How to Become a Better Singer

Last Updated: May 20, 2022 References Approved

While some people seem to be born with inherently beautiful voices, even professional singers have to work hard and practice often to maintain their singing abilities. There are plenty of tools and steps you can take to become a better singer from getting professional training, exercising your body and your voice, to simply incorporating the correct posture and breathing techniques.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Developing Your Voice

1
Learn proper singing posture. Most singing teachers suggest standing rather than sitting to achieve the best sound. Sitting collapses your muscles and can hinder your ability to get a proper breath.
- Keep your head up and in line with your shoulders. Picture your spine like a straight line extending through the crown of your head.^{[1]
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- Let your jaw drop and keep your tongue relaxed toward the front of your mouth.^{[2]
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- Relax your shoulders.^{[3]
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- Lift the roof of your mouth in the back as if you were going to yawn.^{[4]
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  Research source} This opens up the throat and allows more air to flow through.
- If you are tensing up when standing with the right posture, move so that your back, shoulders, and head are resting against a wall.^{[5]
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2
Focus on your breath. Learning how to breathe properly is an essential part of becoming a better singer. Be sure to take a deep enough breath before singing a line so that you have enough air to carry out every word.^{[6]
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- Breathe in through your belly, not through your chest.^{[7]
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  Research source}This improves your sound and allows you to better control your voice. To be sure you are breathing properly, put your hand on your belly and try to push it out with your belly expanding it as you inhale.
- Take a few minutes to practice breathing through your belly daily. You can do this either standing up or laying down. Again, be sure your belly is rising every time you take a deep breath.
Tip: Imagine there's a balloon behind your belly button. Aim to make the balloon inflate as you inhale and deflate as you exhale.

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3
Know your range. Becoming a better singer is partly about knowing your range and sticking to it. Some people have more range than others, but everyone has a sweet spot where your voice sounds best.
- There are seven main ranges: Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, and Bass. The first 3 are typically the ranges of women, while the last 4 are men’s ranges.
- To find your range, picture your voice like a Ferris wheel. Start at the top, singing the highest note you can and go down the scale to the lowest note you can hit. If you need help finding your range, use an app like SingTrue.
- Play notes on a piano to compare your pitch to the piano notes to help you find your range.
4
Warm up before you sing. Singing a song doesn't count as a warm-up, because you naturally focus all of your efforts on trying to sound good rather than on your form and technique. Warm-ups, on the other hand, isolate certain problem areas and open up your range.
- Remember that warm-ups are not intended to sound good. In fact, most of them sound rather silly and obnoxious, even if you have a professional singing voice. Find a private place to do your warm-ups if you don't want to disturb others.
- Be sure to warm up both the head and chest voice. The head, or upper, voice is breathier and lighter-sounding than the chest, or lower, voice, which is more solid and loud. To find your upper voice, mimic an opera singer. Your lower voice is closer to the range in which you generally speak.
- Practice warm-ups that stretch your mouth. Do scales with an “Ooh wee ooh oohweeoohweeohh” sound stretching the corners of your mouth wide. Or practice tongue trills while starting at your highest note and moving down the scale to your lowest.^{[8]
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Learn to recognize pitch. The best way to do this is to sing along with a piano or keyboard, if you have one. Press down on a key, and as it rings out, match your voice to it with an "ah" sound. Do this for every musical note: A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, G, and G#.
- The sharp notes are the black keys on the piano to the right of the corresponding note on the white key.
Tip: Use an app like Sing Sharp if you have trouble recognizing pitch.
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Practice singing daily. The more you sing, the stronger your voice becomes. Remember, your voice is a muscle that needs to be exercised.^{[9]
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- Though everybody has a natural range, you can actually expand the upper and lower limits of your vocal range over time simply by practicing often and doing your exercises.
- Sing along to your favorite songs for practice. Keep in mind though that you may not have the same voice as your favorite singers. You won’t become a better singer by mimicking other singers only. Sing in your own voice.
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Get voice training regularly. One major way to become a better singer is to have vocal training. Just like playing a sport or exercising, your voice is a muscle that you need to work out in order to develop your voice. By having a professional voice coach, you can learn techniques that will improve your voice. Your voice is an instrument, like a piano that a coach can help you master.^{[10]
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- Consider getting private singing lessons from a voice teacher who can help you with techniques that will develop your unique voice. Meet with at least 3 voice teachers before choosing one to ensure you select the person who will be the best fit.
- If you’re in school, consider joining the choir. Joining a choir is a great way to become a better singer as it will help you to learn how to sing with others, read music, and can give you confidence by not having to sing alone.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Keeping Your Voice Healthy

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Drink enough water.^{[11]
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Research source} No matter how great of a singer you are, you won't sound good if you're dehydrated. You should drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
- Don't drink alcohol or caffeine before you sing because these substances dehydrate you.
- You also want to avoid sugary drinks as well.
Tip: Decaffeinated green teas or warm water with honey and lemon can help to improve and lubricate your vocal chords.^{[12]
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Don't eat dairy or sweets before singing. Foods like yogurt, cheese, and ice cream cause excess mucus to form in the throat, which makes singing difficult.
- Additionally, salty and spicy foods because these foods can irritate your throat and vocal chords.
- Other foods that may cause acid reflux like heavy or spicy foods can also make breathing harder and irritate your vocal chords.
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Use a personal humidifier. In addition to eating and drinking the right foods and beverages, using a personal humidifier can also help keep your vocal cords in good shape. Fill the humidifier with water; don't add any medication packets. You can use the humidifier before warming up and during periods of vocal rest.
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Don't smoke.^{[13]
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Research source}Smoking damages your lungs, preventing you from being able to breathe properly while you sing. It also dries out the throat, which will affect your sound.
- If you are a smoker and want to become a better singer, you should consider quitting. However, in the meantime, make sure to drink extra water, smoke lighter cigarettes, and avoid smoking as much as possible on days when you have to sing.
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Do breathing exercises often. Even if you don't have time to do a proper warm-up or sing every day, you should practice taking deep breaths into your belly every single day. This alone can significantly improve your voice in the long-run.
- You can combine breathing exercises and improve your breath with yoga, or going on runs.
- Train like Mick Jagger. The singer is notorious for training for his concerts by running and cross-training while singing to ensure that he can move freely across an entire stage without running out of his breath.^{[14]
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Don't strain your voice or overuse it. Pushing your voice by singing too loud, too high, or for too long can damage your vocal chords. Just like any muscle, you need to give your voice time to rest and repair.^{[15]
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Note: Stop singing if your throat starts to feel sore, if you experience any pain, or if your voice becomes hoarse.

Community Q&A

Question

Are there any effective warm-ups?

Community Answer

Do the "do re mi" warm-up, which is best because it reaches both lower and higher notes.
Question

How can I make my voice sound professional without any training?

Community Answer

Daily practice and confidence will make you sound professional. Professional singers use the uniqueness of their voice, so try not to imitate other singers too much.
Question

How can I keep my voice from cracking?

Community Answer

If you're going too high or low for your vocal range, your voice will probably crack. So, discover your range and try to sing inside it. If you want to go higher or lower without your voice cracking, then it is possible to increase your vocal range gradually through practice. Just remember to be careful and maintain proper technique.