Practice techniques for western vocalists

If you’re starting your journey with western vocal singing, there are a few things you should know.

BENGALURU: If you’re starting your journey with western vocal singing, there are a few things you should know. From what to do before you begin, to basic do’s and don’ts, here’s what you need to be prepared for. To begin with, before you sing, it is crucial that you first warm up your voice. If you start singing at full volume directly without warming up, you can cause voice damage which will impact your performance in the long run. Here are a few more do’s and don’ts if you’re looking to start your western vocal journey:

Do:

• Stay hydrated
• Train with a qualified teacher who can give you the right guidance
• Practise regularly
• Maintain your voice at “speech level” volume while singing

Don’t

• Overexert your voice on the day of a performance
• Try to sing if you have a cold or a sore throat
• Try to change your natural singing voice
• Shout, talk too loudly, or strain your voice in general

As a vocalist, some of the most important things to consider are breath control and vocal technique. Here are some tips to help with these:

Breath control: Here’s how you can avoid common breathing issues that singers face, like running out of breath during a song:

Make sure that your shoulders don’t rise while you’re breathing. This is a sign of shallow breaths, and will put too much air pressure on your vocal cords.

When you breathe IN, your stomach and diaphragm should expand. That is the correct and natural way of breathing.

Vocal techniques: There are many ways to ensure that you’re using your voice as smoothly as possible. Try exercises like the Lip bubble vocal exercise, humming, nasal voice exercise, vowel vocal technique, and more. You can also work on exercises separately to improve your pronunciation and clarity.

As is the case with every other musical discipline, music practice takes consistency, effort, and the willingness to add more structure to your routine. Here are some general music practice tips that you will benefit from:

• Practise at the same time every day: This makes your day more structured while also training your brain to start thinking more musically at a specific time of day.
• Set intentions that you can follow through on: Break your larger musical goals down into smaller wins that you can review after three months, six months, and more. This will make your bigger picture less overwhelming, and help you track your progress more clearly.

Here’s to a fun, fulfilling journey with western vocal music. All the best!