- If you're just starting to learn to sing
then this video is for you.
Singing exercises are a necessary part of your development,
but they don't need to be complex to get great results.
In this video,
I'm gonna show you three beginner singing exercises
that will get you started on your journey
of learning to sing.
- [Announcer] Sound Check.
Check one, check two.
(audience cheering) (upbeat music)
- Hi there, my name is Dr. Dan
and I'm a contemporary singing voice specialist.
Welcome to Voice Essentials where everybody sings.
At last count, there were nearly 12 million
learn to sing videos on YouTube.
With so much instruction to choose from,
it can be hard to know where to start.
So, I designed this video to get you going.
The exercises that we are gonna do together are simple
and can be done at home by virtually everyone,
and that includes you.
But don't let the simplicity of these activities
fool you into thinking they're not important.
We can run the risk of thinking
the more advanced singing exercises are better,
and while some singing exercises are complex by design,
that doesn't mean that simpler exercises
don't offer great value to the beginner singer.
So, lets dive in.
The first activity is a five note scale.
Now, let me show you the scale when sung along
with my exercise CD, Dr. Dans Voice Essentials.
And a heads up, the first track is free to download
via the links in the description section down below.
As I do the activity, I want you to notice
that I'm not driving the voice too hard,
I'm keeping my jaw relatively neutral,
and my tongue remains forward
in behind my bottom front teeth.
♫ Ya ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
The five note scale helps the beginner voice
to start connecting notes together in a melodic fashion.
The range of this five note scale
is only over a perfect fifth.
Each phrase relatively contained and easy to negotiate.
So, too, with the next activity, the three note scale.
This beginner exercise still only covers
the range of a perfect fifth.
But it's slightly more challenging
because it requires the voice to make larger melodic steps.
Have a listen.
♫ Ya ah ah ah ah
When you practice the exercise,
work towards keeping the voice free
as the scale moves upwards.
Also, try to note the physical difference
between the three note and the five note versions.
It can be surprising how the difficulty increases
just with the removal of two notes.
- [Announcer] Sound Check.
(audience cheering) (upbeat music)
- The third exercise we are going to cover today
is an arpeggio.
The first activities only included the range
of a perfect fifth.
The arpeggio will have us singing
over the range of an octave.
Have a listen.
♫ Ya ah ah ah ah ah ah
For some of you,
this might start off as rather challenging,
and that's okay.
It may take you some weeks and months
to master the exercise.
And when you practice,
be sure to manage your physical response.
This exercise, more so than the first two,
will tempt your instrument to get tight and constricted.
You might also wanna push more air through the voice
as each phrase gets higher and higher.
It'll take some practice,
but work on keeping your air balanced,
and maintain a nice symmetry to your alignment.
Don't let your neck jut forward or lean to the side.
Again, you can download the exercises we've covered today,
and many others besides from my website
via the link in the description section below.
The benefit of the three exercises we've covered today
is the in built training of the laryngeal muscles
and how your overall instrument,
you're entire body, sings through the scales.
Then, when you come to sing through a song,
you're voice is more able to better apply balance
to the melody, and negotiate each phrase with greater ease.
I have many other learn to sing videos on my channel,
Dr. Dan's Voice Essentials,
that I think you'll find helpful when learning to sing.
I'll hope you'll take a moment to subscribe to the channel
where you'll have access to new videos every week.
I'll see you again soon,
I'm Dr. Dan, sing well.