Beginner's Guide to Singing Well

Have you ever sung in front of an audience? Or by yourself in the shower or in front of a mirror? Do you sing hymns in church or actively participate in a choir? Nearly every human being on the planet has sung something at one point or another in their lives. If you haven't yet, chances are that you will eventually. There is nothing wrong or shameful about it. Singing relieves stress and pressure. It is very relaxing and pleasing to the ears. However, not everyone knows how to sing correctly. There are many tips and techniques to becoming a better singer. I have a lot of experience myself and I felt that it would be best if I passed them on to you. The first thing you must acknowledge is very often overlooked. You must learn to breath correctly.

From the day we first came into this world, we have all been breathing incorrectly. All of us. There are no exceptions. Mostly, we breath by raising upward. This raises the shoulders and pretty much every other thing above the waistline. While this method of breathing allows for more air intake, it is more difficult to control that air when you sing. Breathing correctly means breathing outward instead of upward. You can see and feel your belly go out, but your shoulders will not. This is difficult at first, and sometimes even painful, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. If you remind yourself to practice it every time you sing, or even while you are engaging in some physical activity, you will soon start to do it without thinking at all. This method of breathing allows for more control over the air leaving you when you are singing.

Once you have learned to control your breathing, you must learn some essential things about singing. The first of which is that you do not sing letters and words. You sing vowels and maybe a few consonants. For example, you cannot sing the letter f. Go on and try. It makes no sounds. When you sing the letter i, you do not actually sing i. You sing ah ee. When ah ee is sung, it creates an i. If you try to sing i without doing it properly, you will not succeed in giving it a good sound. You must exaggerate your vowels. When you sing oh, your lips must be in the shape of an o. Any change can cause it to sound like you are singing eh instead of oh. Experiment a little and learn what vowels and vowel lip shapes there are. Also keep in mind that you can sing some consonants, like m and n. Good luck and happy singing.