How to get the most out of your voice?

Question

I would like to know how to get more...ehh....."tone" out of my voice. When I sing a lyric for example, my voice starts out with a sort-of okay sound, but it soon transcends into a whisper- like sound.

I'd also like to know how to sing higher or Lower without Straining your vocal cords/chords(dunno how to spell!).

Any input very much appreciated. Thanx!

Answer 1

Do you play a wind instrument?? If so, it is the same principle.

It is all about your air support. When you sing it is supposed to come from your stomach, not your throat. Push a constant stream of air through your stomach when you are singing and it will make your tone sound more even and steady. If you are singing correctly, your stomach muscles should be feeling it too! =]

Also, projection is a big thing. Open your mouth all the way,especially when singing high or loud. If your mouth is not open all the way, some of the sound will get muted by your tongue, teeth, cheeks, etc..with your mouth open there is a cleaner sound, and plus people will be able to understand you better. You will be able to annunciate your words better.

As far as your range goes...you will not wake up one morning and magically be able to sing higher and lower lol=] you just have so practice singing things that are slightly out of your range and your voice will grow with you. It is just like a muscle (it IS a muscle) that needs to be trained to perfom better. It will hurt and it will be discrouraging (and kind of ugly sounding) at first, but in a couple of months you should start to see a difference.

And my last piece of advice to you is..have confidence! your personal image of yourself while you are singing is  alot of the effort. If you put on a good show and really love what you are doing then the music will fix itself=]

good luck my fellow vocalist=]

Answer 2

You need to learn proper singing techniques. Your best option is a good voice teacher.

If that is not an option for you, your second best option is a good book or audio course on singing technique. If you have the determination to stick with it, these can be very good (though a teacher is better, as there is someone to correct your mistakes, identify your weak areas, etc).

The other thing you will need is patience and practice. :) Like learning anything else, when you know how to practice, you just need to keep at it.

Try searching Google and Youtube for websites and videos which teach singing. If you're serious about it you'll need something more in-depth, but it's not a bad place to start.