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Exercises and techniques to improve a singer’s voice projection
Voice projection for singers is about being able to control the volume and capacity of your voice. It’s about being able to adapt your voice appropriately for any environment, making sure even the people in the back row can hear you.
Voice projection is also a great tool for singers in assisting in bringing greater dynamics to the performance. Being able to successfully increase and decrease volume whilst singing is a vocal dynamic that can help enhance your performance and highlight the emotion in the song. Click here for information on singing dynamics.
First things first; in order to be able to achieve successful voice projection, you’ll need to start strengthening the muscles in your larynx which hold your vocal cords together. It’s difficult for power and volume to come through in your singing if these muscles aren’t strengthened. Working with a good vocal coach will really assist you in achieving this, click here for tips on voice training.
As always warm up your vocals before trying any voice projection exercises. The larynx muscles can be strengthened through volume exercises to help improve voice projection. One simple volume exercise is to lie on the floor with your arms beside your head and breathe deeply for 2-3 minutes. Although this sounds silly, it helps your lungs to increase their capacity and over time will give you more power in your voice. It’s important to remember to breathe from the diaphragm so that the chest rises and your shoulders don’t scrunch.
Voice projection for singers
Do not yell. It doesn’t count as singing and it only damages your voice. Forcing the sound out does nothing but damage your vocals. It’s also the number one cause of vocal nodules plus it will most likely lead to you losing vocal control and tuning and will only hinder your voice projection.
One of the more simple ways to improve your voice projection is to work with an experienced vocal coach. They will be able to build and develop your singing power and help you to eradicate any bad singing habits you’ve picked up along the way. A vocal coach will be able to help you with specific techniques that will be able to help your voice projection.
Volume exercises are an easy way of practising your voice projection. For example, breathe deeply and exhale on a hissing sound for 10 seconds. This will help with your breath control and help warm up your voice for the louder notes. Another volume exercise is to vary the loudness of your voice when using the sound ‘mmmmmmm’, start with a soft sound, then middle and then loud. Repeating this numerous times will help your projection.
These exercises must become a routine part of your day rather than doing it a couple of times and hoping it’ll work. Do this for 20 minutes every day and you’ll soon begin to hear and feel the changes in your vocal.