How to Sing

Singing is difficult.  Just like anything else in life, there are two ways of doing things – the easy way, or the right way. We all sing, even if we don’t realize we’re doing it. It might be The Itsy Bitsy Spider song we sing to entertain a fussy baby. It might be that catchy commercial jingle that has no words but has a great tune that fits with our self-created libretto of nonsense syllables. It might even be that most-played song on the Ipod that turns the front seat of our cars into a rock concert venue. That singing is easy. The right way to sing takes concentration. 

The first step in singing is breathing. You may think you have this first step in the bag, but let me assure you I wouldn’t mention it first (or at all) if it weren’t important. Take a deep breath right now, like you would if you were at the doctor’s office and I had a stethoscope in my hand. Hmmm. Take another one. Did your shoulders go up?  If they did, then we need to take a closer look at this first step. A true deep breath really is deep. It should make your chest puff out in that area just beneath your rib like a woman in her fourth month of pregnancy. Try it again, but this time, lie on your back and place your hands just under your rib cage. Breathe deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth. Don’t be alarmed if you feel a slight head rush. That is perfectly natural. We don’t usually fill our lungs to this capacity so the rush of oxygen can have a rushing effect. Stand up and try it again and feel the difference from your first deep breath. Your shoulders should stay down while your mid-section expands. After all, that’s where your lungs are.

Now that we have learned how to breathe, let’s learn how to control it.

Breathing correctly is one thing, but controlling that breath is a whole other issue. Take a deep breath through your mouth like you are sucking on a straw and hold it for two seconds. Then, slowly exhale through your teeth like you are a slow leaking tire. Take as long as possible but keep the pressure constant from start to finish. What started out as that second trimester pooch should push back in and under your rib cage. Don’t let your tire go completely flat. Just when it feels like the tire’s gone and you’re about to reach the rim, take in more air and hiss again. The key to control is maintaining constant pressure and knowing when to re-fill.

Believe it or not, you are almost ready to make that first sound. Now it’s time to focus. It sounds a bit ambiguous but is still important. Imagine for a moment there is a window right on the bridge of your nose between your eyes. Your focus on the sound you create should be as if it is leaving your body through that window. All concentration should be on that window.

Now, it’s time to put it all together. Take a deep breathe, focus on your window and let out your note on the syllable “Ah” with the control of your hissing tire.

 Congratulations! You have just taken your first step towards becoming a vocal virtuoso. The next stage of adding more notes, words and rhythms is easy as long as you remember the three most important things: breath, control, and focus.