How to sing well

Almost all vocal coaches agree anyone can learn to sing. Singing well is a skill, improved upon with proper breathing coordination. It is an extension of speech. This means the language being sung will have an effect on the position used for easy production of the tone. Style will also affect vocal position---more space (in the back of the throat) is needed in classical singing style than is needed in "popular" styles. To become a "good" singer you must be able to breathe properly, sing with power (resonance) and sing in pitch. To become a "great" singer you'll need to add dynamics and develop a style that's all your own. To become a good singer you need to be able to breathe properly and sing on/in pitch while producing resonance. If you're trying to develop a commercial voice you need to add dynamics, smooth out your break (develop middle voice) and create a unique style/technique that's all your own.

Steps

1. Find out your vocal range. This is essential, as singing pieces written for the wrong range may strain your voice. Here is a basic list of vocal ranges:-
   • Soprano - C4-C6
   • Mezzo-Soprano - A3-A5
   • Alto - F3-F5
   • Tenor - B2-A4
   • Baritone - A2-F4
   • Bass - F2-E4
2. It is also worthy to note that there are such things as male altos (countertenors). If you are a male and are able to sing in the alto range (most likely using falsetto), then you may be better off singing as a countertenor. It is advisable, however, that you ask a singing teacher to train you to sing properly.
3. 

   
   Learn to breathe properly. The voice is best described as a wind instrument and breathing is 80% of singing. Proper singing begins and ends with proper breathing. This is the breathing that we all did as babies, the breathing that we all do subconsciously all day. When you breathe from the diaphragm, your shoulders don't move and your chest barely moves at all. Your stomach, sides and lower back will expand. Your stomach should feel taut, as if you are flexing your abdominal muscles. This creates the pressure to sustain a powerful voice.
4. Stand tall with one foot slightly in front of the other one, feet shoulder width apart. This allows you to breathe easily and to allow maximum lung capacity to allow better notes and phrases.
5. 

   
   Always warm up before you begin singing or doing practice exercises. There are many different types of warm ups which are dependent upon skill level, but a common one is singing do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do with your mouth closed three times. Hum the same sequence three times, then sing it out loud. Go through each octave up the scale and then back down again until the voice is at a comfortable resting place. Your vocal coach can recommend a warm up that's appropriate for you.
6. Practice taking in deep breaths and exhaling slowly, as long as you can. A very good hint as to whether you are letting out a constant stream of air, required for proper technique, is by lightly touching your lips together and creating a bbbbbbbbbbb sound (while engaging your voice). If your lips stop vibrating together, then the air has stopped flowing freely.
7. Pronounce your vowels. Words are truly nothing but a constant succession of vowels with consonants dropped in occasionally to create meaning. So practice all your vowels at every pitch (high, low and in between). In English - AH EH EE OH OO. When you sing vowels, the jaw should always be dropped, and the tongue forward. EE is not a smiling form, but a dropped jaw vowel. OH should not have any teeth showing. OO is slightly changed form of OH. The vowel sounds are important because when you sustain any note it is a vowel sound that's actually sung. Mar(EE) Had A L(EH)tle L(AH)m
8. If you have pitch problems you can correct this by practicing scales (most coaches will recommend 20-30 minutes a day when starting out). Practicing scales will also strengthen the muscles used for singing and give you better control. To practice scales, identify your range (tenor, baritone, soprano, etc...) and know how to find the notes that cover your range on a keyboard or piano. Then practice the major scale in every key moving up and down using the vowel sounds. At some point you can start working in minor scales as well. Solffegio (Do,Re,Mi,...) is also an effective tool for improving pitch problems.
9. If your voice is weak, this is usually caused by under-developed muscles or improper use of the resonators (the pharynx, the hard pallet, and the nasal cavity). Muscles can be strengthened and with training you can learn how to use your resonators to project a powerful voice.
10. Always be working on a new song. When you start a new song, however, start with the rhythm and conducting. Sing the things you enjoy and while you're practicing, try singing the whole thing 5 times through, once on each vowel sound with no words. Then, when you sing the words, try and make the song sound as smooth and flowing as it did when you only sang the vowels.
11. Try to measure your progress every few weeks by recording yourself singing and being critical of the playback. Pick two or three songs to use as your benchmark: an easy song, and intermediate song and a difficult song. You can judge the difficulty of your song choices by the difficulty you have with singing them, if you don't feel you can sing at all and want some suggestions, here are three that everybody knows: Happy Birthday (easy), Frosty The Snowman (intermediate), The Star Spangled Banner (difficult). If you are just learning to sing, do not begin practicing with your difficult song selection at first; your difficult song selection represents where you want to be and chances are you've got a long journey (many months) to get to that point. Some will be able to phase in their difficult selection after the first month, others may need to spend a few months working on pitch and breathing. If you are just starting out, focus your first month working on scales. It is recommended to use popular songs in a style you desire to eventually be able to sing in. When you listen to the playback of your recordings, keep a notebook and note parts where you messed up and work on these parts during the week in addition to the time spent on scale practice. If possible find acoustic/vocal or piano/vocal only arrangements of your song choices as these type of arrangements generally provide a clear vocal track untainted by multi-effects processors, which are common in multi-track mixes.
12. Be reasonable with your self-expectations, regardless of where you are coming from, if you can devote 20 minutes or more a day to practicing scales and songs you can expect measurable improvement within four weeks. Most pitch problems can be corrected within 3-4 months. Understand that your progress is linked to your ability to practice daily (as with most training). If you only do 15 minutes a day a few days a week, you could spend a year or more. If you devote yourself you could completely transform your voice in three months. Everyone is different. If you don't hear measurable improvement in your self-training within three months then it's probably time to get a one-on-one instructor.
13. Keep in mind all the professionals you hear have spent years developing and perfecting their technique. The more you work on your own voice the more you should gain respect for what your favorite singers have accomplished. The pros make it sound easy and for them it still takes focus, but it comes more naturally because they have trained themselves over many years to make it that way. You can achieve the same thing in time with practice, and practicing can be a lot of fun. But practice is the ONLY way you will get there, and this cannot be underestimated. Most people who have "talent" have actually been practicing singing since they were toddlers without realizing what they were doing. Sing in the shower, sing in the car, sing all the time whenever and whereever you are. You need to make practice your priority in order to become a professional. Just because it's fun doesn't mean it's not work, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
14. Remember to adjust your style. The very basic lessons given here are meant for smooth, lyric singing and is based in classical training. This is the best way to learn, but of course, not all of you will be singing opera. So, take this basic information and try to work it into the style of music that you like to sing! A good way to do this is to pick a few artists you really like and try to master their techniques then try to mix them together. Before working on dynamics and unique style you should be able to breathe properly and sing in pitch. If you are just starting out don't put any focus on unique style for the first few months unless instructed by a vocal coach to do so.

Tips

• The best way to start singing properly from your diaphragm is to stand up straight, shoulders back but relaxed. As gross as it sounds, pretend your sternum is hooked and hanging from the ceiling. Focusing on projecting from your lower back will help greatly. Relax your jaw, relax your face - especially your eyebrows and forehead when you are concentrating really hard.
• Project sound and notes from your diaphragm and not your throat. Not only does this damage your vocal chords, your voice will sound 'stressed' and not pleasant. Your singing voice is not your talking voice.
• A true test of vocal control is how well you can hold a note - without vibratto. Very steady.
• A good practice technique would be to lay on the floor flat on your back and practice projection and tonal quality.
• Warm tea (warm drinks in general) helps your vocal chords be more flexible - making it easier to hit higher/lower pitches. LEMON keeps mucous from gathering and getting in the way of your singing, so water with some squirts of lemon is good for your voice before singing.
• There are three different kinds of voices. "Chest Voice" "Middle Voice" and "Head Voice". You use your chest voice when you sing in your comfortable range. The better singer you become, the more notes you can sing with your chest voice. You use your middle voice as a bridge between your chest and head voice. Middle voice has a part of chest voice and of head voice. You use your head voice when you sing higher pitches and where the sound is coming from moves higher, seemingly into your head even though the projection is still from your diaphragm. An advanced singer can continually move from chest to middle to head voice and back again without any vocal disturbance.
• Don't be intimidated by pop culture television. Keep in mind that shows such as American Idol are cleverly produced for shock value. Many of the horrible candidates you see trying out are the worst case examples of people who have no control of pitch or volume. They were selected for entertainment; most of them could be trained to sing properly if they would apply themselves and spent time with a qualified vocal coach. That they are held up to ridicule is purposely designed to discourage others from pursuing singing by those who wish to be in control of artists.
• Try to sing without any tension in your throat at all. The more tension you have, the less free your voice will be, and ultimately, the less good you will sound. Imagine your voice as a tangible object in your head, keep the pressure up from your diaphragm, and try to "place" your voice in the front of your face, right behind your top two teeth. Be careful not to go too far with this and shove a lot of air through your nose. This will result in a nasal sounding voice, which can be effective for parodies, but not for proper singing.
• The tone of your voice is much more important than range. People will love or hate your voice based on its sound character, not how many notes you can hit. Never sacrifice tone for range (stay inside your range). There are instances of professional, commercially successful singers with only a single octave range (Johnny Mathis).
• Elvis, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Freddie Mercury, Steve Perry, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Dikenson, James Hetfield, Brian Jonson, Robert Plant, Sting. Very few of the above would have made it on American Idol, yet they all bring a unique and commercially successful voice. The only standard for what makes a professional, commercially-viable singer is ability to sing in pitch and to be unique. It takes a lot more than voice to make it as a professional recording artist. You have to have a unique style about you and your voice is just one extension of that style.
• Just because you learn to sing properly doesn't mean you know all you need to be the next superstar. The recording industry is a business, and can be extremely tough on the pop vocalist. There is a sound A&R Rep's are looking for in male and female singers and whether it is good or bad, right or wrong is entirely dependent on the project they are doing and trend they are following. If you are a songwriter (or aspiring songwriter) maintaining your personal integrity is what will allow you to be happy with your success in the future. Otherwise all the success in the world will not be satisfying. Your vocal journey should be about developing your voice to its fullest potential and then using that voice to make an artistic expression that communicates your art to your audience. Audiences respond to technical quality first, and the message second. Just because you're not American Idol material, doesn't mean you aren't capable of expressing yourself vocally and gaining a recording contract.
• Very few people are "tone-deaf". It's a term often used (even sometimes by industry professionals that don't understand voice) to identify someone who sings badly off key, off pitch or with too much volume. The reality is less than 2% of the population is tone deaf. People who cannot sing on pitch simply need ear training. This can be done through the help of a qualified vocal coach.
• Not everyone who can sing is capable of teaching you. Most professional singers developed their technique naturally and are not the best teachers. At the same time, a teacher who cannot sing or demonstrate their principles should not be hired to teach you. You should ask to listen to a CD or hear the teacher sing or watch them perform before you choose an instructor. Singing coaches can be found in most major US cities and lessons are generally $60-$80 per hour, depending on the instructor's experience and desired pay. * Any college near you that has a Music/Voice program will have students who already know a lot more than a first-timer. You could probably get weekly lessons with them for cheap. The going rate can be anywhere from $20 - $60 an hour for most small to medium size cities. If you are with a student teacher, make sure the student is monitored by a qualified experienced teacher, but in New York, the rate for qualified professional voice teachers generally runs $100-200 per hour.
• As an alternative (or as a supplement) to lessons you may look at self-study material. There are many books on the market such as Roger Love's - Set Your Voice Free and Dena Murray's - Vocal Technique: A Guide To Finding Your True Voice, that provide a wealth of information from master vocal trainers. Good self-training material will include practice audio CD(s) with scales and demonstrations of proper and improper technique. Such material is especially useful if you don't have a piano or keyboard around the house. Both of the mentioned books also include exercises to help you get into middle voice; which bridges chest and head voice and is essential to helping most overcome their break.
• A big area of concern will be the break in your voice. Women and men both have that. This area usually starts around G above middle C. You'll have to learn how to maneuver around it, over it and through it in order to sound like the same person when you're singing high and low. This is tough to teach, but you basically have to feel what it is like to sing above your break, then try to 'pull' that feeling lower into the voice that you use below the break. You do the same thing in reverse when coming from high to low.
• No matter the style, good singing is meant to be sent forward toward the audience or, in the case of popular amplified singing styles, forward into the microphone. If you "listen" actively to yourself when you sing, you will ALWAYS sing out of tune, since listening to yourself becomes your focus. To sing well, the singer must focus on what must be managed in order to correctly produce a freely vibrating pitch. Active listening to oneself almost always will result in the singer tightening muscles that should not be used, so that the sound is pulled to his/her ear. The alternative to listening to yourself is paying attention to how it feels inside your head, throat and chest.
• Try to breathe in long phrases, not in the middle of phrases and not in the middle of words.
• Use dynamics! Dynamics are variations in how loud you are singing. Even the simplest use of dynamics will make your songs come alive, and the more you practice, the louder and softer you'll be able to sing healthily. When reading music, from quietest to loudest, dynamics marks are as follows: pp (pianissimo, very quiet), p (piano, quiet), mp (mezzo piano, medium quiet), mf (mezzo forte, medium loud), f (forte, loud), ff (fortissimo, very loud). When you start out you will probably only be able to sing from mp to mf, but your range will increase with practice.
• Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol. These things negatively affect your voice.
• Get in shape. You'll be able to breathe better if you are in good physical health.
• If you cannot afford or do not want the dedication that comes with hiring a professional voice coach, consider joining a local choir.
• Work to improve your range. If you think a note is too high you'll never be able to sing it, but if you try the note you are helping your voice. Yes, you'll sound bad and be out of tune. Maybe you'll never perform anything that high, but you still need to warm up properly.
• Always remember to believe that you can do it like the little engine that could.

Warnings

• When you're building the muscles used in singing, you will feel a little bit of movement and the muscles will slightly tense and release. But nothing should ever hurt! If you have a vocal instructor who tells you to do things that bring pain to your vocal cords, get out of there fast. Permanent damage happens very quickly with the voice, and will give you a very rough sound like Phil Collins. A healthy voice has a clean sound.
• Do not push the bottom of your range. If you are trying to sing a low note and produce a raspy sound, you are damaging your voice. Basically, your vocal cords are rubbing against each other. A node is like a callous on your vocal cords, and it wont go away. Don't get one. If your voice ever hurts after singing, you are causing damage.
• Tension in your jaw, shoulders, neck muscles and all surrounding areas can hurt you. Make sure you are completely relaxed before you sing.
• Most importantly, don't stress over not being able to do something. Singing, like many physical pursuits, simply takes time, and you will have more success if you just let go and allow progress to happen through practice, rather than rushing to be the best after your first lesson.
• Get honest advice on your ability. Don't get suckered into spending a lot of money on lessons by someone who'll tell you that you have what it takes just so they can get your money. Anyone can be taught to develop their singing voice to its fullest potential, but make sure that teacher in question CAN actually do it. Ask to hear samples of the worst voices they've fixed, before and after lessons.
• A raised larynx is a leading problem for many aspiring singers. If you put your finger on your Adam's apple and yawn, you will feel it move up and back down. The lower position is where you need it to stay. Try to sing up a scale with your finger lightly touching your Adam's apple; if it rises more than 1/2" then you have some problems. A raised larynx will make it so your throat closes making high notes impossible, it will also make it hard to produce resonance, vibrato, etc. It's something you need to work with a qualified vocal coach to verify and correct.
• A great instructor can increase a person's ability without the use of criticism. This is not to be confused with insistence that one can and does do it right. If you are a beginner, avoid using a teacher who makes negative critical comments about your every mistake. You are learning and most criticism is not only unnecessary, it's the #1 reason a person gives up learning to sing. Positive instruction is the best route to success, no matter what your difficulty may be.
• Avoid a nasal sound-sing from your diaphragm