How to Create the Best Singing Practice Session
I've been there. You've probably been there. I'd guess that 95% of singers have been there.
You know what I'm talking about.
Running through your warm up (if you've been "good" and done one at all) by singing through a few exercises picked at random. Half paying attention to what you're singing and half scrolling through Instagram or searching for the lyrics for the song you want to sing next.
You then sing the song twice through and grin smugly while dusting the imaginary dust off your hands as though you just achieved something pretty impressive.
You think you did. After all, you just ticked ‘practice singing’ off your to do list!
But did your practice session ACHIEVE anything? Did it help your vocal technique IMPROVE IN ANY WAY?
Nope. Barely a nudge.
You know this. Deep down you know you kinda phoned it in.
So how can you structure a practice session that actually makes a difference?
A practice session with a warm up designed to help you sail through the song with more ease and confidence?
A practice session that trains your body what you want it to learn and remember?
STEP ONE: Know your voice
I'm constantly surprised by how many singers don't know their vocal range or don't know the vowel they struggle with the most.
If this is you, don't stress - you can answer those questions now. No need for the shame game.
There are a few things you'll want to know about your voice, what it finds easy and what trips it up so you can create your super-dooper transformative practice session.
STEP TWO: Always include the basics
I know I know, I went through the "but I know all this and am way too advanced for that now" stage. Trust me, it's one you want to avoid/get out of.
Things like breath control and vocal function training need to be kept in your practice session indefinitely.
You can check out the videos below for suggested exercises and tools to kick off each session.
STEP THREE: Easy AND challenging
In that lovely little PDF I've asked you to note what section of your voice and which vowel you find the most challenging. This isn't so you can avoid it like the plague (I know you want to).
This is so you can start your warm up in the easiest spot for you and then with your favourite vowel BEFORE you tackle the hard stuff.
Dip your toe in the water with something your feel confident with and then wade into the deep end.
If you have 5 notes in the middle of your voice that feel shaky or tense - SPEND EXTRA TIME THERE.
Figure out what is making them tense (or better yet ask your teacher).
If you have a vowel that always feels awful in your head voice - STAY THERE AND PROBLEM SOLVE.
THIS is how you make progress, this is where the magic happens. Don't skip it.
STEP FOUR: Blend AND belt
Again, it blows my mind how many singers will ONLY sing exercises that go from their chest voice and blend seamlessly into their head voice OR ONLY exercises that train their chest dominant mix and never go into their head voice.
What about versatility? Flexibility? Knowing that your voice can do both light and strong?
Make sure you have a mix of both.
A few warm up exercises that go from the lowest part of your range all the way up to the highest (lowest and highest notes that are COMFORTABLE, don't let your Ego push your into strain territory).
And then a few exercises where you focus on staying in a stronger mix/work on your belt and STOP EARLIER. You need to know the highest note you can comfortably sing in a chest dominant mix at any given time and STOP THERE.