Where should I practice?

Preferably somewhere that you feel comfortable letting go with your singing voice, a room that’s local to you, that’s a good size, well-lit, well-ventilated and that has the resources you need to practice with.

When should I practice?

Short, sensible practice sessions done 4-5 days a week reap the best benefits for vocalists in my experience. Assuming that you’re physically and vocally healthy, I suggest people start with as little as two 10-minute sessions a day, slowly building up by 5 minutes per session as your vocal stamina increases, ending up at around two 30-minute sessions.

The times that you practice need to fit in around your body patterns where possible. For example, if you’re not a ‘morning person’ don’t schedule practice in the mornings if it can be avoided, and if you’re too tired in the evenings, don’t try to practice then because it’s unlikely to be productive. Practice sessions should also fit around your daily routine otherwise you’re unlikely to keep it up.

What should I practice?

In my opinion, it’s advisable to practice a balanced program of voice building exercises and repertoire. It’s also important to maintain a varied vocal ‘diet’ to keep your voice challenged and to keep your mind focused. My “Funky ‘n Fun” vocal exercise series consists of 94 vocal exercises at different levels of difficulty and for different purposes – they’ll certainly keep people busy for a while! However, there are other reputable products on the market too if you conduct a bit of research online.

I also suggest that singers work on ear training alongside their vocal training because the ear is as important to singing as the voice is. There is a strong partnership arrangement between the brain, ear and voice for singing that needs regular maintenance – they need to ‘communicate’ with each other regularly through practice in order to stay well coordinated as a ‘team’. Ear training for vocalists can take the form of standard musicianship ear training exercises (many such packages are available online) and ear-to-voice coordination exercises specifically for vocalists, such as those found on “Funky ‘n Fun” Vol.3.

How should I practice?

Productive practice is attained by keeping your mind on the job, keeping it clear of distractions and constantly checking in with your body to make sure that sustainable work and progress is taking place. If something feels wrong it probably is wrong and you need to change tack straight away. The gym motto of “no pain, no gain” does not apply to the voice! Make sure you’re not under-doing or over-doing any exercise or song, try to find your individual ‘work zone’ and stay there, regularly monitoring your effort levels and adjusting them to suit.

Why should I practice?

 If you wish to maintain steady growth and development as a singer, if you want to get the best out of your voice, you need to practice regularly - it’s as simple as that.

by Kim Chandler