your range, get a keyboard with at least three octaves. Find the Middle C note on the keyboard, that is, C4 and sing that note. Play and sing along to each note going downwards to find the lowest note you can sing. Repeat the process going upwards.
Warm up:
Do you stretch before working out, running or dancing? If yes, you understand how important it is to warm up so you do not strain your muscles. While singing, you use your vocal cords, which are made of muscle tissues. So, warming up is a must. It is incredible how much it can influence your performance.
Practice singing up and down a scale, hums, and trills to begin with. Warming up keeps your vocal cords relaxed, avoids straining, and allows for pitch flexibility.
Learn to sing on pitch:
Once you have picked out a song within your range, it is time to practice singing on pitch. It can be difficult to tell if you are in tune by just listening to yourself. So you can try using a keyboard or a tuner. There are many free apps available to help you.
Find the tonic note of your song and play it on the keyboard or the tuner. Now try to imagine the same note in your head. This step is important. Next, sing the note and see if the tuner displays the same note. Doing other vocal exercises will also help to perfect your pitch.
Break down the song into bits
It can be tempting to sing along to the full song in one go as you practice. But take it from the best singers of the world; it is always better to do it bit by bit.
You can divide the song into segments and listen to each segment carefully, training your ears to get familiar to the melody. Then try to sing it.
You might have to repeat the process of listening and then singing several times until you get it right. Once you do, move on to the next segment and so on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a35naUx5J-4
With these simple and effective steps, you are all set to start singing, even as a complete beginner. If you are passionate about making a career in singing , you should definitely take singing lessons. With restrictions in these times, it is the perfect opportunity to fine-tune your skills with an online singing course. Check out our unluclass by Monali Thakur.
