Singing is a joy. It releases stress and anxiety and make our bodies produce more happy hormones such as endorphins. That is why music therapy has a role in medical science.
Many people like to sing as can be evidenced by bathroom singers or you could be unconsciously humming or mouthing a tune when you are in a good mood. However, for most people, it stops there. For them, they have never thought of the possibility that they can become better or even good singers.
Of course, when learning a new set of skill such as singing better, it will take time and practice. As singing involves many parts of your body like your diaphragm, lungs, tongues, vocal cords and other muscles, you must allow your body and your voice time to develop a certain muscle memory so when called for, these body parts will work synergistically to produce your great singing voice. Therefore, repetition is the key to develop good vocal techniques and this is done by repeating and practicing with the correct vocal exercises.
The first thing that you need to do when you want to improve your singing skill is to set goals, both short and long term goals. This is when you hone your skill through constant practices, you will regularly achieve your short term goals which can provide you with a sense of progress and it becomes a source of inspiration towards achieving your long term goals.
Drinking plenty of water is the most important gift you can offer your voice. Keeping your body well hydrated so that it can produce the lubrication that your vocal cords need in order for it to vibrate effectively and also that the cords are not damaged working through a dehydrated state.
Video record yourself when you are practicing as when you play back your recordings, you can see and hear your strengths and weaknesses and improve on them. You can also practice singing in front of the mirror. This will make you more aware of how you look when you are singing so that you can improve on your performance skills.
Many people think that in order to become a good singer you must have an incredible lung capacity. Although it is somewhat true, your lung capacity can be improved by the right techniques involving your diaphragm and breath control. So practice with vocal exercises that amplify these aspects.
One of the problems that most singers will encounter is vocal tension. If you are experiencing tension in the throat or the neck area when you are singing, you are probably using the wrong muscles or maybe even excessive force such as yelling. These tensions can restrict or even destroy your voice when not corrected quickly.
You see, the muscles that surround your voice apparatus are very delicate. They require patience and persistent practice to develop sensitivity to singing freely and so, learn to use them in a correct way.
One thing most people disregard but it is one of the most important aspect of good singing is warming up. Humming those little scales during warming up is to relax the muscles around the vocal musculature and to provide a gentle stretching of your vocal cords. Warming up also improves your blood circulation in that area, energize your lungs and the inter-costal muscles.
When your vocal apparatus is warmed up properly, it will enable you to sing with a free flowing voice and also protects it from being damaged. You will definitely become a better or even a good singer when you put into practice what is discussed here.
Submitted by: Chris Chew
About Today's Contributor
Chris Chew is a fitness, health and relationship consultant. Read his free articles at Singing Success Lessons and How To Sing Professionally