So, you’re an aspiring singer who wants to make it big in the United States. You know you have the talent, but one thing that’s holding you back is your inability to speak English very well—after all, music and language are so interconnected (Newsweek). That said, wouldn’t it be great if there was some way to learn how to sing in English even if you had a difficult time communicating with others? Well now there is! Here are three tips that will help improve your singing voice in English!
An Introduction to Phonetics
The basics of phonetics are relatively easy to learn, and they’re vital to improving your pronunciation skills. If you want to sound like a native speaker when singing, you’ll need to work on your accent. Unlike other languages (German, for example), where accent is usually related to geographical location, people from all parts of England speak with a pretty similar accent. However, there are subtle differences which have a large impact on how you pronounce certain words. For example, bath and bought are pronounced differently by most native speakers; most Americans tend to confuse them because both words begin with /b/. In contrast, British accents always differentiate between these two words.
The Best Vowels For Good Singing
These vowels are breathy and light, and as such are easy on your throat, allowing you to sing for long periods of time. As you probably guessed, these vowels are ee (as in see), oo (as in zoo), and ah (as in father). These vowels can be found within words like see, zoo, and father. If a word has one of these three letters as its vowel then it is likely going to sound good when sung by someone. Here is a word that will make your singing easier: bee – spell it out! It has all three of our recommended vowels! Now go find two or three more words with each vowel and use them while singing!
A Look at Consonants
Consonants are speech sounds that occur at a place of articulation and are formed by interrupting airflow. Consonants make up consonant clusters, which is when two or more consonants occur together. Consonant clusters make up syllables. For example, take splash; the /s/ and /l/ form a cluster: spl-ash. To get your vowels right, first review some of these consonants—and then listen to your favorite songs (in English) and try singing along!
Practice Makes Perfect
Just as it’s important to practice your singing, it’s also important that you practice common pronunciations. Listen closely to native speakers and make note of how they pronounce certain words. Practice reciting their pronunciation by listening along until you can repeat each word perfectly. Once you’ve gotten it down, begin using their pronunciations when practicing new songs so that eventually your ears learn what’s correct and what’s not. Over time, as you become more comfortable with each word and its proper pronunciation, you’ll start singing them more naturally while also automatically incorporating any new words you’re learning into your routine.
To Warm Up or Not To Warm Up?
If you want to improve your singing voice, there are two common methods you can use: a warm-up or not. Warm-ups are important for improving your overall flexibility and range. They get all of your muscles loose and ready for movement—like, literally all of them. However, you’ll notice that many professional singers don’t use warm-ups when they sing. Instead, they just stand there with their mouth open and start singing as loud as possible (weird, right?). What they’re doing is using phonation—the process by which sound is created—to stretch out their vocal chords without physically moving anything around.
Look At Yourself
Whether you’re a professional singer or just like to sing along with your favorite music, it’s important that you look at yourself critically before trying to improve your singing voice. First of all, do you know what type of voice you have? Is it a baritone? A soprano? You may not need a formal pitch assessment, but knowing your range is important. If possible, find someone who has worked with professional singers and ask for their opinion on what type of voice you have. Also consider whether your vocal problems are due to tension, lack of air support or poor technique – then address them accordingly. In other words: don’t waste time learning songs that aren’t appropriate for your voice.
Writing Songs From Scratch
Writing songs is a popular way for singers to express themselves, and it’s also a great way to improve your voice. Writing songs doesn’t just give you a chance to practice singing; it also lets you develop important songwriting skills that can carry over into other areas of your life. For example, if you learn how to write songs, you’ll learn how to focus on word choice and structure. Plus, writing a song means creating an entire piece of music, which will boost your ear training and sequencing abilities as well. If all that wasn’t enough of an incentive for you, remember: This is one skill no one can take away from you—once you know how to write songs from scratch, nobody else will be able to do so either!
Creating a Routine That Works For You
You’ve probably heard before that a routine is essential for mastering a skill, like singing. A lot of people talk about how important it is to develop a routine and then follow through with it every day. The reality is that everyone is different, so what works for one person may not work for you. For example, some people find listening to music or watching TV relaxing and helpful for unwinding after work, whereas others find that type of activity distracts them from their real objective: improving their voice. Regardless of your personal tastes or interests, there are some things you can do each day—such as breathing exercises—that can help you become a better singer overall.
