DIY Singing Lessons – How to guide: tips and tricks

Singing can be a fun way to let off steam and have a good time, whether it is by yourself or with some friends. If you are thinking about taking your singing to the next level, but aren’t willing to fork out the money that comes with getting proper singing lessons, then you’re in luck!

There are plenty of tips and tricks you can gather in order to learn how to sing better without having to get proper lessons. While these tips and tricks are great to get you started, if you are serious about making a career in singing, then you may have to dedicate more resources to it and spend money on lessons.

There is actually a lot to singing, more than people typically expect, you don’t just take deep breaths and sing lyrics. But if you are able to dedicate enough time working on the right techniques, you are sure to build your strength and have a better singing voice then you did before.

If you are just starting out, then it is certainly recommended that you start with the basics, firstly to get your voice warmed up, then when you feel like you’re ready you can move to proper songs. It’s probably best not to start with one of Adele’s classics, for example, start with a song that is a bit more simpler; there are always plenty on the radio if you are on the look out.

While there can be a lot to take in when it comes to singing, it is important to not get overwhelmed. Just take it one step at a time and soon everything will come a little bit easier to you and your voice will get stronger by the day! But you will certainly need to practice on a regular basis if you want to see these kinds of results.

So, have a look below at some of the best tips and tricks to learning how to sing by yourself:

Breathing

Breathing is one of the most important things when it comes to singing. Here your voice is your instrument and without proper breathing you may not be able to get out a particular part of the song, or you might quickly become short of breath. Breathing normally is different to when you are breathing to be able to sing.

When you breathe normally you’ll probably find that your shoulders rise and fall, this isn’t what yoi want when breathing for singing, it needs to come from your diaphragm. Between your chest and stomach is where your diaphragm sits – and this is where you need to send all your air when you’re taking deep breaths.

When first beginning to sing, it can be difficult to change the way you breathe. So you should think about spending time before you start singing to breathe more through your diaphragm to try and evoke muscle memory when you start to sing. Once you keep practicing, it will become easier and easier as time goes on.

Posture

Along with your breathing, your posture is also important. Think about the shape of your body when it is hunched over, your whole body is smaller and closed off, not really great singing posture now is it. When singing it is vital you are sitting or standing up straight and your diaphragm (and whole body) is open, which makes it easier to sing.

Here, your posture takes into account all different parts of your body, not just your back and spine. You need to make sure your arms are nice and relaxed, try not to fidget to much as it could distract you. Your legs should also be loose (but not too loose!), just make sure that your knees are not locked (if you are standing) because after a while that would be pretty painful.

When singing you want to stand in a position that is both helpful for proper singing but also comfortable. Once you are able to find a good mix for both then it makes the perfect situation for better singing. Remember, it may take some time to figure out what works best for you.

Health

Here we aren’t talking about your overall health (although that is obviously important as well – it’s hard to sing when you’ve got a cold!), we are talking about your vocal health. Vocal health is extremely important and you should always be looking for ways to ensure your voice is in peak condition.

The first point is really obvious and does actually impact your overall health as well; you shouldn’t smoke. It’s probably no shock to you about the negative impacts smoking can have on your health, but it also isn’t good for your voice either. If you don’t smoke to begin with then great, if you do then this might be another reason to try giving it up.

On a more lighter note, you need to ensure you always remain hydrated, so make sure you drink lots of water – no body wants a dry throat! Also, if you are feeling a bit under the weather then it is important to give yourself a rest and sing again when you are feeling better. On that note, it is also important to you get enough sleep.

You also need to think about a proper warming up of your voice before you start to sing. Warming up is very important, just like how you would warm up your body before you exercised. This means your vocal cords are ready to sing and you don’t but unnecessary strain on them over time.

Pitch

If you have dabbled a little bit in singing then you have probably come across the word “pitch” before. Pitch is about how to establish if you (or someone else) are singing high or low. Some people are naturally really good at picking pitch others, not so much and without proper practice it can really put a damper on your singing.

Here you might need to get the assistance of an online video to help make sure you aren’t singing flat or sharp. These types of videos are great especially for beginners. Once you have had enough practice it becomes much easier to find the right pitch.

A good way to help practice getting the right pitch is on the piano, if you don’t have a piano then the online videos are a really big help. It is important that you find your range, some people can naturally sing higher or lower than others. If you keep practicing, you’ll probably be able to extend your range as well.

Motivation

It is important that you keep motivated all the way along your journey to singing greatness. Yes, there will be challenges along the way and tough songs that will take you for what seems like an eternity to figure out. But you need to keep at it and practice regularly; otherwise there is no way you will get better.

Set yourself small, reachable goals that will keep you motivated to keep coming back and learning more skills in the realm of singing. Also, remember that everyone learns at a different pace, so you should try not to keep comparing yourself to others, you will get there eventually!