Singing For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

Planning ahead and breaking your singing practice session into specific areas to work on allows you to grow in each of these areas without chucking your music out the window in frustration.

In any given singing practice session, you need a warm-up to get your body and brain ready to focus and sing. Following the warm-up, work on each area of technique: posture, breath, articulation of vowels and consonants, resonance, and tone production. Choose exercises that work your range, sing through patterns that develop your ear, and find selections that combine acting and singing.

Also set goals for each practice session. Consider these sample goals for each day’s practice:

Monday and Tuesday:

  • Explore two breathing exercises that work on quick inhalation and long exhalation, and then apply that work to your song.

  • Identify three vowels that you can work in exercises, and then apply that work to your song.

  • Select three consonants that you can work in combination with the vowels, and then apply that work to your song.

Wednesday and Thursday:

  • Review the two breathing exercises. If one of those exercises is going well, add a third exercise.

  • Sing through the exercises from Monday and Tuesday, using the three vowels. If your work on one of the vowels is going well, add a fourth vowel.

  • Review the motion of the three consonants from Monday and Tuesday. Work that motion of the consonants until it’s second nature. If your work on those consonants is going well, add a fourth.

Friday and Saturday:

  • Review all exercises from the past four days. Make a new checklist for adding exercises.

  • Add to the bottom of the list new vowels or consonants to work this weekend.

Sunday:

  • Rest.

  • Start your to-do list for the practicing you’ll do in the coming week.

You can choose any day to rest, but be sure to take one day off from practicing each week.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Pamelia S. Phillips is a professional singer with over 35 years of teaching experience. She has designed curriculum for high school students, college BFA programs, and professional training programs, helping thousands of singers refine their singing technique.

This article can be found in the category: