How to Sing Better…and Better…and Better 

Once you begin singing seriously, chances are you will hit a plateau.  You may sound pleasant enough when you sing, but you may not be reaching Whitney Houston-heights when it comes to your vocal performance.  Because singing is such a common art form, many people can sing passably.  But they don’t put forward the effort and dedication needed to fine-tune their vocal instrument.  The Christina Aguileras of the world are those musical artists who were determined to learn how to sing better with each passing year.

Initially, you may think that learning how to sing better is somewhat of a mystery.  After all, it may seem that on some days you sing so-so and on other days you sing magnificently.  Thankfully, there is some method to the madness.  You can learn how to sing better by following a few tried-and-true techniques.

Perhaps the key to finding out how to sing better is to practice your warm-up exercises.  By running through your scales, you’ll be giving your vocal chords a healthy workout.  The freer your vocal chords become, the higher the quality of your notes.  In essence, you want your vocal chords to become highly elastic so that they can accommodate a wide variety of melodies.

Singing better obviously requires plenty of rehearsal time.  But don’t fall for the temptation to overstay your welcome at the piano or at the karaoke machine.  When you’re a beginner, you should limit your practice time to about 20 minutes each day.  Over time, you may be able to lengthen your rehearsal periods as your diaphragm and your vocal chords become stronger.   

Singing better also means taking care of your voice when you aren’t vocalizing.  That means avoiding yelling at football games or screaming at your children.  In short, you don’t want to engage in any activities that will strain your voice.

Before a rehearsal or a formal vocal performance, avoid drinking beverages such as fruit juices and alcohol which contain a great deal of acid.  This is because the acid can dry out your voice, making it difficult for you to produce a smooth transition between notes.  As a singer, your beverage of choice should be water, since that is the liquid that is likely to be kindest to your vocal chords.  

During your rehearsal periods, begin with the easiest song in your repertoire, then move onto more difficult selections.  That way, you’ll build your confidence during your set.  The most effective singers are often the most confident singers.   You’ll be surprised how far confidence can take you—perhaps all the way to Broadway.    

Initially, you may think that singing seven days a week will substantially improve your vocal performances—but chances are, it won’t.  It’s much better to give your singing voice a rest one day a week.  You’d be amazed at how elastic your vocal chords will become if you can take a “breather” at least one day out of seven. 

Now that you’ve taken baby steps in your singing career, it’s time to move onto higher levels of learning—even if you’re still struggling to stay on key sometimes.