While PJ Harvey may have stated that singing exercises are boring, there is simply no better way to warm your voice and expand your vocal range than by perfecting those singing and vocal exercises. You can expand your own vocal range by working on your breathing technique. With a simple lip thrill and a few more vocal exercises, you will be allowing blood to flow to your vocal cords. Once you have completed a few vocal exercises, you will also be building your vocal strength, which is necessary if you are preparing for auditions.
How Coaches Help Your Voice
The total person sings, not just the vocal cords.
Esther Broner
The truth is that if you have ever tried to improve your voice, you may initially find vocal exercises to feel rather simple.
When you attempt vocal exercises more consistently, however, you will realise how draining and monotonous vocal exercises can be. That is most probably the reason PJ Harvey used the word "boring" to define these exercises. The more vocal exercises that you attempt, the quicker you will understand how tired you may become when trying certain exercises.
Usually, you get tired more easily as you are unsure whether you are doing the vocal exercise correctly in the first place. This is why a voice coach can be ever so helpful. Although the total person sings, and not the vocal cords, it is of utmost importance to train your vocal cords for the act of singing.
Not only will your voice coach make exercise seem more meaningful for you, but teach you how the various breathing techniques and warm-ups can align with your singing goals. From improving endurance, expanding range, and strengthening tone to gaining confidence in your singing abilities, a vocal coach can help you with it all. A good coach will step up and identify the muscles and techniques responsible for producing the right sound.
Aside from this, there are a few more reasons why you should consider reaching out to a vocal coach.
If you wish to start your vocal lessons, you may want to go on a productive vocal training journey in South Africa with us.
Vocal Warm Ups to Try Out
vocal warm-ups to try out.
While the celebrated English songwriter, PJ Harvey, may find vocal warm-ups rather boring, there is certainly a strong reason why we engage in such vocal exercises. Losing your voice as a singer could be very devastating, and to prevent this, we ensure that we work on our vocal cords (soft tissue) and the inner muscles of our larynx. Such exercises will help you keep control of your breathing as well.
Here are a few vocal warm-ups to try:
Quick and short inhales and exhales to strengthen your diaphragm.
Inhale breaths and exhale in a steady "ssss" for 20 seconds to train your airflow.
Saying "ah" or "oh" in a 1-3-5-8-5-3-1 pattern. This helps with expanding your vocal range and agility.
Slides from low to high using a bright "Woo." This enables you to access your head voice without any strain.
Exaggerating consonants like P, B, T, and K with a short phrase. This exercise strengthens your rhythm and your ability to articulate.
Pretending to be chewing when saying "aah-ee-oh-ooo" to loosen the tension in your jaw.
Some Vocal Coaching Tips
I'm sure any vocal teacher that listens to me would rather cut my throat than do anything.
Julie London
Don't be afraid to reach out to a vocal teacher because you may be thinking that a vocal teacher won't be able to do any wonders for you. Even if you feel overwhelmed by the idea of vocal coaching or vocal exercises, and you picture endless warming-up exercises, scales, and breathing drills, don't shy away from reaching out to a vocal coach. Everything from your singing position to your mindset matters. When you sit down with your vocal coach, you start to understand that posture, mindset, and daily habits that you pursue from home matter considerably when it comes to your vocal ability. All coaches will tell you:
Body Alignment is Important
It is important to start singing only once your posture is correct and taken care of. The way that you stand and how you sit when singing can affect your posture. To ensure your posture is right, you must keep your shoulders relaxed and in a way that prevents any throat tension. To better your posture, you need to consider standing against the wall as a daily exercise while aligning your head, shoulders, hips, and heels. You also need to breathe rather easily whilst standing in that position.
Make Sure You Work on Your Listening Ear
The main reason for vocal issues is that people don’t truly listen to themselves singing. According to coaches, recording your voice is a great way to ensure that you can listen back to your singing voice. You can hear from a recording if you are tightening your jaw while singing. Listen to and be your own critic when listening back to your voice.
Try Silently Breathing to Help Your Singing
To improve your vocals, you need to practice more quietly throughout the day. Quietly breathing during the day is a way to ensure proper breath support when you are singing. According to a vocal coach, start by inhaling and expanding your belly and ribs, and exhaling through pursed lips. Controlled singing is important.
Work on Your Speaking Voice Too
It is really important to work on your speaking voice as it does have a huge influence on vocal health. Speak slower and let your breath align with each utterance. Being expressive when it comes to your speaking voice ensures that your voice stays flexible and ready to hit every note.
Make Sure to Set Aside Time for Recovery
Whilst warming up is rather important, you need to make time for cooling down. You need to let your voice recover after long durations of singing and after much warming up. The resting period prevents any scratchiness in the throat. Rest and hydration are equally important. You need to ensure that you remain well hydrated constantly before and after a vocal performance.
One of the main tips that vocal coaches will give you is to give your voice a break from time to time. Perhaps you can find a vocal tutor who will help you to stop cackling while singing.
Vocal Coaches Near Me
A vocal coach refers to a music teacher who assists singers to better their singing techniques in preparation for their performances.
If you’re ready to start improving your voice and your ability to sing, you must ask yourself: Where can I find vocal coaches near me? Your budget does matter considerably when you are making your decision. on where to find vocal coaches near you. Along with your respective budget, your schedule needs to be taken into consideration, too.
There are many avenues to consider when you want to start vocal coaching or singing lessons near you.
Local Studios & Music Schools
In South Africa, you can find many music schools that offer personalised and tailored singing and voice-training lessons. There is a vocal studio located in the East Rand of Johannesburg called Dimensions. At Dimensions, vocal lessons are on offer for adults and children. While Dimensions is a lucrative option, you may be in need of more intimate attention. There are many one-on-one coaches around the city that can help by providing lessons that can align with your schedule and that can assist you to learn at your own pace. Taking private lessons means that your lessons will be flexible and align with your respective schedule.
Relying on Private Tutors and Online Platforms
Commuting for vocal lessons may be a problem. Therefore, you can opt for online singing coaches. Most online singing coaches are willing to provide private lessons as well. With online teaching platforms, like Superprof, you can find vocal coaches who have their own personalised teaching styles. You are more spoilt for choice and can choose between a variety of online tutors. Superprof offers many vocal coaches who give both in-person and online lessons. On Superprof, you can filter your tutor selection based on your preferences. This means you can take price, tutor experience, and the types of tutorial lessons provided into consideration.
When you decide on online coaching, the flexibility of learning from home around your schedule will be remarkable, especially when you explore voice lessons online. You can find quality singing coaches on Superprof, and you can even take a free lesson with our tutors before you choose the tutor that fits you best.
How to Choose the Right Fit?
On our Superprof tutor platform, before you browse through the list, remember a few key criteria:
- Achieving your vocal goal: You can choose a coach who aligns with your vocal goal. You may also choose a vocal coach based on your preferred singing genre or style.
- Lesson format: You will need to make a decision based on the lesson format that a respective coach is offering. There are private classes on offer, online lessons, and small group classes. You need to choose the class type that best suits you.
- Budget: You need to keep your budget in mind constantly. When you choose lessons, they must fall within your respective budget.
- Make a judgment based on the free lesson: All of our Superprof tutors offer a free lesson, and you can surely use this lesson to see what learning with a respective tutor can be like.
Once you have chosen the right tutor for you, you are well on your way to improving your vocal skills. When you start your voice improvement journey, make sure you read our guide on how to boost your vocal skills. Knowing a few good vocal exercises and having the right tutor by your side could ensure that you achieve singing success and will ensure that you nail all of your auditions.
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