Introduction
Honestly, I think most of us could use a few good tips on ways to make our vocals sound much better than they are at present. As we all know karaoke soon separates the wheat from the chaff and judging from long time experiences at karaoke bars & parties, the majority would more than likely fall into the ‘chaff’ category. That is not to say that improvements could not be made with a little bit of constructive advice.
How to improve your singing voice in a week sounds like an impossible task, but if you are serious about it and prepared to take on the challenge by practicing every day, you will be surprised how you will not only strengthen your vocal chords, but also improve your vocal range giving you a better vocal tone.
‘Practice makes perfect’
How to Improve Your Singing Voice in a Week
Now let’s take a look at a few practical ways that will certainly improve your vocals in a week:
Warm Up
Yes, you read it correctly, warming up your vocals is as important to a singer as warming up is to an athlete. It is all about warming up the muscles. You use muscles when you sing as does any athlete when competing to achieve the best results.
How to Warm Up Your Voice
Implement a set of vocal exercises to prepare your voice before you start singing. You have probably seen many famous artists doing their vocal warm up before they go out on stage to put on a show. This is vitally important!! There are plenty of different pre-singing warm up routines online or on YouTube. Check them out until you find one that works for you and put it into practice.
Importance of Posture & Breathing
Maintaining a correct posture when singing is ultra important. Standing up tall & straight will help you to project your voice as well as helping you to breathe correctly. There are several methods that you can put into practice to help you with both posture & breathing e.g.
Breathing
Inhale through your nose & mouth for approximately 5 seconds, pause, then exhale slowly for around 8-12 seconds. Practice this method twice daily and you are sure to see great improvements in your singing within one week.
Posture
Practice improving your posture by standing up straight with your back against a wall. Do not tense up, try to relax and ensure your rear, shoulders & head are pressed firmly against the wall to establish a perfect singing position. It is all down to practice! practice! practice.! You should sing a few of your favorite songs whilst in this position and you will soon find that this will become your natural posture when you take to the spotlight to perform.
Voice Projection
One of the key factors on how to improve your singing voice in a week is learning how to project your voice to an audience. This all boils down to technique.
Breathing techniques and good posture will ultimately result in getting volume from your voice which is exactly want you want to achieve. I’m sure we’ve all seen singers at karaoke who get very ‘breathy’ when performing. This is due to the fact they are not using their muscles correctly.
Practice taking good breaths and use you diaphragm to support exhalation and you will soon see great improvements in your voice.
“Sing as though you’re summoning the heavens; silver your voice and bare your throat.”
Roshani Chokshi
Diet
Stay hydrated & keep up your energy levels with plenty of liquids. Foods that have a high water content are excellent for keeping your throat hydrated e.g.
. Apples
. Watermelon
. Celery
. Broth Based Soup
Caffeine & Alcohol will do nothing to help your voice as they are diuretics and will ultimately cause your throat muscles to constrict due to dehydration.
It is also better to avoid any dairy produce before you sing as these products tend to create phlegm at the back of the throat. If you are going to be performing on stage for longer periods, you should consume some protein e.g.
. Chicken
. Fish
Protein will help boost your energy levels and keep you feeling less hungry for longer periods of time.
Choose the Right Song
I’m sure most of us have been guilty of choosing songs to sing at karaoke that have been way out of our vocal range. As we have all learned from our mistakes, standing with mic in hand attempting to sing ‘I will always love you’ by Whitney was not a good choice at all for many of us!! You basically need to choose a song from an artist who sings similar to you and from whichever music genre you prefer. You will then find that you are much more comfortable with the melodies.
Vocal Range
You can judge this easily by sitting at a piano and finding the lowest & highest notes that you are able to sing.
. Bass Singer – E2 to E4
. Baritone – A2 to A4
. Tenor – C3 to C5
. Counter Tenor – E3 to E5
. Alto – F3 to F5
. Soprano – C4 to C6
The ranges specified above are simply a guide, when you figure out your range plus or minus a few notes at either end you can then search for songs in the bass range or similar. Keep within your range. How to improve your singing voice in a week can also be achieved by trying out an online course. They are generally Easy, Fast & Fun video lessons that do help a great deal. Many of these online courses offer a 14 day Free Trial which is great if you are on a tight budget. The 14 day trial will offer you lots of great tips & techniques to become a better singer without costing you a cent!
Online Singing Courses
. Yousician – 7 day Free Trail, access over 1500 songs, lessons & exercises.
. 30 Day Singer – 14 day Free Trial.
. Singorama 2.0 – Free bonus offers available.
. The Vocal Studio – 8 day Free collection of videos via email.
. Roger Loves Singing Academy – 4 Free vocal techniques training videos.
With these online courses you can discover the secret to many ‘Star Voices’ and no doubt you will definitely learn how to improve your singing voice in a week with step by step clear tutorials on every aspect of singing.
Hopefully the tips we have provided on how to improve your singing voice in a week will see you well on your way to becoming the singer you always wanted to be.
‘It’s never too late to start learning’!!!