Isobel’s top 3 tips for a successful singing lesson

1. Warm up before the warm-up!

Save valuable lesson time by warming up your vocal cords before your lesson! This can be as simple as sirening or lip trilling in the car, or humming along to a song on the radio. By already warming up your voice, you can go into your lesson with confidence knowing your voice and body are physically prepared, allowing the lesson warm-ups to be easier for you and so you can reach your greatest singing potential.

2. Focus on your posture and breathing

As singers, we need to make sure we maintain correct posture and body alignment during our lessons. When we sing, our feet need to be hip distance apart, with relaxed knees and a neutral head position. This optimal singing position reduces any tension that may be present in the body including the jaw, neck and tongue, that makes it difficult to reach maximum vocal range and get the most out of workshopping your chosen song. Having correct posture also allows the lungs to fill up with maximum air, and increases breath and air capacity within the lungs, which is necessary for controlling the voice when singing. Hand in hand with posture comes correct breathing. As an incredibly normal and natural part of our everyday lives, breathing is often not paid much attention to! There is, however, a BIG difference between a “normal” breath, and a breath we require when singing. Inhalation for singing is relaxed, deep, quiet and open. The best way to know if you are breathing correctly is to put your hands on your stomach, and feel your abdomen physically expand when you breathe in (this expanding movement of our tummy is due to downward movement of our diaphragm during inhalation, which causes the organs in our abdomen to move downwards and outwards). When exhaling, the abdominal muscles (our expiratory muscles) should be engaged and firm as the air is released from your body. The more you practice this in your singing lessons (and at home), the more your voice will develop and mature through getting the most out of it!

3. Don’t be afraid to experiment with sound!

Sometimes singing teachers might ask you to make funny sounds with your voice, such as; whining in a baby voice, yelping like a puppy or sirening like a fire truck. These can sometimes feel silly, and that’s okay! These sounds are specifically designed to assist your vocal technique, and ultimately make it easier to sing. The best approach is to do your best at attempting these funny sounds in your singing lessons, as well as notice the placement of the sound within your throat/mouth when you make these sounds.

Things to think about are:

• Where the sound is resonating (ringing)

• Where the space is in your mouth (is there room at the back of your mouth above your tongue?)

During your singing lessons, remember these feelings and see if you can apply the same technique and produce the same sound when singing your songs as you did in the vocal exercises.

Some extra tips:

1. Choose repertoire within your voice range

To get the most of your lesson, take time in developing your technique at your own pace, which starts with singing in a comfortable range for your voice.

2. Choose diverse material

Explore as much repertoire as possible! Finding out what your voice is capable of is so fulfilling and can make lessons even more enjoyable, so explore different styles, genres and eras with your teacher.

3. Water, water, water!

Always bring your drink bottle to lessons. Water reduces the risk of your vocal folds drying out! Lubricated vocal cords will make singing a lot easier, and allow you to get the most out of your singing lessons.