How to Sing the Right Way—Every Time 

From the time you heard your first nursery rhyme, you might have had a desire to sing.  As you grew older, that desire became a passion, and you even entertained the idea of singing solos.  However, you still might be wondering how to sing in a way that will earn you applause every time you step up to a microphone.  You should know for the outset that this is not unusual because, even though singing might seem natural, singing well requires not only talent, but also technique.

The good news is that you can learn how to sing—no matter what your level of experience is at this point.  While good genes can certainly help anyone’s singing career, it’s possible to learn how to sing effectively even if you were not born into a Von Trapp-style singing household.  In fact, you might be surprised to learn that the most important requirement for learning how to sing is simply a desire to do your best.  When you’re determined to give a stellar performance every time, you’ll put in the practice and devote the energy necessary to achieve your goal.

Once you’ve made the determination that you want to sing, you need to learn a little bit about the mechanics of voice production.  Singing is a highly physical act—even if you don’t plan to gyrate your hips like Elvis while you’re giving a vocal performance.  You have to understand that your voice is an instrument, and that this instrument exists within a larger one—your body.  To sing like a star, you’ll need to maintain proper posture and engage in appropriate breathing techniques.  The best singers know that they don’t sing only with their vocal cords—they actually sing with their entire bodies.  

You also need to be aware of the fact that each individual has three distinct types of singing voices:  the chest voice, the middle voice, and the head voice.   In order to sing properly, you’ll need to develop each of these voices to its fullest potential. 

Your chest voice is the voice you normally use when you speak.  With this voice, you can create a rich, full-bodied sound.  But your chest voice will only go so far.  In order to reach high notes, you’ll have to use your head voice—a flute-like instrument frequently used by female choir soloists.  Bridging the gap between the two is the middle voice, which produces a pitch which lies somewhere between your chest voice and your head voice.    

In general, you’ll want to sing in a way that is pleasing to your audience—that is easy on the ears.  You’ll also want to take special care not to strain your vocal chords so that you can get the most out of your voice.  Singing well requires not only practice, but study.  In other words, in order to sing well you have to learn how to sing well.   Just like you had to learn your alphabet before you could read, you’ll need to learn the ABCs of good singing before you can hope to deliver a virtuoso performance.