10 Steps to Start a Singing Practice

Starting a new practice can feel overwhelming. You may have many questions. Here is a free resource of suggestions for creating a singing practice. You can start spending as little as 5 minutes or less on each step. At first, your practice routine may only be a total of fifteen to twenty minutes. Once you have created this foundation for yourself, you can expand each step to last as long as it feels supportive. Please remember, there are no rules for singing. If you like singing in the shower with no steps or plan, that is wonderful. However, if you feel any pain or strain while singing you may need to seek the guidance of a vocal teacher or doctor to ensure you are using safe techniques.

Materials:

• Drinking water

• A journal

• A pen or pencil

• A way to listen to music (Digital Music, CDs, Records or Tapes)

1. Get Plenty of Rest

Sleep between 7 and 9 hours the night before you plan to practice singing.

Note: The perfect practice routine begins the night before you start singing. Getting plenty of rest is imperative for your practice to be fruitful and healthy. Your body is the instrument. You must take care of your body and brain by nourishing them with plenty of rest. This will allow you to create the sounds you want predictably, consistently, and

sustainably. It will also help you be kind and patient with yourself while practicing.

2. Hydrate

Drink the amount of water that is right for your body, recommended by your doctor, the day before, the day of and the day after your singing practice.

Note: Hydration plays an important role in the power of singing. In the same way you would make sure to oil the valves of a trumpet or grease the slide of a trombone, you must hydrate the vocal cords. Dry vocal cords can result in hoarseness, inconsistency, and unwanted voice cracks.

3. Journal

Set a timer for two minutes. Use one of these prompts to connect with your creative vision:

• A dream I have always had . . .

• When I imagine a perfect world . . .

• One of the hardest challenges . . .

• There is a deeper lesson I am learning . . .

• I feel very deeply . . .

• Before bed I often think about . . .

• Why . . .

• When I reflect on that time in my life . . .

Start by writing the prompt at the top of your page. Allow your mind to follow the first instinctual thought that arises. Follow every first thought that follows and write them down. Keep the pen or pencil moving through the entirety of the two minute exercise. If self doubt arises, try to push beyond it to support the flow of your own inner thoughts. After your timer goes off, read your writing with a lens of compassion. Look for messages that deepen your understanding of your creative spirit. Each time you practice this you will learn more about your own life story.

Note: It is essential to connect with your own life’s story before you decide what song to sing. This can be done in as few as two minutes. This will help guide you in picking songs that feel authentic. You may even find some of the writing is powerful and can be saved to turn into lyrics of your own.

4. Listen to Music you Love

Listen to music until you find a song that moves you. This will differ depending on the day, month, year, or season of your life. Choose a song to sing today. Try to anticipate what some of the elements showcased by the singer are.

Note: An important element of singing is storytelling. The first step to singing honestly is to find music that speaks to you. Find songs that help you tell your own stories in order to convey honesty in your singing. If you choose a song that you are hearing for the first time, you may need to take some time to read the lyrics, hum the melody, and familiarize yourself with the song. For your first few practice sessions, try choosing a song you already have a relationship with.

5. Loosen up

Lay with your back on a flat surface with the soles of your feet on the floor. Place one hand on your belly. Feel your hand rise up and your back press down with each inhale. Feel these areas neutralize with each exhale. Slow down and expand your breathing. Loosen, relax, and move the body in ways that feel good. Bring gentle movement through the face, shoulders, neck, torso, hips, and spine. Use self massage to relax the muscles and expand the spaces in the face and jaw. Yawn gently while lifting the eyebrows to feel a release and expansion in your jaw, soft palate, throat, and other spaces in the face.

Note: The vocal system expands far beyond the vocal cords. Every part of the body plays a role. The singing system includes nearly every muscle from the face down to the pelvic floor. It also requires engagement or relaxation from all the organs and other tissues of the body. Moving the body is essential to relaxed, happy singing.

6. Make Gentle, Joyful Sounds

Make gentle, joyful, and silly sounds. Start with simple sounds, such as vowel sounds. Make sounds that feel natural, pleasurable and organic.

Note: As a child, you could probably scream as high as the school bell with no pain or strain. You may have also hummed yourself to sleep or sang joyfully without any thought of whether or not it sounded good, right or perfect. Channel this child-like energy in this step. Stay relaxed and have fun simply exploring what your voice can do.

7. Stretch out Your Vocal Cords

Sing slowly from the bottom of your comfortable range to the top of your range, sliding through notes like a slide whistle or a trombone. With each slow slide, stretch the vocal cords a little bit further singing lower and higher than before. Sing these slides on many different sounds or words of your choice. Next, sing long tones. Hold the same note out as long as you can. When you are nearing the end of your exhale, simply inhale. Avoid tensing the throat, shoulders, neck or face to extend the breath. Instead, support the exhales with a gentle engagement of the pelvic floor, diaphragm, and lower intercostal muscles.

Note: There are many ways to exercise the voice. This is simply a gentle and safe place to start. For a curated practice routine please visit the lessons page to inquire if private singing lessons are right for you.

8. Play With Your Song

Have fun with your song. Play with your song by deconstructing it. Some ways to deconstruct your song are to:

• Yawn the whole song

• Hum the whole song

• Sing the whole song through a straw

• Slide between every note of the melody

• Sing the melody on a comfortable sound (e.g. Wee, Woo, Ahh, Ooo, Bee, Bop, etc.)

• Sing the melody using your least comfortable vowel sound

• Sing only the open sounds of the lyrics

Simply observe sensation in the body as you sing. Invite yourself to have fun and experience the joy of singing. Notice patterns of tension and ease. Take not of where tension is manifesting in your body. At what point(s) in the song is tension present?

Note: Deconstructive practice is vital to steady improvement. Some people sing songs all the way through over and over again without feeling any improvement. This can be tiresome and frustrating. Instead, try using methods of deconstruction. When you deconstruct the song you are altering it in some way that removes extra elements. It is a way to simplify and refine your technique. This is especially useful if you notice tension in the neck, throat, face, or belly while singing. Regardless of how you choose to deconstruct your song, removing elements will help to smooth out and highlight challenging passages. You can also simply sing with different focussed intentions, understanding that other elements may be deprioritized and that is okay. That is actually the goal. When you deprioritize having to think about everything all at once, you can relax and enjoy the process. You will be able to see how many different elements are involved with singing and approach them one at a time.

9. Sing Your Song

Sing your song with the help of a karaoke track or instrumentalist friend. You can also accompany yourself on an instrument. Focus your mind on the meaning of the words you are saying. Practice embodying the meaning of the lyrics as you sing. Imagine you are telling the story to someone to whom the meaning is relevant, whether it be a friend, loved one, acquaintance, historical figure, or yourself. Try to avoid internal critiques. Have fun and enjoy expressing yourself. The more you allow yourself to feel good while singing, the easier it is to sing authentically and steadily improve.

Note: Now is probably the moment you have been waiting for! You are starting to learn that a holistic singing practice is not just singing songs. Your practice begins long before you sing your song.

10. Cool Down

After singing your song one, two or three times, cool down your voice. Create gentle, peaceful sounds with your voice. Hum quietly and gently. Yawn and stretch your body once again. Hydrate and rest your body and mind. You made it to the end of a beautiful practice session. Express gratitude for taking this time to nourish your mind, body, and creative spirit.

You can repeat this practice routine a three or four days per week. Savor and trust the process. Happy Singing!