Get The Top Six Vocal Tips From Pro Esther Fortune.
By Mark Meneses
Keep your voice booming.
In the shower, on the stage - we're always singing. Even when we speak, we’re carrying our unique melody. So make sure you keep those pipes nice and clean.
Everything is better as a song. We sing songs to remember presidents, commemorate holidays, and show affection. Our minds love music and work better with it — it’s why you must sing the alphabet to find out if P comes before Q. And let’s just agree, life without music is boring. Go ahead and try to remember your mother's phone number. No? What about that new Adele song? Thought so.
We all sing, but we don't all know how to take care of our voice, which is important for all vocalists, even if you’re a shower star.
1. Be healthy
Guitarists treat their guitars with care. Your voice is no different. The way an athlete won't push their body, a singer can’t either. But how do you take care of something you use so often? Get into the habit of taking vocal rests. It would be best to always let your voice recover after rehearsals or performances.
2. Drink the right liquids
Water is good for your vocal cords only if it's room temperature; cold liquids will freeze your voice. Anything with milk in it is a terrible idea, you don’t want to be coughing up phlegm while performing (ew). Warm teas, especially with ginger and honey, are best to drink before rehearsal.
3. No smoking
But you knew that.
4. Warmup
There's no way around this one. Just like you wouldn't be able to wake up and run a mile, you can't just start singing at any time. Warming up lets your voice know that it's being expected to perform soon, stretching it out so you can sing to your fullest ability. If you don't stretch out your voice, you can damage those cords seriously.
5. Be confident
This one is more about your delivery. The key to being a good singer is confidence and following through. Hitting the wrong notes is okay in your lessons — that's where you're supposed to make mistakes. The focus and emotion you see on stage isn't something that appears; you have to work on it. And even if you mess up a little, at least you’re learning for next time.
6. Find your style
Every singer brings something unique to the mic. No two singers will do it the same way, and no two audience members will hear you the same way. We all try to emulate our favorite artists, but what gets the crowd going is when you bring something new to the table. Raise the stake every time because there's a fine line between singing music and singing karaoke.
We know music isn’t just about playing — it’s also about performing. At LIVE, we offer an experience that takes you from the practice room to the stage, with help at every step! Join our accredited music programs for students of all ages and levels.
