If you’ve decided that you love to sing and want to take it one step further, you may be wondering if you have enough talent to take singing seriously and take lessons. Don’t wonder if you are talented enough, ask yourself if you are committed enough. Consistent practice of the correct techniques is far more important than the vocal skills you start with. The following tips will help you get started in the right direction.

1. Practice makes perfect, so be sure to set aside some time to practice regularly. How much practice should you do? I suggest at least three times a week for about half an hour each. Practice is not singing to the radio or your favorite CD while doing housework. It involves being disciplined and concentrating on technical exercises, as well as songs, and knowing what you are trying to achieve.

2. A practice session should always begin with a warm-up. Just as a warm-up before a sporting event will protect you from injury, a good vocal warm-up will protect your voice from damage. If you don’t already have a teacher, start with a few relaxed breaths, followed by a soft hum throughout the full range of your voice. You could then do a scale or two on the vowel “ah.”

3. Do not exaggerate! When you are starting out, you should keep practice sessions short and regular. It takes time for the muscles to become stronger, and practicing too long at a time could damage your voice.

Four. If you want to increase your range, do so through vocal technique exercises, not choosing a song that is beyond your current range. This will only increase your chances of damaging your voice.

5. Yelling or yelling can hurt your vocal cords, so don’t do it! It is much more important to keep your body and face relaxed than trying to make a lot of noise. Vocal power should be built gradually.

6. You can practice singing while lying on the ground. This will support your back and may even seem easier. When you get up to sing, imagine that they support you behind you.

7. It takes about 10,000 times before a muscle gets used to doing something different. So keep practicing your singing; your voice needs exercise.

Learning to sing is about finding your own voice; don’t worry about trying to sound like anyone else. Even if you don’t have a teacher, regular practice with gentle warm-up exercises, gradually increasing your range, can do wonders for your voice. I hope these singing tips help you on your singing journey.