The pros make it look easy–just hop on stage and belt one out, right? Well, not exactly. Non-musicians may not realize the physical stamina and dexterity involved in making music. Like an athlete training for her sport, the vocalist hones her skills by readying the lungs and vocal cords for the rigorous demands of performing.
BREATH CONTROL
Controlling the intake and output of breath is essential to maintaining a smooth vocal style. The Ohio State University Medical Center recommends breathing exercises that emphasize the use of the abdominal muscles to control breath. For instance, you can gain an awareness of your breathing habits by sitting straight in your chair, placing a hand on your abdomen and inhaling. You should feel your stomach extend outward. Then exhale and feel your stomach retract inward.
The emphasis here is on using your diaphragm, the muscle that lies horizontally across the mid-torso, to expand the lungs. The shoulders and upper body should not move upward while breathing, but rather the stomach and ribs should expand outward.
RESONANCE
Dr. Christopher Arneson of Rider University in New Jersey explains that resonance is one of the chief concerns when developing a classical singing voice. Resonance is achieved by amplifying sound through vibrations in the body cavities, such as the nose and pharynx. By humming, you can feel the effects of resonance in the cavities of your skull.
You can practice controlling resonance by exhaling a low, slow “hmmm,” with a closed mouth. Then take another breath and repeat the “hmmm” sound, but this time alter it half way through your exhalation to an “ahhhh” by opening your mouth. You should feel a consistent vibration throughout the sinuses and skull. You can then experiment by altering pitch from high to low and back again as you exhale.
RANGE
Extending your vocal range is possible through the consistent practice of proper vocal exercises. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary recommends a technique called the “Two Octave Pitch Glide.”
To perform this exercise, you inhale on a yawn, while keeping your upper body relaxed. Sing an “eee” sound. Concentrate on projecting the sound from high in your chest, and then lower it downward so that it rises from deep in your chest. Then practice singing the “eee” so that the sound arises from your head, or nasal cavities, and gradually lowering it down through your upper chest, and continuing to your lower chest. You can repeat the process in the reverse direction, from chest to head, and practice using other vowel sounds as well.
