Learning how to sing is a journey that's best embarked on with the help of a few quick tips to keep in mind as you make progress. It's a complete myth that there's a "singing gene". As with any other skill, practice, dedication, and great instruction will improve your singing in no time! Here are some top tips to keep in mind.

Rest your voice

A crucial tip to always keep in mind is that over-practicing is never a good idea. Practice makes perfect - but with singing, it's important to keep your voice healthy as well. You want to make sure that your practice schedule includes a rest day or else your vocal chords could become damaged with overuse!

Have great posture

Most great singers have a great posture to match. The way you position your body has a big effect on your breathing, which is paramount for successful singing! Your diaphragm also has more room to expand when you get in a good singing position. Stand up straight, keep your chin straight, and loosen up your shoulders for...

There are a few characteristics that make different iconic singing voices, well, iconic. Vibrato is one of those characteristics, and it's something that comes natural with time and as you progress through your training.

What is it and why should I use it?

Simply put, vibrato is when a note you're singing reverberates off of your soft tissue. There is a slight wavering in the pitch of the note. It's so slight that it's even shorter than a half step!

You can start by trying to sing standard notes, and then gradually adding in some of that reverberation. Whether it's short notes or long notes, rock or country, there are endless applications where you can implement vibrato.

The best part is that there's no wrong way to use it. It's totally up to you. Vibrato helps you stop trying to sound like someone else, and starts giving you a beautiful, unique voice of your own. This is a fantastic way to give some extra meaning to your singing and it also adds more personality to your voice.

It...

As a singer, you have to absolutely take care of your voice and you do that by making sure your throat is healthy for singing. Food and drinks can have a big impact on how you sing. Since you have to be aware of what you’re eating and drinking, here is a list of things to avoid for the best performance.

CHEESE, MILK AND OTHER DAIRY

What does it do? It gives you a lot of mucus. This is great if you’ve got a sore throat, but if you’re singing, you want your throat to be clear. I love cheese as much as the next guy, but you don’t want mucus clogging up your pipes in the middle of the falsetto. Sidenote: you should also avoid sugary foods and drinks because they also coat the throat in mucus!

ALCOHOL

What does it do? It makes your throat dry. You probably shouldn’t drink before any performance because you want to be sharp, but did you know alcohol can also make you dehydrated? Dry mouths and throats are no good for when you’re trying to...