5 Exercises to Boost Singing Power

Do you love to sing soaring melodies without cracking or strain?

Yes, but you fail. Very often when you are singing beautifully at high notes, your voice suddenly drops. Isn't it embarrassing, and more so when you are performing on stage or recording at a studio?

Let me tell you such voice breaks are common, especially when you are trying high notes, and when you try to push it harder, it worsens the crack. True vocal powers come from using the natural power that already exists in your voice rather than pushing it.

However, it does not mean that you can never sing with vocal power like Freddie Mercury, John Legend, Adele, or Aretha Franklin, the legends of powerhouse singing. 

The fact is you can hit the high notes without straining but you need to strengthen your voice and increase vocal power with a few vocal exercises. 

Today, I'll share some of the best exercises, which if practiced daily, will increase your vocal power and you'll be able to sing like crazy.

What do we mean by vocal power? 

Before I talk about the exercises, let us understand what vocal power is.

You can understand vocal power when you hear it. Listen to Freddie Mercury at live aid or Adele at the Echo awards, you'll know the meaning of vocal strength or vocal power. 

Vocal Power is the capacity of a singer to sing loudly or dynamically without pushing for more volume which leads to straining your voice or producing a yelling sound.

So vocal power is the ability of a singer to sing naturally with a lot of volumes. You too can gain this ability by practicing a few exercises given below.

Top five exercises to help you sing with power without straining

Exercise #1: Speak-sing numbers 1-5

Use the inherent power of your speaking voice to improve your singing ability. The reason behind this is that most people don't speak too quietly or breathily.

However, when they start singing, some of those same persons will become immediately light-headed and breathless.

So let's start boosting your singing strength by speaking louder. Start speak-sing the numbers 1 through 5 on a very basic scale for your first singing practice.

In this manner, you can begin to give your singing the same sensation as your speaking voice. And doing that is a sure-fire approach to boosting vocal power!

How do you practice it?

This is a straightforward exercise, which you can practice by following these steps

1. Loudly speak the numbers "One, Two, Three, Four, and Five."
2. Now speak-sing the word "One" on a note that feels comfortable to you at the bottom of your voice (try C3 for men and G3 for women).
3. Last but not least, speak-sing the numbers 1 through 5 on a 5-Tone scale while maintaining the strength of each note.

Though you may not like to sound as if you're "speaking" when you sing, it's crucial to start with this kind of sound while you're building singing power.

Exercise #2: Try the “Gug” exercise

To improve your vocal power, try this exercise. Make a transition from a single vowel/consonant combination.

In this instance, you'll add power by combining a "G" consonant with an "Uh" vowel.

That's because the "G" sound totally seals the vocal cords.

Also, keep in mind that closing the cords more can help you sing with the correct combination of air and muscle.

Practice the following exercise using these steps

1. At a loud volume, say the word "Gug" (pronounced "Gut" with a "g" at the end).
2. Next, sing the word "Gug" on that note as strongly as you spoke it, finding a comfortable sound at the bottom of your voice (again, try C3 for boys and G3 for females).
3. As a final step, speak-sing "Gug" using the same 5-Tone scale as demonstrated in the previous exercise.

When performing this exercise, keep your focus on the "G" sound.

This is due to the "G" sound employing more vocal cord muscles to give you the desired vocal force.

However, if you detect any breathiness in the vocal tone, you're doing something wrong.

Instead, simply repeat the phrase "Gut, gut, gut" aloud several times. You'll be surprised at how quickly your singing ability improves.

Exercise #3: Repeat the “Bratty sound”

Though it is an ugly sound it helps your vocal cord to work in a better way. Even on your highest notes, it really helps to close the cords. So don't worry if this activity makes you sound dumb.

We may start working on getting a more natural tone when you sing as soon as you learn to sing those high notes more forcefully.

Follow the steps to practice it.

1. Say "Nae" aloud in a witchy or bratty manner, similar to "Nasty." If you're having trouble hearing it, try to imagine the voice of the evil witch from The Wizard of Oz.
2. Next, start singing the brattish "Nae" in a tone that feels comfortable to you (for boys, try E3, and for girls, C#4).
3. Finally, sing an octave repeat scale in which you substitute the brattish "Nae" sound for each note in the tune.

While doing this exercise, keep your voice particularly brash and unpleasant.

Keep in mind that when you sing those high notes, your vocal cords will vibrate more freely thanks to the bratty sound.

Therefore, if you notice any lightness or breathiness in your voice, boosting those notes with a little more of the unpleasant sound.

You'll be astounded at how much more force you have when singing when you do this right!

Exercise #4: Again repeat the “Gug” sound

After exercising the bratty "Nae" sound, you can sing the highest notes in your voice with somewhat a more regular sound.

Return to repeat the "Gug" sound in this exercise.

Keep in mind that when you sing, the "G" consonant, is excellent at maintaining the vibrato in the vocal cords.

And the "uh" vowel is particularly good at keeping the voice relaxed rather than utilizing the "bratty" sound.

1. Out loud, pronounce "Gug" as you would "Gut," but with a "g" at the end.
2. Next, start singing the word "Gug" on a comfortable pitch (for boys, try F#3, and for girls, C#4).
3. Last but not least, take a breath and sing an octave repeat scale, replacing each note with the word "Gug."

Keep in mind that the entire purpose of the "Gug" exercise is to help the vocal cords vibrate more. Additionally, having more muscle and air will naturally result in a louder voice.

Make sure you're enunciating the "G" consonant strongly if you hear that those high notes seem breathy or light. Once you pronounce that "G" a little bit more forcefully, you'll notice that your singing ability gets dramatically improved!

Exercise #5: Repeat the sound “Mum”

As now you have learned to hit those high notes with the power it's time for a serious challenge: to repeat the sound "Mum".

What makes the "Mum" difficult?

Well, in the previous exercises, we used a variety of sounds to help you develop the proper combination of air and muscle in your singing voice.

But compared to the earlier exercises, the "Mum" exercise will provide you with less support.

For instance, we employed the "bratty" sound in the "Nae" exercise to increase the resistance to the air coming out of your lungs.

The "G" sound then enabled you to fight effectively the air in your vocal cords during the "Gug" exercise.

You only need to hang on to an "M" consonant for the following practice though.

So if you're doing well with the "Nae" and "Gug" exercises, try the "Mum" exercise next.

Follow the steps below to practice it.

1. At a volume that feels comfortable, say the word "Mum" aloud (pronounced "Mother" with an "m" at the end).
2. Next, sing the word "Mum" on a comfortable opening note (for men, try F#3, and for women, C#4).
3. To finish, sing an octave repeat scale in which you substitute a "Mum" sound for each note in the tune.

Keep in mind that the "Mum" exercise is meant to be difficult; so, if you are struggling, don't be concerned.

Simply return to an activity that was effective for you in the past and carry on with it until your voice feels stronger.

After then, you can return and attempt the "Mum" once more.

This workout can be difficult, I won't lie. But the "mom" is very necessary if you came here looking for ways to boost vocal power and acquire a stronger voice.

And once you master this technique, you'll be astounded at how much your singing has improved.

Conclusion

Well, we've learned about the best exercises to improve your vocal power. However, the secret to building a stronger singing voice quickly and retaining it for the long run is Practice, practice, practice…

In this way, you can strengthen your vocal power to sing like crazy!

ZOOM Recording Studio , a professional recording studio, understands you and your weaknesses as an artist. We, therefore, strive to offer you tips and techniques that could help to become a better artist along with providing mixing and mastering services both on-site and online. So, if you need our help, connect with us.