Are you working on a special singing project? Whether you’re aiming for a new vocal sound or want to improve your technique, there are specific exercises that will help get you there.
In this blog post, we’ll outline the best exercises for each type of goal, so you can focus your practice time and achieve your desired outcome.
Let’s get started with these vocal exercises for beginners!
How Do I Train My Vocals?
Training your vocals does not have to be a daunting task. By following some simple steps and practicing regularly, you can develop your own unique voice. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Start by warming up your vocal cords with some easy exercises. This will help to prevent strain and injury.
- Try singing along with recorded music to get a feel for pitch and rhythm. You can also use a karaoke machine or online karaoke tracks.
- Practice breathing from your diaphragm, not your chest. This will help you to project your voice and control your breath.
- Work on expanding your vocal range by practicing scales and other exercises.
- Finally, don’t forget to practice performing. This will help you to build confidence and learn how to connect with an audience.
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to developing strong vocal skills. If you’re still not sure how to properly train your singing voice, it might be time for you to take voice lessons with a coach. Learn more about what you’ll cover in your singing lessons by watching the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQyFZ6Lh-mc
Can You Strengthen Vocal Muscles?
The human voice is an amazing thing. It can convey emotion, convey meaning, and even be used as a musical instrument.
The voice is produced by vibration of the vocal cords, which are two thin bands of muscle located in the larynx. The pitch of the voice is determined by the tension of the vocal cords, while the volume is determined by the amount of air that is passed over the vocal cords.
The quality of the voice is determined by the shape of the vocal tract, which includes the mouth, nose, and throat. There are a number of different techniques that can be used to improve the quality of your voice, including exercises that help to strengthen the vocal muscles. In addition, proper hydration and breath control are essential for maintaining a healthy voice.
By taking care of your voice, you can ensure that it will be there for you when you need it.
Do Vocal Exercises Do Anything?
What are your musical goals? As a total beginner, you might not have a specific goal yet. You might be thinking, “I just want to improve my singing voice!”
But you’ll soon discover there’s a LOT that goes into that goal. To begin, you’ll need to learn about proper singing posture and how to care for your instrument (i.e. your voice). You might even find out you’re not breathing properly!
With time, these things will become second nature, and you can move onto the bigger goals. For example, do you want to expand your range? Learn how to riff?
To help you work toward your goals, we’ve rounded up the best video tutorials and vocal exercises to try, for beginners and beyond. Ready to explore? Let’s go!
Goals for Beginner Singers
As a beginner singer, it is essential to set some realistic goals. First, you need to find a comfortable pitch range. This is the range of notes that you can sing in without strain or pitch problems. Once you have found your comfortable range, you can begin to work on expanding it. Second, you should focus on developing a strong vocal technique.
Here’s how.
Goal 1: Learn How to Care For Your Voice
As a singer, your entire body is your instrument. So if you want to be a great vocalist, your overall health is incredibly important!
Outside of eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising to stay in shape, vocal care should be incorporated into your routine every day. Start with our Ultimate Guide to Vocal Warm-Ups, read the additional resources below, and watch the video below for some cool-down exercises to try.
See also:
- 4 Effective Vocal Warm-Ups to Try When You’re Sick
- 4 Easy Tricks to Keep Your Voice in Tip-Top Shape
Goal 2: Improve Your Breath & Breath Control
Proper breathing supports your voice so you can sing strong and beautifully! As a beginner, you may have trouble singing through longer passages, simply because you haven’t worked on your breath control and support. In fact, you may even find the way you’re breathing is holding you back! (Who knew?!)
Check out the video below for important tips to keep in mind as you sing — you may notice an instant improvement!
See also:
- Infographic: Check These 8 Things to Become a Better Singer
- 15 Yoga Poses With Powerful Benefits for Singers
Goal 3: Improve Your Vocal Tone & Sing Smoothly
Vocal “tone” is what most people refer to when they want to improve the sound of their singing voice. Maybe you find yourself struggling to produce a strong sound without feeling like you’re yelling. Or, maybe you don’t sound as smooth as you’d like as you practice scales.
Often, this comes down to not fully understanding how your vocal registers work. Isolating the chest and head registers is a great way to learn, since you can physically feel the different vibrations and sensations.
For a great introduction to this, check out the video below.
Goal 4: Improve Your Pitch & Musical Ear
Ear training exercises can do wonders for your pitch if you’re struggling with singing flat or sharp — or if you can’t even recognize that you’re off to begin with!
With practice, you’ll become a better sight singer, and a more valuable choir member or bandmate.
Check out the video below for some ear training exercises to start with, and then read the additional resources below:
Goal 5: Improve Your Diction
Don’t let your mouth go to mush! Some singers are so focused on the melody of the song, or moving around the stage to put on a show, that they forget the importance of diction.
To ensure your audience can understand what you’re singing, focus on enunciating each of your words. This is an important skill to master from the very beginning, which is why we’ve included it in this first section of vocal exercises. Check out the video below for six vocal exercises to try, perfect for working on your diction. Here’s the article about diction the video accompanies.
Goals for Intermediate Singers
As an intermediate singer, there are a number of goals you should strive to achieve. First, you should work on expanding your vocal range. By exploring both higher and lower notes, you’ll be able to find your comfort zone and expand your repertoire. Second, you should focus on improving your vocal technique.
Here’s how you can do that.
Goal 1: Increase Your Vocal Range
Let’s face it: most singers aren’t born with the amazing vocal range of Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, or Prince.
If improving your range is your goal, there are a few vocal exercises you can do to work on it. Just remember that it won’t happen overnight. Or it may not happen at all; everyone’s limitations are different.
We recommend working with a voice teacher, who can help you safely and comfortably improve. Check out the video below to learn a few vocal exercises to start with. See also: 9 Must-Read Tips for Singing High Notes
Goal 2: Improve Your Stage Presence
You’ve practiced your repertoire and found your go-to songs… now it’s time to show off your skills! If you haven’t already reframed your stage fright, let’s start there.
Once you’ve mastered that, you can focus your energy on your stage presence. Note that this doesn’t require a “loud” personality. Many singers take a more humble approach! The key, instead, is to connect with your audience.
Check out the video to the right for some pre-show exercises to try. See also: Singers, Don’t Forget the Most Important Part of Performing!
Goal 3: Explore New Genres
Once you get into your groove as a singer, you’ll likely have a handful of go-to songs that make your voice sound great. But why stop there? Exploring new genres and styles is an excellent way to further your skills and challenge yourself.
At their core, all genres rely on the same techniques — proper breathing, support, and so on. But you’ll find a few tweaks can change you from a twangy country singer to a gritty rockstar.
The video to the right explores the rock genre, but don’t stop there. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Singing Styles and Genres to learn about singing R&B, country, pop, and more.
Goals for Advanced Singers
As an advanced singer, you should always be striving to improve your vocal technique. This means working on problems such as breath support, vowel placement, and resonance. In addition, it is important to expand your vocal range and learn how to sing in different styles.
Here are some exercises.
Goal 1: Learn How to Sing Runs and Riffs
Ready to spice up your singing? Adding riffs and runs to your songs is an excellent way to add emphasis, grab your audience’s attention, and show off your artistic style.
If you’re feeling intimidated by adding them in, don’t be! Artists well-known for their riffs (think Christina Aguilera and Ariana Grande) got there with practice. For many, it’s a skill that needs to be perfected over time. Get to practicing on your own or with your voice teacher. Have some fun with it!
More of the Best Vocal Exercises for Singers
As any singer knows, vocal exercises are essential for maintaining a healthy voice. Not only do they help to build up strength and stamina, but they also help to keep the vocal cords flexible and prevent strain.
However, with so many different exercises out there, it can be difficult to know which ones are the best for your voice. Not only that, but there are certain types of exercises that might not help you meet any of the goals that are described above – but are more holistic exercises you might need if you’ve suffered a vocal injury or have other types of singing goals to work on.
Here are a few more exercises that are particularly effective for singers.
Vocal Function Exercises
Vocal function exercises are designed to help improve the function of the vocal cords. The vocal cords are responsible for producing sound, and they are located in the larynx, or voice box. The muscles that control the vocal cords are located in the neck and throat.
When these muscles are not working properly, it can cause problems with speaking or singing. These exercises can help to improve the function of these muscles, and as a result, improve the quality of voice production.
There are a number of different vocal exercises that can be performed, and a speech therapist can help to identify the best exercises for an individual. In some cases, surgery may be recommended in order to correct any underlying anatomical problems.
However, in many cases, vocal function exercises can help to significantly improve the function of the vocal cords.
Vocal Warm Up Exercises
Before singing or speaking in public, it’s important to do some vocal warm-ups. This helps to prevent strain on the vocal cords and enables you to produce a clear, strong sound.
There are a variety of exercises that can be done, but some of the most effective include lip trills, glottal stops, and scale work.
Lip trills involve making a “rrr” sound while keeping the lips closed. Glottal stops, on the other hand, involve saying “uh” or “um” and then cutting off the sound sharply. Scale work helps to loosen up the muscles in the throat and build stamina. By doing a few simple exercises, you can help ensure that your voice is in top form for any performance.
Vocal Cord Exercises
Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is a condition that affects the muscles and joints of the larynx, or voice box. The symptoms of VCD can mimic those of other disorders, such as asthma, bronchitis, and COPD.
VCD can be caused by a number of things, including allergies, anxiety, and dehydration. VCD can also be brought on by strenuous activity, such as running or singing. While there is no cure for VCD, there are exercises that can help to reduce the symptoms. These exercises typically focus on strengthening the muscles and joints of the larynx.
In addition, vocal cord dysfunction exercises may also include breathing exercises to help improve airflow. While VCD can be a frustrating condition, the condition does not have to rule your life. With the help of exercises, you can learn to manage your symptoms and live an active and fulfilling life.
What Exercises Increase Vocal Range?
Many people believe that the only way to increase vocal range is to sing consistently and do vocal warm-ups exercises daily.
However, there are other exercises that can help to increase vocal range as well. One such exercise is yoga. Yoga helps to stretch and strengthen the muscles in the throat and neck, which can lead to improved vocal production. Furthermore, yoga helps to improve breath control, which is essential for singing.
Another exercise that can help to increase vocal range is weightlifting. Weightlifting helps to build the muscles in the neck and shoulders, which can lead to better posture and improved vocal production. In addition, weightlifting helps to increase lung capacity, which is necessary for singing.
Finally, swimming is also a great exercise for increasing vocal range. Swimming helps to stretch the muscles in the throat and neck, and it also helps to improve breath control. In addition, swimming is a low-impact activity that can help to prevent strain on the vocal cords.
As a result, swimming is an excellent exercise for those who want to increase their vocal range.
Last but Not Least – Learn How to Belt Properly
We’ve all heard the powerhouses like Adele and Beyoncé — those ladies can belt! Learning how to belt properly can take some time, and is best learned with a professional voice teacher. The reason behind this is that belting improperly can be damaging to your voice — sometimes even causing irreversible damage.
Belting requires endurance, impeccable technique, and of course, practice. Learn a few of the basics in the video to the right, but make sure you’re working with a singing teacher to perfect your skills.
Readers, what do you think? What are you working on now, and what’s your next goal? Tag us on Facebook and let us know what kinds of vocal exercises you want to see added to this guide!
Maria Kusior