The 4 Best Resources to Practice Singing On Your Own

The 4 Best Resources to Practice Singing On Your Own Suzy S. As youre learning to sing, dont forget that often the magic happens while youre practicing by yourself, outside of your lessons! And with  the right  resources available, practicing can be fun! Here, voice teacher  Molly R.  shares 4 of her favorites When you sign up for voice lessons (and if you haven’t yet done so, there are many fabulous voice teachers  to choose from on TakeLessons), you will likely need to purchase sheet music for your solo pieces. But what other resources are essential for making your studies more effective? How can you continue to learn to sing by yourself, when your voice teacher isnt around? Weve showcased a few online resources for singers  on the blog before; now, here are a few more both print and digital resources that you can use to practice singing on your own. 1. Our Singing Lessons Playlist on YouTube Our singing lessons playlist is full of quick, go-to tutorials. With more than 30 videos, you’re not going to be bored! Some of these exercises emphasize breathing, and other skills include dynamics, articulation, and resonance. Expect a wonderful variety here, from basic scales to playful warm-ups with nonsense words and fun phrases! 2. Funky n Fun Vocal Exercises by Kim Chandler These recorded vocal exercises are phenomenal. I use them with all my students young, old, classical singers, pop singers, everyone! They  not only emphasize basic vocal technique, they  help you develop your ear. Ms. Chandler, a seasoned session singer with a wonderful voice, encourages you to trust yourself and “jam” with her over the tracks. Some of them are based on hooks to well-known funk songs. Who wouldn’t love warming up with Stevie Wonder tunes? Some of my students have  liked these exercises  so much that after we use them in lessons, they buy them to use at home or in the car and some even do them with their families. (Yes, they really are  that fun!) You can download these exercises on Kim Chandlers  website or purchase them in CD format. 3. Estelle Liebling’s Vocal Course This couldn’t be a bigger contrast to Ms.  Chandler’s method, since  Estelle Lieblings books  are definitely “old school”! However, I firmly believe that we must cross-train in vocal studies. Ms. Liebling was one of the finest vocal instructors in NYC years ago, and her famous pupils include opera diva Beverly Sills and the great Meryl Streep. Her training is based in bel canto, the European school of beautiful and healthy singing. Most of the emphasis is in singing with a clear and pleasing tone. These books are available on Amazon, and you can purchase the one most appropriate  for your voice type: soprano, mezzo/contralto, tenor, or baritone/bass. If you’re a commercial music type, don’t let the term “classical technique” scare you! The vocal exercises in her books are actually quite simple and will help you develop your voice, too, and help you learn to sing by yourself, in between  your lessons. Your teacher will agree! 4. Easy Warm-Ups by CoreSinging founder Dr. Meribeth Dayme Who says you have to spend a long time warming up? And who says your warm-ups have to be traditional scales? They don’t! Dr. Dayme, founder of CoreSinging, has developed a fun way to warm up your voice anywhere, anytime. These vocal warm-ups are different, because she uses playful sounds (sirens, humming and chewing, silly conversations, etc.) to get everything going. I love doing these myself, as it brings out my inner kid. It doesn’t feel like “work” at all, and my students agree!  These can also be purchased on Amazon for instant download. While there may be a ton of resources to choose from out there, it’s important that you seek out a variety to keep it fresh! Remember that it’s super important to  put in the time to strengthen your technique by yourself, outside of your private voice lessons. With resources as wonderful as these, its easy and fun to learn how to sing! Readers, what other resources do you use to practice singing  by yourself? Leave a comment below! Post Author:  Molly R. Molly R. teaches online and in-person singing lessons in Hayward, CA. Her specialties include teaching beginner vocalists, shy singers, children, teens, lapsed singers, and older beginners. She joined TakeLessons in November 2013.  Learn more about Molly  here! Photo by  Kevin N. Murphy Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher