How To Develop Vocal Strength and Rich Tone
Every singer aspires to use their voice in creating a stronger, more emotional connection with their listeners or fans. There are various factors that play a role in achieving this goal, but having good vocal strength and a rich resonant vocal tone is key. Read on to know how!
Table of Contents
An Overview: Develop Vocal Strength and Rich Tone
First, it’s worth noting the differences between vocal strength and tone when singing, as they are two different aspects of sound. Vocal strength is the amount of energy used in producing a sound, the effect being the loudness of the sound; Tone is the color or timbre of the sound; the quality of the sound. To sing with a full, rich sound and have power in your voice you need to have the right balance between your breath and the muscles of your body. I’m going to discuss how to develop your vocal strength and create a rich tone by practice and exercise.
Using Your Diaphragm Muscle
Singing well depends on a number of factors such as the diaphragm muscle. The diaphragm muscle is a dome-shaped muscle located between your lungs and abdomen and it controls your breathing. When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts and flattens, creating a vacuum that pulls air into your lungs. When you exhale, your diaphragm relaxes as it forces air out of your lungs and returns to it’s dome-shape. Learning how to manage your breath is an important aspect of exceptional vocal performance. As a result of practicing breath management, you begin to fill your lungs with air more effectively and efficiently and push out the air with control when you sing. Increasing the strength and flexibility of your diaphragm muscle is a key factor in developing the power and sound you want.
Using Your Vocal Cords
When singing, you create pitch because your vocal cords vibrate at a certain speed or frequency. The vocal cords are two bands of smooth muscle tissue found in the larynx. As the air passes from the lungs through the vocal cords, they vibrate. Repetition using proper exercises strengthens the vibrations of your vocal cords and gives you the ability to manipulate the pitch and control the tone of your sound.
Having muscle support and knowing how to manage your inhale and exhale gives you a more controlled and powerful voice. A common problem that singers face is that their voice may not be ready to sing. If you are a singer, and you want to improve your vocal strength and tonal control, then this article is a good start.
The Importance Of Practicing Your Breathing
Make a noticeable improvement in your vocal strength and tone by practicing breathing exercises every day. Breathing exercises are an important part of the preparation for singing well. Taking just a few minutes each day to practice deep breathing exercises will not only build strength and control but decreases stress, relaxes your mind and body, and improves your singing.
- Keep a daily routine of practicing breathing exercises.
- Remember: Repetition develops strength and muscle memory.
- Create a habit of maintaining proper posture during your exercises.
- Allows you to use a greater percentage of your lung capacity.
- See vocal exercise: Posture
- Do your breathing exercises before you sing.
- To open up your airways
- Increase your lung capacity
- To bring your stress levels down before singing, and relax your entire body
- See Vocal Exercise: Breathing
Make Sure You Warm Up Your Voice
- Have a daily practice routine.
- 3 good Warm-up exercises.
- Yawn-Sigh – An exercise that relaxes your vocal cords.
- See Vocal Exercise: Yawn-Sigh
- Humming – An exercise that helps the vocal cords resonate freely.
- See Vocal Exercises: Humming
- Scales – An exercise that will warm up your voice and strengthen your voice in all ranges.
- See Vocal Exercise: Scales
- Yawn-Sigh – An exercise that relaxes your vocal cords.
Avoid Straining Your Vocal Cords
- Don’t sing too loud when you’re practicing!
- Practice singing with less volume as you warm up your voice.
- Practice different vocal exercises to build up strength in your voice and combat vocal fatigue.
- Use your diaphragm correctly when singing.
- See Vocal Exercises: Breathing – An exercise to strengthen your diaphragm and reduce vocal strain.
- Keep your vocal cords lubricated.
- Drink plenty of fluids before singing and throughout the day.
- Reduces the likelihood of any dryness or cracking.
- Drink plenty of fluids before singing and throughout the day.
- Allows your voice to rest and recover from strain after singing.
- Take regular breaks from singing.
- Use your voice as little as possible during the day.
Voice Exercises For Building Vocal Strength And Rich Tone
Posture
- Stand with your spine erect, letting your arms relax by your sides.
- Adjust your feet so that they are shoulder-width apart.
- Relax your shoulders and arms.
Breathing
- Stand up straight and take a deep breath.
- Once you feel your stomach tighten, pull in a little more air.
- Push the air out slowly and evenly through your lips.
- Repeat several times for 4 or 5 minutes.
Yawn-Sigh
- Stand using good posture.
- Inhale long and deeply so that your tongue falls back in an easy and relaxed way
- Exhale in a slow and relaxed way using a sigh.
- Repeat several times (10-15).
Humming
- Stand using good posture
- Relax and Inhale
- Let out a “hmm” siren from high to low
- Pay attention to your body being relaxed
- Repeat several times (5-10 times)
Scales
- Stand using good posture.
- Sing scales going from low notes to high notes and back.
- Sing in different keys.
- Sing using different rhythms.
You’re Now Well On Your Way… To Improving Your Vocal Strength And Creating A Richer Tone
Recap
To recap, with the exercises and techniques discussed in this article, you will begin to develop more vocal strength and improve your tone. It is important to mention that you may want to continue your progress with the help of a vocal coach. Vocal coaches are trained professionals who are able to identify and correct problems with vocal production. A vocal coach will also be able to recommend additional exercises and breathing techniques that will improve your singing voice.
Related Articles
Do you want to find out more about singing or using your voice as a vocal artist? If so, you can find articles and tutorials on our Vocal and Singing Articles page.
Articles about singing and using your voice:
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