Do you ever feel like you can sing anything one day and then like you have a 4-note range the next? At the Danny Greenberg Studio, we tell our students we want them to sing on purpose. Knowing how to control your voice is essential for an actor or singer. Even acclaimed actors and singers attend acting and singing classes to enhance their vocal consistency. Greater vocal control can empower you with a wider physical and emotional range. Our comprehensive guide, put together by professionals, covers helpful tips to gain control over your voice.

Prioritize Vocal Care

Your body is your instrument. When you take good care of your instrument, you perform well. Actors and singers should focus on maintaining their entire body in addition to their vocal and breathing techniques. You need to 

• Hydrate
• Monitor Sleep
• Warm up and cool down
• Take time off (think of your voice as a checking account – there is only so much you can withdraw in a day) 

Practice Consonant Action

Actors and singers spend a lot of time prioritizing vowel sounds, but many performers have their vocal production derailed by consonants. Save yourself trouble by practicing and mastering your consonants. Start with B’s and P’s, then move to your dental consonants (T and D), then to the back of your tongue with K and G. Building up the repetition of the proper movements for these foundational constants will help bring clarity and ease to text when you sing and or act.

Align yourself for success

We constantly tell our students: alignment (the line you make with your body) can make singing 80% easier or 80% harder. Life is hard; take the easy path. The basic setup for success is as follows:

• Line up the bones in your spine.
• Keep your crown as the highest part of your body.
• Keep an open chest wall.
• Keep a tall ribcage wall.

This setup will put your larynx and breath mechanism in position to succeed. 

Make Breathing a priority 

The more air you have in the lungs, the less physical effort it takes to produce sound. Yet too many actors and singers overlook this fundamental step to making a sound. 

You want to center your breathing around a deep inhalation and an exhalation centered from your lower central abs. This method will allow your diaphragm to contract on inhalation and your abs and ribcage to support your sound as you exhale. 

You can practice this exhalation by placing your hand below your belly button. Take a deep breath. Then exhale on a “sh” sound. You should feel your lower central abs swinging inward. Pro tip: get taller while you get skinnier on this exercise. This way, you will maintain alignment. 

Practice

A voice teacher is similar to a personal trainer. You will make steady progress by seeing them once a week, but the only way to make significant gains is by taking their lessons home. If you are serious about becoming consistent, you must schedule focused practice time. We have our students put manageable allotments of time for practice on their calendar app each week between lessons. Make sure you are mindful and practice with intention: have a goal, limit distractions, and be where your feet are.

Mastering control over your voice takes time and practice, but it’s a skill that anyone can learn with a little bit of effort. No one is born knowing how to sing perfectly, so don’t be discouraged if it takes a little while to get the hang of it. Remember, everyone has to start somewhere! Danny Greenberg Studio in New York is a great place to start. Contact us today to start your journey towards vocal consistency. 

Learn More About DGS:

Are you looking to take your singing or acting to the next level? Contact us now for your first complimentary assessment lesson.

The Danny Greenberg Studio is a professional performing arts studio for children aged 5 to 18 in New York (Brooklyn and Manhattan!) and online, focusing on vocal and acting training.

 Our students star annually in numerous Broadway shows, national tours, and feature films. Our studio welcomes students of all levels between 6 and 18 to foster their love of performing. Once they’re ready, we also help connect students to top agents and casting directors.

Since our debut, we have focused on three values: children, crafts, and community. Our students develop professional techniques and valuable skills they use inside and outside the studio. We help prepare our students for professional success and make personal impacts through charity cabarets and fundraisers.

We provide private lessons in-person and online in singing, acting, audition coaching, industry professional workshops, showcases, musical theater classes, and admissions prep with curriculums tailored to each child’s needs so they can build their self-confidence. Each year, we coach students for DOE High School auditions, and they consistently get into Laguirdia, Frank Sinatra, and PPAS. We teach acting, singing, and dancing lessons in midtown Manhattan, Greenpoint, and Park Slope Brooklyn. Zoom lessons are also available. Contact us for more information on the admissions process.