How to Sing: A Beginner's Guide to Improve Your Vocals

Develop better breath control & build your confidence when singing

Co-authored by Amy Chapman, MA and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: July 11, 2024 Fact Checked

Have you always dreamed about singing, but don't know where to start? If you'd love to improve your vocal skills, but can't afford to take lessons, we're here for you. In this article, we'll give you tips for getting your voice in tip-top shape, plus show you different ways to learn how to sing.

Best Singing Tips for Beginners

Warm up your vocal cords with exercises that help you take deep breaths.
Find your vocal range by singing the highest and lowest notes you can.
Exhale steadily as you sing so the sound comes from your chest.
Stand up straight so your lungs can fully expand while you sing.
Practice singing scales repeatedly to expand your vocal range over time.

1

Warm up your body and vocal cords before you sing.

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Exercise your body and stretch your vocal cords to prevent injury. Vocal experts recommend moving your body around to get the blood flowing before you do vocal warm-ups. By stretching your vocal cords, you keep them loose so it's easier to make sound.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.} Plus, if you warm-up your vocal cords, you're less likely to injure them. Here are a few simple warm-ups to get you started: ^{[2]
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- Exhale completely, relax your stomach muscles, open your mouth, and let all the air back into your lungs. Repeat this, and make an "sss" or "fff" sound when you release the air. These sounds exercise different vocal cords.
- Hum or sing high notes, alternating with low notes to help stretch out your voice.
- Exhale as you tilt your head down to 1 shoulder. Then, breathe in as you bring your head back up. Repeat this in the opposite direction.
- Practice singing a short, 5-note scale. Go slowly and really focus on clearly singing each note.

2

Develop good posture.

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Stand straight and tall so you can make the best sounds possible. It's hard to produce clear rich sounds if you're hunched over and your lungs can't expand. Instead, plant your feet and imagine that a string is pulling you up from the top of your head. Keep your knees loose and bring your shoulders down. Try to release all tension from your muscles.^{[3]
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- Keep your head level so you stare straight ahead and your chin doesn't jut upward.^{[4]
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  Amy Chapman, MA
  Voice & Speech Coach
  
  Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}
- If your muscles are tense, it's hard to produce a deep beautiful sound. While improving your posture for singing might feel strange at first, if you practice, you'll get used to relaxed, but good posture.

3

Find your range.

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Your vocal range reveals the notes you can sing between a high and low point. Most people have a range of around 1 to 2 octaves. To find your vocal range, drop your voice and sing or hum the lowest note you can—hold the note for 3 seconds. Then, bring your voice up until you reach the highest note you can sing or hum and hold the note for 3 seconds. The span of notes in between your highest and lowest notes is your vocal range.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}
- Download apps like Vocal Coach or Swiftscales to help you find your range. You could also sit at a piano and match your highest and lowest notes using the keyboard.
- Keep in mind that your range might vary a little bit from day to day, especially if you're ill or tired.

4

Improve your vocal range.

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Sing scales starting from your low point to your high point. In order to sing higher without your voice cracking or to sing lower more comfortably, practice singing your highest note before going down the scale by half notes. Then, glide your voice back up. Repeatedly singing your scales can expand your vocal range over time.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}
- You can use any word to sing your scales or go with the classic "do-mi-sol-do-sol-mi-do."

5

Practice hitting the high notes.

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Stop your voice from cracking by improving your breathing for high notes. Start by opening your mouth and throat wide as though you're yawning. Don't try to sing louder—just breathe steadily as you aim for high notes. It might help to imagine you're jumping on a trampoline as you hit the high note.^{[7]
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- Again, singing your scales also goes a long way in helping you hit the high notes.

6

Sing from your chest.

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Create deep resonant sounds when you sing from your abdomen. If your sounds are mainly coming from your throat or nasal cavity, focus more on filling your body with sound. Place a hand on your abdomen and try to engage your lungs as you sing. This really helps your sound resonate and become clear.^{[8]
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- Your chest should feel like it's gently vibrating as you sing.
- Remember, try to keep your body loose and relaxed so you're not holding tension.

7

Improve your lung capacity.

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Do breathing exercises to support your voice and prevent gasping. It's no surprise that singers who can breathe deeply and consistently get better mileage out of their voices. For a simple breathing exercise that you can practice anytime, open and close your jaw as though you're a fish out of water. Flex your facial muscles a few times and take a few deep breaths. Let the breath fall to your belly before you steadily exhale.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}
- To challenge yourself, time your breathing—breathe in and see how long you can hold the breath. Then, steadily release the breath for the same amount of time. With practice, this strengthens your lungs.
- To exercise different muscles, make a hissing sound as you exhale.

8

Practice singing with others.

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Join a choir to pick up useful singing skills. While singing lessons are great, don't worry if you can't afford them. You can gain valuable singing skills by joining a local choir or community chorus. Plus, you'll make connections and develop friendships with people who are also passionate about singing.^{[10]
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- If you're looking for individual feedback, record yourself singing a song and upload your video to YouTube. Then, read through the constructive comments to find ways to improve.

9

Calm your nerves if your voice is shaky.

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Taking several slow deep breaths can steady your voice if you're nervous. It's totally normal to be a little anxious when you start singing in front of other people—even your friends or family! To sing without a shaky voice, breathe in deeply and slowly let it out with a hissing sound. This gives you great breath support and slows your oxygen intake to calm your nerves before you perform.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}
- Remind yourself to take deep breaths whenever you notice your breathing become shallow and fast.

10

Practice with songs you like.

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Try singing along to a song that you like with a voice recorder nearby. Make sure the music is quiet and your voice is the real thing that the recorder picks up. After you're done singing, check if you are singing on key. Also, listen to find out if you're articulating the words.^{[12]
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- If you're worried about performing a song, focus on memorizing the lyrics and getting the tune down before you work on your singing technique.

11

Keep your voice in good shape.

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Practice singing every day to develop your singing skills. Make time to warm up your vocal cords, do breathing exercises, and practice singing songs. If singing becomes part of your daily routine, you will notice an improvement in your skills!^{[13]
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Expert Source

Amy Chapman, MA
Voice & Speech Coach

Expert Interview. 18 October 2019.}
- If it helps you practice, set a goal for yourself like singing at your school's talent show or performing a song for your parents.

12

Stay hydrated throughout the day.

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Drink water and rest when you're sick. Make it a habit to have your water bottle close by and drink from it throughout the day. Water produces mucus that loosens and lubricates your vocal cords. If you're not feeling well, give your vocal cords a break and take some time off from singing until you feel better.^{[14]
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- Avoid drinking dairy products or thick drinks like smoothies right before you sing
- If you use cough drops for a sore throat, avoid ones that contain menthol since it actually causes throat irritation.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I stop my voice from shaking when singing?

Amy Chapman, MA
Singing Coach
Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

Amy Chapman, MA

Singing Coach

Expert Answer

Try taking in a deep breath down into your ribs, and hold your rib cage out. That can stabilize your breath and therefore your voice.

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Question

How do I find my vocal range?

Amy Chapman, MA
Singing Coach
Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

Amy Chapman, MA

Singing Coach

Expert Answer

Warm up your voice, then hum down and drop your voice as low as it can go. The lowest note you can hum that still sounds clear is the bottom of your range. Then, hum up as high as you can go. The highest note that you can hold for 3 seconds is the top of your vocal range.

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Question

How do you stretch your vocal cords?

Amy Chapman, MA
Singing Coach
Amy Chapman MA, CCC-SLP is a Vocal Therapist and Singing Voice Specialist. Amy is a licensed and board-certified speech & language pathologist who has dedicated her career to helping professionals improve and optimize their voice. Amy has lectured on voice optimization, speech, vocal health, and voice rehabilitation at universities across California, including UCLA, USC, Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, CSUF, CSULA. Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT, and is a part of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

Amy Chapman, MA

Singing Coach

Expert Answer

Try humming or singing as high as you can, then slowly go as low as you can. Keep singing up and down your range for a few minutes. High notes expand your vocal cords, while low notes shrink them, so this can help stretch out your vocal cords to make them more pliable.

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Tips

Avoid smoking since smoke damages your lungs and voice—you need both to be in great shape for singing!

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If you're singing for a long period of time, don't forget to take occasional breaks and keep drinking water.

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Pay attention to your breathing throughout the day and correct your posture if you find yourself hunching forward.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Some people are naturally talented and have great voices, but nearly anyone can learn to sing decently with consistent daily practice. Be focused and target the areas needing improvement. Don't assume that your voice can't get better without trying.
When you’re first starting out, practice singing in front of strangers instead of your friends. They likely won't critique you as much, which could help boost your confidence to sing in front of the people you know.
Avoid straining your vocal cords by shouting or screaming. Also avoid very cold beverages, which can be hard on the throat. Proper breathing technique is crucial to singing without vocal damage.
When performing for an audience, picturing yourself alone can calm nerves. But don't come across overly shy or arrogant either — strike a balance.
Hydrate frequently with cool water to keep vocal tissues lubricated. Take vocal rests when sick and skip cough drops with irritants like menthol.

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