Overview

Breathing is the foundation of effective singing and speaking. Proper breath control not only enhances vocal performance but also helps manage anxiety. In this lesson, we will explore diaphragmatic breathing, techniques to overcome stage fright, and how to project your voice effectively.

Breathing Techniques - Basics of Breathing

What to Do: Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand while keeping your chest relatively still.

Why It Matters: This technique engages your core muscles (and if you expand your thinking to this idea, you can feel yourself ‘breathe’ even down to your feet (it’s about oxygen, and providing a cushion for the voice., This can be referred to breathing from the diaphragm but if you think more about your whole body, it will feel easier. This provides better support for your voice.

Breath Control Exercise:

Practice: Inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 8. Gradually increase the counts as you become more comfortable.

After doing this for a minute (don’t overdo it or you’ll get head spins ?) then you can do the same exercise and ‘sing’ a sound …. Easiest sounds are the Italian vowel sounds - aaaah, eeeeh, iiii, ooooh, oooo (this is U).

Inhale for 4, sing for 4, exhale for 8. You can increase this over time, and play with loud or soft sounds. 

Goal: This exercise builds lung capacity and control, allowing for longer phrases when singing or speaking. 

Overcoming Stage Fright - Part One

Deep Breathing: 

Before going on stage, take a few moments to practise deep breathing. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly to calm your nerves.

I'm giving you two visualisations - this is the first one so please choose the one that works for you. 

Exercise - Think of yourself in a bubble. 

The bubble could be air, water, bubble wrap, a deep blanket, a layer of stars… anything that makes you feel at home. Every breath in expands the bubble, every breath out strengthens it. You can sing / stand out in the bubble, and others can hear you, but nobody can get in. You have your own safety zone, right there on stage. 

Visualisation Two - The Tree Exercise

Think of yourself as a tree. 

You are grounded, you are strong, you sway with the environment, but you don’t break. Breathe into your feet, see the roots grow. Breathe into your body, see the bark strengthen. Breathe into your head and arms, see the leaves and branches unfurl, extend and create a beautiful canopy over your head. 

Your canopy can extend out into the room, into the sky, into the street, the suburb, into the earth. It can be as big as you like. Everyone who hears you inside that canopy is there for your sound, and feels your joy and strength. As a tree, you are unstoppable, grounded, swaying in the breeze and sound rises from every particle of your body. 

Results: You’ve created your own world in which you perform confidently and successfully. Practise this and you’ll be ready to share your inner rock star with the world. 

Vocal Projection

Singing with Breath Support: Use your breath to support your voice without straining. Focus on sending your sound up from your feet, through to the crown of your head, and keep your chin in, so that you don’t push from your throat.

Tip: Your throat needs to be open to produce a good sound, and when you push forward you restrict the sound. It feels like you are straining for the note, but actually you are stopping it from coming out. Look in the mirror and see if you tend to push / strain from your neck. If you do, while you’re at home hold your chin and keep reminding yourself to keep your chin in.

Practice: Sing part of a favourite line from a song while consciously thinking about your sound and keeping your head balanced on your body and create a sound that is as relaxed and open as possible.

Module 2: Choosing the Right Song for Your Voice

Lesson Overview

Choosing the right song is crucial for showcasing your unique voice and ensuring an enjoyable performance. This lesson will guide you in selecting songs that resonate with you and fit within your vocal range.

This module includes the following video lessons

• Finding Your Passion

• Assessing Vocal Range and Song Suitability

• Speech Level Singing Concept

• Vocal Practice Exercise

Finding Your Passion

1. Identify Songs That Resonate

Think about songs that make you feel something—joy, nostalgia, empowerment. These emotional connections will enhance your performance.

Create a playlist of songs that inspire you.

2. Explore Musical Genres

Experiment with different styles (pop, rock, jazz) to find what feels most authentic to you.

Hot Tip: Go for something easy to sing at first 

Remember you don’t have to know the lyrics, you can always read them through, but you will be better prepared when you know how the melody goes, so make sure it feels ok all the way through. 

Stretch Exercise

By all means if the song lights you up, have a note you can’t reach in it, and by doing the relaxing exercise in Speech Level Singing, you might find that you can grow to reach that note over time. 

Assessing Vocal Range and Song Suitability

1. Determine Your Range:

Sing a scale from low to high until you reach your comfortable limits. This will help you identify where your break is and where your voice is best. 

2. Selecting Beginner-Friendly Songs

Limited Vocal Range: Look for songs spanning no more than an octave. This allows you to focus on pitch and tone within a comfortable range.

Gradual Note Progression: Choose songs with smaller intervals between notes, avoiding large jumps. This helps develop better vocal control and smooth transitions.

Moderate Tempo: Opt for songs with a moderate pace, neither too fast nor too slow. This allows you to focus on proper breathing and vowel formation without feeling rushed.

Memorable Melody: Select catchy tunes that are easy to remember and enjoyable to sing. When you love the song, practice becomes more enjoyable.

Simple Song Structure: Stick to songs with straightforward, non-chromatic melodies. Avoid complex key changes or unconventional progressions that can be frustrating for beginners.

See our Easy songs for Beginners list to find some songs that might inspire you.

Speech Level Singing - An Easy Way to Sing and Repair Your Voice

Understanding Speech Level Singing (SLS)

SLS emphasises singing in a way that feels natural and conversational, reducing strain on the voice.

Your voice might have a different sound when you sing low versus when you sing high. These are called vocal registers. 

Practice: Transitioning between different vocal registers (chest voice, head voice) smoothly by not pushing and maintaining a consistent larynx position.

Example: Sing ‘eeee’ up and down the range, and sing softly to move from one kind of voice to another, not pushing so that you don’t ‘crack’ between ranges. 

Practice Exercise

Choose a song that meets the criteria discussed (limited range, gradual progression, moderate tempo, memorable melody, simple structure).

Practice singing it while focusing on maintaining a comfortable, speech-like quality in your voice. This is like a conversation, you don’t have to make it sound a specific way… just sing it as if it’s flowing out of you like water or air. 

Hot Tip: Pay attention to how the song feels in your voice and make adjustments such as relaxing more, taking a breath in a specific place, or getting softer or louder as needed.

By following these guidelines, you'll be able to select songs that not only suit your voice but also help you grow as a vocalist. Remember, the right song choice can make your inner rock star journey more enjoyable and rewarding.

Microphone Technique & Handling

Grip and Positioning:

Hold the microphone gently but securely about 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) from your mouth. Don’t EVER tap the microphone, or hold your hand over the shock mount (the cage that that microphone sits inside that you sing into). Tapping is just annoying to the sound engineer, and makes you look like an amateur. Holding your hand over the shock mount can lead to feedback (nasty overload or high frequency screeching from the speakers). 

Angle the mic towards your mouth for better sound capture.

Singing into the Mic:

Always sing directly into the microphone to ensure clarity and volume.

Optimal Microphone Distance

Maintaining Distance:

For softer passages, move closer (around 1 inches or 1-2 cm) to capture subtle nuances; pull back slightly during louder sections (up to 5 inches).

DON’T: Expect the microphone to pick you up when it’s more than 2 inches (5 cm) away from your mouth when you’re singing normally. 

DO: Experiment with distance during practice to find what works best for your voice and style.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Plosives and Breath Noise

There are 6 plosives in the English language - p, t, k, b, d, g. 

P words are the worst and all plosives can make a POP on the microphone. As a professional, we learn to soften P sounds. As someone who is a beginner, it’s good to know this is something to avoid, but don’t worry too much about it. 

TIP: Usually when we record, we use a pop filter or position the mic slightly off-axis to minimise harsh sounds from plosives (like "p" sounds).

Feedback & How to Avoid It

Be aware of speaker placement; avoid pointing the singing end of the mic directly towards the speakers to prevent feedback. 

DON’T: Cover the microphone end because this can cause feedback 

DON’T: Sing so soft that we have to turn the microphone up - all microphones feed back when they are turned up to the max. 

DO: Get close to the microphone so that we can have the sound lower and we will control how you sound so that you are comfortable even if you’re not totally confident about acing the sound ? 

By completing the brief lessons in How to Sing From the Stage, Even if You're Not a Singer, you will gain foundational skills in breathing techniques, song selection, and microphone handling that can significantly enhance your performance on stage.

Now you've completed the course, you're ready to sing on stage, even if you're not a singer!

Hot Tip: Practice makes perfect, and so do small increments in difficulty, such as easy songs, smaller range, having the words on stage, having a backing track or band with guide vocal lead, and as you get more confident, you never know what you’re capable of! 

Good Luck (or as we in the biz say ‘Break a Leg’) ?