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tm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Max van den Oetelaar</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/breathe?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>We often overlook how big of an impact our breathing has on our voice. Our voice is projected to the air we breathe out. So if we aren’t breathing properly, there isn’t enough air to project our voice. You end up forcing sound through your throat, which only ends up straining your vocal cords.The first part of my warm-up routine included an intense breathing exercise, with my posture straight, providing good support to the abdominal muscles. Those are the muscles we primarily control to expel air out of the lungs during the warm-up breathing exercises — apart from the diaphragm, of course, but we don’t actually have conscious control over that.The next half an hour was spent training myself to breathe properly and do the breathing exercises given so that I can control my breath better. A series of “Shhhhh”s and “Ssssss”s in different patterns.By the end of this exercise, I actually found it easier to talk — it’s as if my airway just widened up. My voice sounded a lot smoother. And that strained pain I feel near my vocal cords was gone.My entire throat felt relaxed.I will not lie — I started this off a tad skeptical that learning proper breathing techniques would allow me to use my voice better.Now? I’m sold.<h1 id="2476">Humming and Lip Rolls</h1><figure id="dd27"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*CcOOGk5m0QXU_x8cSrTwAw.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jasonrosewell?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Jason Rosewell</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/head-voice?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>Next off, my coach wanted me to work on scales.Here’s the thing, though. Scales are my worst nightmare. I cringe every time my voice breaks. I’m embarrassed by how scratchy I sound.But here’s where I express my newfound love for voca

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l coaches. They don’t care. They see the potential you don’t yet realize you have. And they are hellbent on making you see it and discover the possibilities lying within your own vocal cords.If I weren’t already motivated by the changes, the breathing exercises brought about, I sure as hell would be by the end of this.My coach actually found a few exercises on YouTube for this one. We’re basically singing scales, but by either humming or lip rolling. The core purpose of this exercise is to learn how to place your notes.It was the silliest of all warm-up exercises, but definitely the most effective. My range immediately went from 4 notes to 11 notes. Which is amazing for me because I never knew I could sing. I’ve always thought I was doomed to be the off-key friend at every karaoke session.<h1 id="cfea">Practice, Practice, Practice</h1>Your voice, or to be more accurate, your vocal cords themselves aren’t muscles. But they are controlled and aided by a multitude of muscles. The one point my vocal coach kept driving into me was that we need to train our voice like we would our body. Every day, consistently. But not too much or you’ll strain it.That’s why developing your own warm-up routine is important. You might think it’d be silly to go through all this just to sound better during a presentation.But it’s not the external improvements that made an impact on me. No.It’s how I felt after hearing myself get progressively better at projecting my voice. How smooth my voice feels when I speak. How I don’t feel strain near my throat if I’ve had to speak slightly louder because now I know that what I really need to control is my core — and that I just need to let the airflow through my airways and not set up the control outpost there.It was an empowering process because I finally knew how to gain control over something I’ve always been insecure about. And the best thing is, anybody can do it. Everybody has the potential to unlock their voice. Most people aren’t tone-deaf, they’re just untrained.So if you’ve been thinking about learning a new skill, why not sign up for vocal classes? The confidence you gain is definitely worth your time.</article></body>

I Hired A Vocal Coach, and It Changed My Life

And here’s why consider it, too.

I’ve always been insecure about my voice. I’ve been told I have a husky voice, but I rarely have the vocal stamina to keep talking for long without my voice breaking or my vocal cords feeling strained. So what would usually start off as sexy, usually end up sounding scratchy — like a witch.

That has always affected my confidence when it came to socializing or giving a presentation. Nothing says “nervous wreck” like your voice breaking in the middle of a conversation or an important presentation.

That was when I learned how to use my voice well — optimize its performance. And at the age of COVID-19, online classes seemed the most practical. So, I found myself a coach online and set off on my vocal training journey.

Finding your Voice

My vocal coach started off with getting to know my voice better. Singing scales are usually used as part of a singer’s warm-up routine — but when you’re dealing with a beginner like me, it’s more for establishing a baseline to compare your progress to.

Thankfully, my coach knew that I was an amateur — so when I could only sing 4 notes, it wasn’t as embarrassing as I thought it would be. In fact, she was very validating of the fact that it was simply because I didn’t know how to use my voice.

And true enough, by the end of the first lesson, my range went from 4 notes to 7 notes. Simply by learning how to warm-up my voice and breathe better. And that brings me to my next point:

Breathing and Posture

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

We often overlook how big of an impact our breathing has on our voice. Our voice is projected to the air we breathe out. So if we aren’t breathing properly, there isn’t enough air to project our voice. You end up forcing sound through your throat, which only ends up straining your vocal cords.

The first part of my warm-up routine included an intense breathing exercise, with my posture straight, providing good support to the abdominal muscles. Those are the muscles we primarily control to expel air out of the lungs during the warm-up breathing exercises — apart from the diaphragm, of course, but we don’t actually have conscious control over that.

The next half an hour was spent training myself to breathe properly and do the breathing exercises given so that I can control my breath better. A series of “Shhhhh”s and “Ssssss”s in different patterns.

By the end of this exercise, I actually found it easier to talk — it’s as if my airway just widened up. My voice sounded a lot smoother. And that strained pain I feel near my vocal cords was gone.

My entire throat felt relaxed.

I will not lie — I started this off a tad skeptical that learning proper breathing techniques would allow me to use my voice better.

Now? I’m sold.

Humming and Lip Rolls

Next off, my coach wanted me to work on scales.

Here’s the thing, though. Scales are my worst nightmare. I cringe every time my voice breaks. I’m embarrassed by how scratchy I sound.

But here’s where I express my newfound love for vocal coaches. They don’t care. They see the potential you don’t yet realize you have. And they are hellbent on making you see it and discover the possibilities lying within your own vocal cords.

If I weren’t already motivated by the changes, the breathing exercises brought about, I sure as hell would be by the end of this.

My coach actually found a few exercises on YouTube for this one. We’re basically singing scales, but by either humming or lip rolling. The core purpose of this exercise is to learn how to place your notes.

It was the silliest of all warm-up exercises, but definitely the most effective. My range immediately went from 4 notes to 11 notes. Which is amazing for me because I never knew I could sing. I’ve always thought I was doomed to be the off-key friend at every karaoke session.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Your voice, or to be more accurate, your vocal cords themselves aren’t muscles. But they are controlled and aided by a multitude of muscles. The one point my vocal coach kept driving into me was that we need to train our voice like we would our body. Every day, consistently. But not too much or you’ll strain it.

That’s why developing your own warm-up routine is important. You might think it’d be silly to go through all this just to sound better during a presentation.

But it’s not the external improvements that made an impact on me. No.

It’s how I felt after hearing myself get progressively better at projecting my voice. How smooth my voice feels when I speak. How I don’t feel strain near my throat if I’ve had to speak slightly louder because now I know that what I really need to control is my core — and that I just need to let the airflow through my airways and not set up the control outpost there.

It was an empowering process because I finally knew how to gain control over something I’ve always been insecure about. And the best thing is, anybody can do it. Everybody has the potential to unlock their voice. Most people aren’t tone-deaf, they’re just untrained.

So if you’ve been thinking about learning a new skill, why not sign up for vocal classes? The confidence you gain is definitely worth your time.