How To Be a Good Singer?

As Josh Grub had quoted, “there is no half-singing in the shower, you’re either a rock star or an opera diva.”

Singing seems pretty easy for everyone, and so more and more people are following their passion and trying their luck in music. 

So whenever we daydream about being a famous musician, all we envision is a vibrant and lavish lifestyle. However, all of that fame and glory comes at a huge cost that most of us aren’t aware of.

Now, singing may not be the hardest thing one can do, but singing good is quite a task. So if you’re wondering how to be a good singer, it’s imperative to understand that dedication and commitment is the key to ace your artistic skills. 

So if you’re genuinely committed to following your passion, you’re halfway there already. However, there are a few essential things to remember while you’re on your journey to becoming a better singer. We’ve listed a few points that you can follow to make it easier for you to woo the crowd with your vocals.

So, let’s get started then.

The importance of breathing properly

Breathing is undoubtedly the most critical function of our body, which is also extremely underappreciated. If you’re trying to sing correctly, the first thing that you need to master is proper breathing techniques. Not many of us are aware, but proper breathing can be beneficial in delivering a top-notch vocal performance. 

It can be quite embarrassing when you run out of breath while singing, making yourself appear as an amateur. So for starters, you must make sure to take a long and deep breath just before you’re about to perform. This way, you’ll have sufficient air that is required to carry out every syllable in tune with ease.

The trick to breathe correctly is to do it through your stomach instead of your chest. Breathing straight through your belly not only helps enhance your vocals, but it also gives you a higher control of your voice. 

So if you can manage to take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to practice proper breathing, you will observe a significant change in your vocal expertise with time. 

Recognizing your vocal range properly

Every singer has their individual vocal range, which in other words, is the sweet spot where the singer can deliver their best vocal performance. So as you identify your vocal range and practice harder to stick to it, you’ll automatically sound twice as better as your typical performance. 

Before we dive deeper into how to be a good singer, it’s imperative to realize that no two singers have the same vocal range. Someone else’s range can be either higher or lower than yours, and that’s what distinguishes you from every other singer.

Now, there are seven different vocal ranges, such as bass, baritone, tenor, countertenor, alto, mezzo-soprano, and soprano. Your vocal range is largely decided by your genetics. For instance, the first four vocal ranges come naturally to male singers, and the last three ranges are common for female singers to have. However, there can always be exceptions.

So, if you want to find your sweet spot, you should start by singing without music. Try hitting the highest note you can deliver, and then continue towards your lowest possible note. This way, it becomes easier to understand which range is the most comfortable for you to sing in.

Warm-up regularly to sing hard songs with ease

If you’ve ever worked out, you probably know how important it is to warm up and stretch your body before hitting the heavyweight exercises. Likewise, it’s crucial to always warm up before you are about to sing or perform. However, most of us try to warm up their vocal glands by singing directly, which doesn’t help at all.

The harsh truth behind warm-ups is that you’ll have to make some sounds that are going to sound silly, whether you’re an expert or a beginner. So, it’s always recommended to warm up at an isolated place, so that you save yourself from the gags and embarrassment.

Now coming to some useful warm-up tips, always make sure to stretch your mouth correctly. The more you stretch your mouth wide while warming up, the better you will get at acing extremely hard songs to sing.

Also, if you’re a novice at warming up, we recommend that you consult with an experienced vocalist or mimic their warm-up exercises at the beginning. For instance, you can explore the YouTube channels of singers to find some easy warm-up exercises that can be helpful for you to start with.  

Practice singing the best acapella songs

Practice makes perfect. As obvious as it gets, the most important thing for you to do every day to become a better singer is to practice. Our vocal glands are muscles after all, and require daily exercises to maintain sustainable growth and development. Now, as you practice more and more, you can push your vocal cords beyond its limits and hit the notes that were impossible to you before. 

Ask any professional musician; acapella singing is instrumental in understanding the dynamics of the human voice with precision. As we are singing to a soundtrack, most of our vocal flaws are shadowed by the music. However, it is easier to understand our expertise and identify where we need to improvise when we are singing acapella. 

Now, the best way is to find some popular acapella songs and practice them in front of the mirror. Try this for a month, and you’ll observe a significant improvement in your vocal performance. However, before you select a song to practice acapella, make sure that it has a beautiful melody and allows room for improvisation. 

Also, a quick tip, you should prefer hard songs to sing that challenge your vocal range, along with the songs that have a higher emotional depth to it.

Now just in case, you’re confused about which songs to consider, we’ve already handpicked some of the best songs that you can practice with.

• Adele- Hello
• Beyonce- Crazy in love
• Alicia Keys- Fallin’ in love
• Justin Timberlake- Mirrors
• Gotye- Somebody that I used to know
• Miley Cyrus- Wrecking ball
• Sam Smith- How do you sleep
• Lewis Capaldi- Someone you loved
• Ed Sheeran- Thinking out loud
• Kings of Leon- Use somebody

Always keep your voice healthy

It’s quite apparent that a shaky voice itself will stand as the toughest obstacle between you and your journey to improvise as a singer. So the ultimate advice we’d give is to keep your voice healthy by following a few simple steps regularly. 

For starters, you should always keep yourself hydrated to maintain a healthy voice. Make sure that you’re drinking at least eight glasses of water daily to maintain proper hydration. However, please do not assume that caffeine, alcohol, or sugary beverages can be ideal substitutes for water as they may have detrimental effects on your voice.

Not to forget, you should refrain from dairy products when you’re singing or about to perform. These cause a heavy accumulation of mucus that consequently makes singing harder for you. Also, having spicy food can irritate your vocal cords, which is something you don’t want to go through before a performance.

Nevertheless, you can always have decaffeinated green tea or honey-lemon water as these beverages are useful at lubricating your vocal muscles. 

Quit smoking for good

Our ultimate tip for you (if you’re going through a nicotine addiction)- quit smoking for your good. Remember how we mentioned that breathing is the key to good singing? Well, you’re causing irreversible damage to your lungs with every puff you take from a cigarette. 

Not only does smoking cigarettes damage your respiratory system beyond repair, but it also dries out your vocal cords that altogether harm your singing skills by a great deal. So, if you’re someone who’s pretty serious about making it big in the music industry, you can’t afford to enjoy another cigarette after reading this. 

However, we understand that nicotine addiction isn’t very easy to quit instantly. So if you’re addicted to smoking, you can start by smoking light cigarettes and drinking more glasses of water as a substitute. 

In a nutshell

Singing well isn’t as easy as it sounds; you’ll have to be devoted to improving yourself daily. So, if you believe that you have what it takes to ace this skill, our tips will be handy to you. Always remember to warm up and practice our best acapella songs regularly to sound better with time. 

We hope that you’ll quit your unhealthy habits and take on exercises that are beneficial for your vocal cords. Also, if you have some expert tips that have helped you in crafting your voice, let us know in the comments.