How do I learn how to sing? (8 basic steps)
This may sound like an obvious question. But how exactly does somebody learn how to sing?
For a novice starting their singing journey, the challenge can seem overwhelming. Not only are there endless teachers at their disposal, but there are also endless methods, models, and modalities.
You may have heard of cryptic methods such as ‘Bel Canto’ or ‘Speech Level Singing’ or even ‘Estill’ or ‘Complete Vocal Technique’. Which one should you choose – and should you even choose one at all?
Regardless of method, what are the ACTUAL fundamental basics of becoming a better singer? Many think it’s all about the diaphragm. Some think it’s all about the larynx. Some even think it’s about your womb (for those who have one, anyway.) And others think it should just all come naturally.
I’ve taught contemporary commercial music (CCM) vocals for 15 years, ranging all ages and abilities. And every student follows a similar journey on their way to a strong, consistent, and authentic voice.
Regardless of method or school of thought, here are the absolute, universal basics, which I think all singing teachers will agree with:
Step 1: Throw out everything you think you know
Unfortunately, learning to sing is full of myths and half-baked ideas. Many singing teachers simply repeat what they were taught without assessing why they’re doing it. This has unfortunately led to generations of ‘Chinese Whispers’.
Furthermore, voice science has rapidly accelerated in recent years. We know so much more about the voice now, thanks to cutting-edge medical equipment, as well as a huge number of academics and researchers doing fantastic work in the field.
Step 2: Assess your lifestyle to look after your voice
There is no point paying for singing lessons if your lifestyle neglects or harms your voice. Be sure that you and your voice are ready to work. For example:
Do you smoke?
Do you raise your voice regularly?
Do you get enough sleep and hydration?
And, do you have any chronic or underlying medical issues, such as allergies or fatigue, which may affect your voice or energy levels? If you’re serious about singing, it’s time to get to the bottom of any niggling issues.
Step 3: Get your body ready to sing
Before you even make a sound, your body must be primed to sing. A crucial part of a warm-up is a good all-over body stretch. This includes your torso, shoulders, neck, and even your jaw, face and tongue.
Plus, you want to wake up your body by doing something energising. This gets the blood pumping and clears away any troublesome mucus (i.e. that annoying frog in your throat).
Step 4: Get your breathing right
Soooo much emphasis is placed on ‘correct’ breathing for singing. But honestly, I think this is often unnecessary. I have observed that most breathing issues are due to people over-thinking their breathing patterns.
I encourage my students to simply observe their body when they deeply inhale and exhale:
Where is the effort or energy?
Are any muscles activating or tensing?
If so, where? And when?
I ensure that my students do not lift their shoulders or clench their abdominal muscles at any point throughout the breathing cycle. But it’s crucially important that a student can observe their own body.
We practice a few long exhales on ‘ssh’, ‘zzz’ and ‘wvv’. Thankfully, most students can grasp this long-sustained action immediately – which is the exact pattern needed for singing.
Step 5: Connect the vocal folds
Your vocal folds (AKA vocal cords, but never vocal chords), must make contact to make sound. Much like clapping your hands or tapping a pen on a desk. Contact = sound.
A common problem with beginner singers (especially the youngest and oldest students) is a breathy tone. This means that their vocal folds are ‘leaky’ - they are not contacting properly. This may be due to lack of muscle tone or lack of confidence.
I encourage my students to bring their vocal folds into contact through exercises such as ‘Teletubby talk’ which involves a clean ‘glottal’ sound. Once that is established, I then encourage them to sustain longer and higher notes, using the different vowel shapes.
However, some students may overload their vocal folds with too much contact. These students need a different approach, and it takes a bit of detective work to figure out where the extra ’muscling' is coming from, and why.
Either way, both types of students will need regular ‘SOVT’ practice. My favourite is sliding through the vocal range on an ‘ng’ sound. It can be tricky to achieve this position to begin with, so I often use the word ‘sing’ as a cue. You can check you are holding this position correctly by pinching your nose (the sound will stop if you do so).
Step 6: Ensure your ear is in tune
Once we’ve assessed the anatomical instrument, it’s time to pay attention to tuning. Many people claim to be ‘tone deaf’, but fortunately it seems that true tone deafness (to the extent that it even exists) is very rare.
However, most people still need to fine-tune their ear-brain-voice connection. You do this through conscious practice and repetition of various musical scales. Sorry, it really is that boring.
I kick start this process with my students with simple major and minor arpeggios, as well as half-octave and full-octave jumps. Then to get more definition, we look at chromatic scales. And to get more musicality, we look at major and minor pentatonic scales.
Not to mention, a huge variety of challenging and creative exercise tracks composed by fellow singing teachers.
Step 7: Develop rich resonance
Your tone is created in your pharynx, i.e. your throat. It’s your acoustic chamber, much like the body of a guitar or violin.
Some people are blessed with a double bass. Others are cursed with a ukulele. All bodies are different, however, there are certain tricks to boost what you were born with!
Almost every student of mine will have to endure the ‘gah’ exercise. This simple exercise helps to lift the soft palate, which firms the walls of the pharynx and creates more room.
Simply put, firm resonating surfaces and big resonating spaces create richer and fuller sounds. And fuller, richer sounds are far more pleasing on the ear.
Step 8. Experiment with vocal sounds
The final, and most fun, part is where you get to play with vocal expression. But the reason why this is the last step is because it’s so tempting to cover up ‘weak’ technique with fancy effects.
I highly recommend that students endure the boring stuff first, so that their voice is more reliable and robust in the long run. Personally, I know I can throw my voice around like a ragdoll, but only because I have endured years of boring and repetitive vocal training.
So, what are these fancy effects?
You can add breath or twang to your tone.
You could customise the way you start or end a phrase.
You could add distortion or vibrato, and you can switch between registers.
A word of warning: much like in the world of fashion, ‘don’t let the outfit wear you’. Effects are fun but they should be used mindfully and sparingly. Can you switch the effects on and off? If not, the effect is wearing you.
Ready to start your vocal journey?
You got this far, so allow me a shameless plug. I have a free e-book and a very affordable online course that will get you started on your journey. Click the links below, but only if you’re truly ready:
This blog was written by Freya Astrella, an expert vocal coach in East Sussex, UK.
Freya is a bonafide vocal technique expert and is one of the only teachers in the region to have gained Estill Voice certification. Freya holds a First Class BA(hons) in Professional Musicianship, a VocalTech Diploma, and a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance. She is currently undertaking the Vocal Process teacher training course.
Freya has taught all ages and abilities at BIMM, Access To Music, The Academy of Music And Sound, TheatreTrain, Stagecoach, and The Rock Project. She currently coaches at Rhapsody Artist Development in Seaford. Furthermore, Freya was a lead writer for VoiceCouncil.com, which was the biggest online resource for singers.
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