What should you actually practise to improve your singing?

27 Oct

You’ve set aside time to practise. You put on a favourite song, sing it through, then try it again.

But the same difficult phrase still catches you out.

Singing through a song can be enjoyable, and practising a whole performance has its place. But if you want something to change, you need to get specific about what you’re practising.

Here’s the approach I suggest: warm up, choose a short section, and explore the character of the sound you want to create.

1. Start with a gentle warm-up

Begin with exercises that help you ease into using your voice.

I like to start with semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, usually shortened to SOVT exercises. These include lip trills or singing through a straw.

I also use NG sirens. Make the “ng” sound at the end of “sing,” then glide comfortably up and down in pitch. Think of a dog’s gentle whimper on that NG sound.

Keep the movement easy and within a comfortable range. You’re exploring how your voice feels today, rather than testing your highest and lowest notes.

If these exercises are unfamiliar, ask your singing teacher to demonstrate them so you know what you’re aiming for.

2. Choose a short section of your song

Pick a verse, chorus or even a single phrase.

Then identify the vocal quality you want to explore. Perhaps you want a conversational but emotionally engaging verse, or a more assertive chorus. You might be working towards a breathy, tender sound or developing a belt quality with your teacher.

Choose one focus at a time. “I want to find a more assertive sound in this phrase” gives your practice a clearer purpose than “I want to sing this song better.”

3. Find the character of the sound

When I say “character,” I mean a particular expressive quality: sad, complaining, affectionate, loving or compassionate.

These are the starting points I use to help singers find an element of sweetness or cry in their voices.

That doesn’t mean every song needs to sound sad. Think of a heartfelt plea, a deeply affectionate reassurance or an exaggerated complaint. Each gives you a different way to explore that quality.

The character doesn’t have to match the literal meaning of the lyrics. It’s a way into the sound and expression you want to communicate.

4. Speak the lyrics, then sing them

Take your chosen phrase and speak it using one of those characters.

Commit to the expression. You might need to act it out quite dramatically to discover the sound you’re looking for. If an exaggerated complaint helps you find it, allow yourself to explore that.

Notice what changes in your voice and how it feels.

Then sing the same phrase, carrying that expressive quality into the melody. Use the spoken version as a reference point, while allowing your voice to adjust to the pitches and sustained notes.

You might be exploring something breathy and tender, or something clearer and more assertive. In the approach I teach, each still carries an element of sweetness or cry.

Once you’ve found the quality, experiment with how much of the character you want to keep. You can maintain the intensity or soften it to suit the phrase.

5. Keep checking for unnecessary effort

As you explore, pay attention to how your voice and body feel.

Are you gripping or bracing your abdominal muscles as you sing? Notice whether that coincides with strain in your voice. Pause and let that gripping ease before trying again—you don’t need to hold your stomach rigid throughout the phrase.

For more guidance on breathing for singing, take a look at The Essential Breathing Guide.

Let the emotion be big if it needs to be, but don’t confuse dramatic expression with forcing the voice.

If you notice scratchiness, discomfort, increasing strain or hoarseness, stop rather than pushing through. If those symptoms persist or keep returning, seek advice from a qualified voice-health professional.

6. Repeat with a purpose

After singing the phrase, pause and ask yourself:

Did I find the quality I was aiming for?
Did it feel comfortable?
What changed from the previous attempt?
What will I explore next?

Then try again with a clear intention.

Singing the entire song over and over, hoping something will change, can leave you repeating the same unhelpful patterns. Give the part that needs attention its own space.

Once you’ve explored that section, put it back into a longer passage. Can you carry the quality into the surrounding phrases?

Whole-song practice is useful for storytelling, flow and performance preparation. It just serves a different purpose from working on a specific skill.

7. Keep your practice focused—and listen to your voice

Keep your practice sessions under an hour, and stop sooner if you feel fatigued. The hour is a limit, not a target. When your voice feels comfortable, finish with a few gentle NG sirens to warm down.

Focused practice a few times a week is more useful than repeating an unhelpful approach every day. Pay attention to what you’re practising and how your voice responds.

Check in with your voice throughout each session. If it isn’t working as it usually does, take notice. You may be getting sick, or stress and fatigue may be affecting how easily you can sing.

Your voice won’t feel exactly the same every day. Reaching a particular note yesterday doesn’t mean it will be comfortably available today. Avoid pushing to prove you can still do it.

Let how your voice feels guide your practice. Some days that means adjusting what you work on; other days it means resting.

You don’t have to work on everything in one session. Choose a phrase, explore the character of the sound, and notice how your voice responds. Give yourself room to experiment, and take what you discover into your next practice.

What’s one phrase in a song you’d like to give more attention to next time you practise?