If you’re considering a career as a musical theatre actor, then you’ll need to be able to do more than just hold a tune. But what if you haven’t had any professional training? Can you get your pipes up to the required standard all by yourself?
The short answer is: yes and no. There is a lot you can do to improve your voice and make real progress via self-study if you dedicate the time to it. And with masses of advice on and resources for learning to sing available online, it can be a more affordable approach to begin with.
But there may be a limit to how far you can go before your progress plateaus, and you need personalised, professional help to get to the next level. Everyone can benefit from external feedback – an outside ear can be vital for spotting mistakes – and regular lessons can also help with motivation. Without expert advice, there’s also a risk you’ll develop bad habits or even damage your voice.
If you decide to try teaching yourself, here are some tips to get you going.
1. Make it a habit.
One of the most important things to master is simply showing up for yourself. Consistent and regular practice is vital. Your sessions don’t need to be long – vocal coach Linor Oren says 15 minutes at a time works for a beginner – but they need to be frequent. Oren recommends four to six times a week. Eric Vetro, a vocal coach who trained Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Ryan Gosling, and many more, says putting in the hours is key. “The only common denominator of everyone I work with is this: They work really hard,” he says. “Ariana Grande did vocal exercises five days a week for Wicked.… Put the time in and you will see the results.”
2. But don’t overdo it.
Work hard, but learn to listen to your body too. Overdoing it is likely to cause more harm than good – especially in the early stages – so stop if you feel any strain, soreness, or ongoing tension in your throat. Think little and often to build the habit safely, and never push past warning signs. “When singing, try not to force anything,” says Karrin Allyson, a Grammy-nominated American jazz vocalist, told Reverb.
3. Stand tall.
It’s essential to get your posture right. “If you’re having trouble getting the right vocal tone and power you want, start with posture,” says singing teacher Matt Ramsey. You should aim to stand tall: shoulders back, spine straight, neck and chin relaxed, and feet shoulder-width apart with your hips aligned over them. “Fixing your posture is one of the quickest and easiest things you can do to learn how to sing better.”
4. Breathe deeply.
If you want to belt – or just be heard at the back of an auditorium – you’ll need to harness the power of your breath. Part of your home practice should focus on breathing techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, in which your stomach expands as you inhale rather than your shoulders rising as you breathe into your chest. Don’t panic: Roger Burnley, a vocal coach for stars from Macy Gray to the Beastie Boys, dispels the myth that diaphragmatic breathing is difficult to master. “If you can breathe to live, then you can breathe to sing!” he says. “Simply focus on making sure your stomach expands when [breathing] in.”
5. Warm up.
Just like an athlete stretches their muscles, your voice needs a pre-workout warm-up. Try warming up with body stretches, and then move on to mouth exercises such as trills, lip buzzes (aka raspberries), elocution exercises, tongue twisters, and slides, in which your voice glides from low to high notes.
6. Explore your range.
Every voice sits within a natural range: soprano, alto, tenor, or baritone. Gently explore your vocal range – that is, the span of notes you can comfortably sing within. To start to extend your range, first make sure you are fully warmed up, begin singing in your natural range, and then try pushing up a semitone or two. Over time, you’ll gradually extend the span of notes you’re comfortable within. But don’t rush the process. The goal is increased awareness and knowledge of your unique voice, not ticking off a certain note.
7. Record yourself – and listen back.
In the thick of practice, it can be hard to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. Record yourself, and actually listen back to it. You’re bound to hear things you missed while singing. You’ll identify areas for improvement, and, hopefully, get an ongoing sense of your own progress.
8. Look after your voice.
Your voice is your instrument; you need to protect it and nourish it. Drink plenty of water, avoid shouting or talking in loud environments, don’t smoke or drink too much alcohol, and try to get plenty of sleep. Actor and country music star Jennifer Nettles stresses the importance of the latter. “Sleep is imperative because your instrument is a part of your body and you carry it with you wherever you go,” she says. When practising, remember to stop and rest if you feel strain, hoarseness, or outright pain.
9. Get appy.
There are apps to help with pretty much all of the above, from those that check that you’re singing in key to those that help you figure out your vocal range to those that try to make practice more fun. Simply Sing gamifies learning as you progress through different levels, while Singeo is more of a serious learning platform with lessons from professional singers. Swift Scales helps you warm up and train with vocal exercises, while Yousician allows you to track your progress.
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Even the most dedicated student, following all the advice above, may reach a point at which they could use some personalised lessons in order to progress. All singers largely practice by themselves, but it can be invaluable to schedule regular lessons to take your skills to the next level or occasional check-ins to get expert feedback, devise a practice plan, and iron out troubles with your technique.
Here are some signs it may be time to work with a professional.
1. You want to specialise.
It probably goes without saying that if you want to be an opera singer, you’ll need a specialised kind of training. But if you’re aiming for any particular kind of performance – whether it’s musical theatre, jazz improvisation, or mastering the classical repertoire – it may be advisable to find a teacher who can steer you in that direction.
2. You’ve hit a plateau.
If, after making steady improvements, you suddenly feel stuck or like you don’t know what to do next, it may be time to get some external feedback. An expert can help you take your singing to the next level, spotting issues with your technique that you can’t hear. Employing someone to “be your sonic mirror” is the main benefit of having a teacher, says vocal coach Tony Gonzalez.
3. You’re feeling the strain.
If self-practice is resulting in regular hoarseness, vocal fatigue, or limited range – or if you just feel wobbly and unsafe on certain notes – seek professional guidance. Without it, you risk long-term damage. Self-taught singers are also more at risk of settling into bad habits around posture, breathing, or tension in the throat to jaw region that will be hard to undo. Even occasional check-ins can help ensure that your singing style is sustainable.
4. You’re going professional.
If your singing is moving from your bedroom to a more public sphere – maybe you have auditions or have bagged a dream role – it could be a good moment to turbocharge your confidence with some lessons. A teacher can help with your mental state when performing, knowledge and confidence in your strengths and weaknesses, and physical stamina. They can also fill you in on the nitty-gritty details relevant to your genre or industry, whether it’s microphone technique or stylistic expectations, so you feel professional from day one.