words Al Woods
We all have a natural affinity for music and singing. We like to listen to music and admire our favorite vocal artists as they sing our favorite songs and we love to sing along with them.
We are often amazed at how versatile their vocal ranges care and how they create their vocal sound without much effort, strain or discomfort. Having a great singing voice is no longer a trade secret. There are many tips and tricks on how to make a few vocal tweaks to improve your singing voice.
Fix Your Jaw Movements
Your mouth is the projector of your vocal output. Vocalizing musical notes and having a fuller and louder singing voice can be enhanced by keeping your jaws open when singing. The trick? First, observe your jaw movements in the mirror by saying the vowels A-E-I-O-U aloud. Notice the vowels where your jaws closed. Chances are it was on the E and U vowels, or other vowels too, if not all of them. Now try propping your jaws open using a bottle cap or wine cork and speak the vowels again. You’ll notice a slight difference in the loudness of your voice. Repeat this exercise without the cap and remember to keep your jaws open while saying all the vowel sounds until this jaw movement stays in your muscle memory. You’ll notice an improvement in your voice loudness and you give off a fuller sound with far less vocal strain.
Keep a Good Posture
Posture is something most of us take for granted when we sing. Actually, having a good posture is an effective way to improve your singing voice. How? Sitting of standing up straight allows your diaphragm to fully expand, which in turn can let you take in as much air as possible and then release it to vibrate your vocal cords. Thus, when you sing with good posture, the flow of air to and from your body becomes easier while singing. Also, good posture clears up an obstruction in your throat and tongue and makes you enunciate words better. Having a bad posture causes your body to tense up and has the opposite effect. Having a good posture allows you to breathe easier, hold your notes longer, and you expend less energy when singing.
Exercise Your Breathing
Your voice can be likened to a wind instrument and breathing is a huge part (80%) of singing. Thus, it is important to learn how to properly breathe when singing. Breathing correctly has many benefits, like getting a better tone, holding higher notes and projecting a clear and full voice when singing. The secret lies with breathing using your diaphragm, not your chest. You can practice breathing this way by letting only your abdomen move. Regularly repeat this exercise until it becomes part of your muscle memory. Once you get used to breathing using your diaphragm, you can then work on controlling your breathing to ensure a steady flow of air through your body and not run out of breath while singing.
There are many ways you can enhance or improve your singing voice. Just like exercise, you can work your voice to focus on areas that need improvement or you can work on the overall quality of your voice. Remember to be comfortable with your voice and find your natural vocal range. The important things to keep in mind are to warm up before singing, not putting too much strain on your vocal cords and have fun – enjoy what you are doing.
