How to Improve Vocals Without Vocal Lessons

We all love to sing. Many people take singing classes to improve their voice, but you can also develop your own style and confidence when singing. Let’s start with daily vocal practice. You can sing your favorite songs or simply practice the scales. Don’t be afraid to be creative with your voice. Staying hydrated and taking care of your voice by not smoking will also help you get the best voice quality.

Table of Contents

Discover your vocal range

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Use a microphone to record vocals. Open the recording app on your computer or phone, then adjust the input audio settings to capture your pure, unedited voice. Practice singing different songs and record them. ^{[1] X Research Source}

For more comfort during the performance, you can attach a real microphone to your computer or phone. This will help you understand how holding or singing into the microphone can affect the sound output.
Perfect Piano and Pocket Pitch are considered two great apps for singing lovers.
You can also use a digital tuner or download an app like Vanido that will give you feedback to help you know if you’re singing in the right tune.

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Sing a familiar song over and over again. Print the lyrics of your favorite song on paper. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the emotional nuances of the lyrics, then consider every detail how the singing should be adjusted to convey the song’s content. ^{[2] X Research Source}

It is important to choose a song that you like, as you will have to sing it over and over again.
In addition, when you are just starting to practice, you should also choose songs in your vocal range to avoid straining your voice.

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Practice vocalization using different parts of the vocal organ. Singing is more than just sounds from the throat passing through the mouth and out. Try to sing the same song but add tones by using your tongue, mouth, diaphragm, throat, even nose. Record these exercises and play them back to learn more about your body and the sounds it can make. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

For example, if you push more air through your nose, you will create a higher nasal voice, and this is not unusual. If you partially cover one nostril while singing, your voice can change as well.
Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth while singing to see if your voice changes. You can also try placing your tongue close to your cheek. Moving the jaw back and forth will also produce different sounds.
To experiment with diaphragmatic vocals, try pushing all the air out of your chest once while still singing. Or, you can also try using very little breath while singing and see what happens.

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Infuse emotions into each song. Before practicing each song, ask yourself what emotions you want to instill in your listeners and try to weave these emotions into each song. Remember an event or moment in your life that evoked emotions similar to the ones you wanted to convey. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You need to use the moments in your life to create emotion, but don’t let it overwhelm you. In the end, you can’t improve your voice quality if you cry with every sad song.
For example, if you sing a song about a broken love, think about a sad moment in a relationship that you have experienced.
In order not to be overwhelmed by emotions, refocus on the lyrics and the notes you are singing after you have found the emotion through that experience.

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Determine your vocal range . Sing along to the piano and try to match the pitch of the notes on the piano. The highest and lowest notes you hit without breaking or breaking are your vocal range. Make sure you sing from your chest and not through your nose or throat to avoid misidentifying your vocal range.

Note the range of tones in your voice. Normally, if you’re a male, you’ll have to use a fake voice to sing high wind notes. Conversely, if you’re female, you’ll sing high notes in your head voice and sing lower notes in your chest voice. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
You can use an organ or piano app on your phone, such as Perfect Piano, to narrow down your range of vocals. These apps often tell you what note your voice is close to playing.

Practice strong vocals

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Practice reading aloud every day. Vocal training is not just about singing. Using your voice purposefully by reading aloud can help you practice your pronunciation and build endurance. Grab a good newspaper or book and read it aloud for 30 minutes a day. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Warm up before singing to avoid straining your voice. Sing a small “i” on the note (Fa) above middle C (female) or the note Fa below middle C (male) and hold it for as long as you can. Repeat this exercise 2 times. Another way to warm up is to sing “np” from low note to high note and repeat it 2 times, then do the opposite, swinging from high note to low note 3 times. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

In the mid-range, you’ll sing “pl” up a 5-note scale (CDEFG). Repeat this exercise 2 more times.

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Sing “Do Re Mi” up and down the scales. This is also a way to warm up the vocal cords and practice keeping the notes consistent. Start with the scale C major, then C major major and keep going up. Sing slowly and shoot up the notes one by one instead of gradually building up. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Focus on the basic scale: “Do Re Mi Fa Sp La Si Do.” To make it more interesting, you can go up to 2 notes, then skip 1 note or sing differently.
You can shuffle again: up 2 notes, down 1 note and ascending.
A scale is a series of intervals between pitches. If you sing up and down a scale, you will be singing both high notes and low notes. For example, from C to C sharp is one scale, and from C to D sharp is another scale.

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Try to sing for at least 30 minutes every day. This is enough time to warm up the vocal cords, but not so long that they strain. If you can practice in uninterrupted time that’s best. However, if singing is your profession, there are opportunities to develop your skills in public. ^{[9] X Research Source}

By singing in front of an audience for a short time each day, you can learn to understand your audience and engage with them.
You can find singing work by going to venues with small stages, such as coffee shops. If that’s not possible, you can also perform voluntary activities such as joining a church choir or other groups.

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Practice maintaining the correct posture while singing. Stand with your back straight and look ahead. Remember to bring your shoulders back and your neck not too bent. The tongue is placed lightly on the floor of the mouth so that it is slightly touching the lower front teeth. Gently swing your jaw back and forth to relax it. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Avoid stooping or bending while singing. ^{[11] X Research Source}
You can check your posture while singing by standing sideways in front of a mirror.

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Do breathing exercises to strengthen the diaphragm. Try to breathe from the ribs, that is, the chest rises when inhaling. Keep your ribcage open and your abdominal muscles relaxed as you inhale. Squeeze the abdominal muscles as you exhale. ^{[12] X Source of Study} Try this exercise while breathing from the diaphragm: ^{[13] X Source of Research}

Count to 1: inhale 1/4 full lung.
Count to 2: inhale 1/2 full lung.
Count to 3: inhale 3/4 full.
Count to 4: inhale to fill the lungs.
Count from 5 to 12: exhale slowly and slowly.
Repeat.

Take care of your overall health and voice

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Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. When kept moist, the throat can produce a deeper, wider range of sounds. Water that is slightly warm but not hot is best for the voice. Cold water can actually make your throat constrict. You can also add 1 teaspoon of honey or add a slice of lemon to the water to enhance the taste and soothe the throat. ^{[14] X Research Source}

If you add honey, you should choose as natural as possible. You need to avoid additives and chemicals as much as possible.

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Sleep at least 8 hours every night. Your voice will suffer if you are tired. This is even more true when you sing for a long time. If you don’t get a full eight hours of sleep a night, try to compensate with short naps during the day. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Sometimes just taking a 30-minute nap right before starting up your voice and singing can improve the quality of your voice.

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Practice deep breathing techniques. Focus on taking a deep breath through your mouth to fill your lungs with air, then exhale through your nose. Try doing this technique over and over with counting sounds, such as 1-2 inhalations, 3-4 exhalations. You can also watch online videos that teach other deep breathing techniques, even work with a respiratory therapist. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Similar to deep breathing, meditation techniques can help you manage stress. When you’re stressed, your voice may sound sharper and more strained.

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Avoid using your voice excessively. Try not to speak loudly, shout, or sing over other sounds, especially for long periods of time. Instead, you can use the microphone to increase the volume when possible. If you use your voice a lot, such as when performing or giving a speech, take a break to recover. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Practice singing in short bursts and let your voice rest between sets. ^{[18] X Research Sources}
Open and relax your throat while singing to avoid straining your throat. ^{[19] X Research Source}
Avoid coughing or clearing your throat frequently. ^{[20] X Research Source}

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No smoking. If you smoke, see your doctor for advice. Your doctor may suggest you use a nicotine patch, or even take medication to stop smoking. You may not be able to quit smoking right away, but just cutting down on your smoking will improve the quality of your voice. ^{[21] X Research Source}

The habit of smoking not only irritates the vocal cords, but also damages the lungs and reduces the ability to hold nodules.

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Detect signs of voice strain. If your voice sounds hoarse, crackling, or raspy, you probably have a strained vocal cord. You may also experience a sore throat or mild pain when you try to sing or vocalize. If you have to work harder to sing the same notes as before, your vocal cords are probably not completely healthy. ^{[22] X Research Source}

It is best to avoid singing until your voice has fully recovered. If you can limit your speaking or pronunciation, that helps too. Tension is often a sign of vocal cord overuse, so it’s important to give yourself time to recover.
If your voice still sounds weird or if you continue to feel uncomfortable after 2 weeks, it’s time to see your doctor. It is possible that your vocal cords grow nodules and affect your ability to sing.

Advice

While you can practice following other singers’ recordings, don’t compare yourself to them. Every voice is special and has its merits.
Try not to eat a lot right before singing, as this can affect your voice. Some things to avoid are chocolate, ice cream, greasy and salted snacks.

Warning

Stop singing or practicing your voice when you have a cold, flu, or other respiratory illness. You can strain and damage your vocal cords if you keep trying to sing.

Steps

Discover your vocal range

Practice strong vocals

Take care of your overall health and voice

Advice

Warning

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