Learn to control your breathing
One of the first skills learned in a vocal lesson is how to control your breathing. Learn how to support the air properly. Experienced artists have control over the exhalation of air and they don’t allow themselves to use the throat at all in order to maintain the quality of sound.
Avoid singing from the throat and keep in mind that it should just be used as a passageway for the air. A vocal coach will work on ways for you to avoid going into the throat while you’re singing. This is an area most students work on when they’re learning how to sing which improves your performance dramatically.
A singer controls their voice by learning how to breathe properly. A vocal coach will teach you how to control the diaphragm and other muscles in the body that are involved in inhaling and exhaling the air your body takes in. A lot of people end up shouting rather than controlling the muscles in their body to keep the air from coming out to quickly.
The dorsal, intercostal and inter abdominal muscles are all used together to
control the increase in amount of air that your take into your lungs as well as the slow release of the air when you begin to sing.
Improve the quality of sound
The sound a person creates comes from the formation and vibration of the vocal cords. The quality of sound is what most would consider “pleasant to the ear.” How well a person sings is determined by the singer’s ability to use their ears to match the pitch as well as their ability to let the sound resonate within specific regions of the body.
The body’s natural resonators are found in the mouth, head, chest and nasal cavity. By allowing the sound to resonate within these cavities you can create a full and rich singing voice. Although the nasal cavity is used to resonate, a vocal coach will help to avoid nasal sounds to achieve clearer resonation. People who are untrained don’t understand this concept. Most think they push through the throat-which is how their throat gets tired. In order to sing for longer periods of time with the same quality, learn how to breathe and resonate the sounds from within your natural resonators.
Improve the projection of sound
Students going through their initial training learn how to place the sound by positioning the head and by using the upper pallet to properly be able to project sound. The placement of sound also involves the use of the tongue, positioning of the jaw, which results in an increase in volume, and in many cases a boost of confidence. The ability to project is one of the first notable changes from taking singing lessons with a vocal coach.
In order to improve at something you need to practice. If singing is your passion, make sure you have ample opportunities to practice your skill and showcase your talent. Audition for every play or be a regular at your local Karaoke bar to get the experience of performing in front of people. When you know how to control your voice and you practice religiously the confidence gained from your improvement is an invaluable asset that will last a lifetime.
Ian Garrett is an established vocal coach who most infamously worked with Shaina Twain before her climb to stardom. Ian founded The Canadian Academy Of Vocal Music which has been in business for almost 40 years. His latest up and coming star is Vivian Hicks, finalist in The Launch and more recently making it on American Idol for the 2020 season.
