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Does your voice sound muffled, raspy, or overly breathy? If so, I have three practical tips for you to achieve a clear sound when you sing. I’m Camille van Niekerk with 30 day singer, and I know you’re going to love these tips!
1. Train a balanced onset
Onset is the start of phonation, or the way we begin a sound. The ideal “default” onset when we sing is a balanced onset, in which your airflow and vocal fold vibration happen simultaneously. Say the word “you”, and notice the clean, flowing onset.
Compare this to a breathy or aspirate onset, in which your airflow begins and then your vocal folds start vibrating. Say the word “how”, and notice your airflow at the start.
If you tend to use a breathy onset, consider warming up on words or syllables that encourage a balanced onset, like the word YOU or ONE.
2. Use an M, N or NG sound
These sounds can be used alone, or in combination with a vowel. For example, you may sing a warmup pattern entirely on NG. Notice how the tone isn’t very loud, but it’s clear.
You can also use an M, N or NG to help “focus” the sound before opening up to a vowel. For example, try sustaining a strong hum or M sound, then transitioning to an EE vowel.
That initial consonant provides partial closure, making it easier for your vocal folds to come together nicely. Just make sure you’re using a medium-loud speaking voice volume, rather than singing quietly, which can tend toward unwanted breathiness.
3. Sing on syllables with natural “brightness” and energy
Some vowels and consonants naturally bring out the clarity in your voice – whereas others tend to sound darker and even muffled. For example, notice the difference in tone between an OO vowel and an A vowel, as in the word CAT.
My favorite word to access the brightness and energy in your voice is the word RANG. Everything about it (the R, the A vowel, and the ending NG) sounds bright and clear. Try singing a warmup pattern on the word rang. You can also use this tool in your song work by dropping the lyrics and singing on a word or syllable that naturally produces a clear, vibrant sound.
0:00 – Intro
0:23 – Balanced Onset
1:29 – M, N, NG
2:53 – Natural Brightness
4:31 – Outro
5 Easy Tips on How to Find Your Singing Voice –
Daily Exercises for Great Singing –
Avoid These Singing MISTAKES –
5 Minute Vocal Warm Up Exercises –
Beginner ALTO Vocal Exercises – Easy 10 minute warmup –
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