Improving Your Voice — Tips and Tricks to Vocalize Better

If you’ve ever looked at your favourite singer and thought, “How do they do that with their voice?”, this article is for you. Learn more about how to have a better singing voice, how to do vocal exercises and learn some of the best singing tips for beginners from Habbit’s resident nightingale, Angela Menezes.

Our voice is a beautiful instrument — being able to sing is a gift, but it is a misconception that only those who are gifted with natural talent can perform breathtaking musical numbers.

What most people forget while trying to figure out how to have a better singing voice is that they have to take care of the parts of their body that help them produce sound — speaking and singing are done with the help of our vocal folds, our lungs and various other organs that are located in and around our head and throat. It’s really important that we take care of our bodies so that our voices can remain unwaveringly steady.

Taking Care of Your Voice

Our vocal folds are triangular bands of tissue that sit at the top of our windpipe. They open up when we’re breathing, and when we push air through it to speak or sing, they contract and relax depending on what pitch and tone we’re trying to produce. A good singer can easily modulate the quality and tone of their voice, and to have such control over your vocal folds, you have to make sure they are in good condition. Think of how a violinist uses rosin to keep their bowstring ready to go — our voice is also an instrument that needs development and maintenance.

Needless to say, the journey to becoming a better singer or vocal artist starts with a change to your lifestyle. Here are a few tips to better your singing voice by taking care of your vocal folds:

Avoid Damage

There are many lifestyle choices that affect the health of your vocal folds — smoking, tension, overuse, and abuse of our vocal folds (by screaming) can all irritate and inflame our vocal apparatus and prevent you from being able to use it right.

To keep your voice flexible and healthy, avoid straining your voice. Try to get rid of damaging habits like smoking that can damage your lungs and your throat, and avoid any food items that have extreme temperatures or contain a lot of oil.

Warm Up and Cool Down

It’s always recommended that you warm your voice up before singing — there are various fun vocal exercises that are available online which you can follow along. Ease into these exercises so that they can help you loosen your vocal cords, jaw and facial muscles. Spend some time traveling up and down the scales, preferably with the help of a piano app, so that you can see how far you can go at the extremes of your vocal register.

Don’t skip your breathing exercises either — a good singer has great control over their breathing, which is why spending some time releasing any built-up tension around your shoulders, your chest and your belly can help you loosen your diaphragm and, subsequently, sing better.

After you’re done with your performance or practice, make sure you take the time to cool down too. Do gentle lip trills and breathe deeply in and out so that any pent-up stress around your vocal cords is loosened and your voice settles back into your normal speaking range.

Stay Hydrated

Drink lots of water throughout the day so that your vocal folds aren’t dry and dehydrated. There’s no way to directly moisten them, which is why drinking your daily eight glasses is the best way to keep them lubricated and safe from any inflammations.

Some professionals recommend humidifying your living space so that you’re not breathing in dry air and straining your vocal cords. If you use your voice a lot in your daily life, purchasing a humidifier can help support your respiratory system and keeping it squeaky clean.

Don’t Strain Your Voice

Take frequent breaks from using your voice. Vocal naps are absolutely essential to protecting your vocal folds from overuse and damage. Most importantly, avoid singing and speaking loudly if your throat hurts — it is a sign from your body that you should stop or that you may have an infection. Make sure you don’t sing for hours on end and make sure you don’t push through any pain.

Maintain Good Posture

Posture is more important than you think when it comes to improving your voice. Sagged shoulders, hunching over or a tilted chin can negatively affect the way your voice sounds. Good posture helps air move fluidly through your body, keep your throat open and give you better control over your breathing.

The best stance for a singer is when your body is in a straight line — with your back straight, with knees unlocked and feet hip-width distance apart. Keep your chin parallel to the ground and align your hips with your back for the perfect singing stance.

These basic singing tips and daily vocal exercises can be life-changing when it comes to improving your vocalization. If you want to take this journey a step further, you might want to check out Habbit’s Vocal Coaching class held by Angela Menezes, a professional musician and vocal coach! Figure out your range, sing better and start exploring your full singing potential with Habbit’s mentors.