HOW TO LEARN TO SING: TIPS AND EXERCISES FOR SELF-TAUGHT

Who has never turned up the volume on the radio and sang out loud to their favorite song? Who can say they haven't even mentioned a tune in the shower? To the rhythm of music, we all sometimes feel like pop stars, but we don't always feel confident in our vocal skills and we get stuck in many situations, for example when it comes to singing in public. So, we have collected a series of tips to follow on how to learn to sing and some exercises to practice when you are a beginner. And remember, everyone can sing!

Posture is very important

What does body posture enter with the way we sing? A lot, even if very often we don't know it. singing is essential. The basic rule is to keep your back straight because only in this way will you be able to fully open your ribcage and completely fill your lungs with oxygen. It doesn't matter whether you are standing or sitting, what matters is to keep your shoulders wide and legs parallel, with feet resting firmly on the floor. However, singing teachers advise beginners to choose, at least for the first lessons, an upright position since the latter facilitates the achievement of certain notes and allows more precise phrasing.

Breathing exercises

You can't learn to sing if you don't practice breathing exercises every day. In fact, the latter allow you to better control the tone and voice when singing. The latter is to be considered a wind instrument and, therefore, breathing plays a central role in the success of a piece.

There are different types of these exercises, depending on your level or your various needs, but to begin with, teachers and vocal coaches recommend slow and deep breathing exercises - slow inspiration and slow exhalation -, which stimulate the abdominal muscles. Just take a deep breath, letting the air enter your lungs as if it were "heavy", and imagine letting it go down to your navel, or diaphragm. Next, exhale and repeat the exercise a few times.

Then, try the ones that target the throat opening. While standing, relax and open your jaw, flexing your facial muscles during the exercise. Doing so will physically prepare you for the vocal "effort".

The vocal warm-up exercises

Whenever we want to do some sport we know how important it is to do some warm-up exercises first: the same happens in the case of singing. The warm-up phases are essential in order not to overload and stress the vocal cords and the voice too much. if this happens, not only the singing performance will be affected, but some physical ailments such as joint and muscle pain may occur.

As in the case of the breathing exercises, even the warm-up ones are of various kinds and for those who want to learn to sing if they recommend someone particularly simple. For example, try singing in the highest register possible and then in the lowest register. When you go up, the vocal cords stretch, while they narrow when you go down. By moving from one register to another of your range, you train your vocal cords thus making them more flexible. Another good exercise is that of performing scales and intervals. If you are not followed directly by a teacher or vocal coach you can find some online. where an instrument plays the chord and starting from it you will have to play the note.

The right hydration and the correct habits

To learn to sing you not only need the right exercises, but also to pay attention to your lifestyle which could have a positive or negative influence on the singing experience. First of all, for both beginners and professional singers it is important to always have the strings well hydrated vowels. Even better, it would be to drink some lukewarm water before starting the lesson because it softens them further. Teachers and vocal coaches advise against taking other liquids that are not water, such as drinks, smoothies or thick dairy products. During your singing class or session, always keep a small bottle of water close to you and drink whenever you feel a so-called "dry throat".

Another good habit to take into consideration is not to smoke. We know that not all great artists abstain from smoking and still give us amazing performances, but especially when you are learning to sing it is essential to "build" the breath, necessary to hold notes and modulate the voice Smoking impairs all of this, damaging the lungs and voice and making it more difficult to breathe.

The careful choice of songs

Very few people can sing any song and, especially for those who are self-taught at the beginning, it is important not to get the song wrong. There are many methods to find your own vocal range and from there to understand which repertoire is better to deal with and which not. Vocal range is the distance between the highest note you can sing and the lowest. To find yours, warm up your voice, then hum trying to hit the lowest notes possible. Then, do the reverse, trying to reach the higher ones and the note you can hold for 3 seconds will be the end of your range.

Once you know your vocal range, move on to choosing songs to match it. With time and a lot of practice you will be able to broaden your range and move on to higher level songs, but for the first period it is better not to strain too much on the vocal cords and the voice.