5 Secrets to Improve Your Singing Voice, Vocal Tone, and Timbre
This post helps you get started, but that’s only the beginning. What would it feel like to sing your heart out with a transformed voice performing to thousands of people by the end of the year? Come join the tens of thousands of singers who have already transformed their voices with my Singers Gift Warmups. Set your voice free in just 20 minutes a day with these revolutionary techniques found only here! Click here to find out how.
There are some very simple and effective ways to improve your singing voice, your vocal tone, and overall sound and timbre.
Vocal tone is your unique sound quality. The sound, color, or timbre of your singing voice. Every voice has a specific color, described as warm, dark, strident, nasal, or throaty. Two singers singing the same song may sound different because of tone.
Wikipedia says: Vocal timbre (/ˈtæmbər, ˈtɪm-, ˈtæ̃-/), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musical instruments. It also enables listeners to distinguish different instruments in the same category (e.g., an oboe and a clarinet, both woodwind instruments).
Tone quality and tone color are synonyms for timbre, as well as the “texture attributed to a single instrument”
An optimal vocal tone is: Resonant, rich, easily produced, effortless, a mix of bright and dark tones (what the Italians call chiaroscuro)
Sub-optimal vocal tone is: Overly breathy, nasal, forced, squeezed, strained, throaty, dark, thin, raspy, hoarse,
Vocal tone and timbre come from the size and shape of your vocal resonators and the mechanics of your voice —how your muscles function during singing.
For instance:
- When the vocal cords are too far apart from each other the result is a “breathy” sound. With the right vocal exercises, we can get them to close to produce a clearer tone. This leads to a more resonant and rich sound.
- When the vocal cords rub together aggressively the result is a “raspy” or “hoarse” sound. With the right vocal therapy techniques, we can get them to stop rubbing and eliminate hoarseness. Raspy voices struggle with early fatigue, so fixing this issue is important for the longevity of the voice.
- If the larynx is up too high, we can do massage and vocal techniques to lower the laryngeal muscles naturally. This makes the voice sound fuller more resonant and open. The singer feels a lot more at ease upon singing as well.
When the vocal folds are operating well, and the laryngeal muscles sit in a lowered position the voice is free to ring producing a more resonant and rich sound.
Here are my 5 Secrets to Improve Your, Vocal Tone and Timbre:
1. Get your voice out of your throat
When the voice is in the throat the sound can sound: thin, too breathy, strained, squeezed, pinched, throaty, raspy, hoarse, too tight, or too dark or heavy sounding.
The singing voice is a coordination of the right balance of air and muscle. When the voice is more ‘muscled” (tense, tight), the singer is tightening muscles around the neck and throat to produce sound. This is an incorrect technique that over time will burn out the voice (the voice shouldn’t operate under so much pressure.
Dr. Peak Woo (an internationally recognized laryngologist, clinical research scientist, and author of Stroboscopy) said that the physical effect of a 45-minute vocal performance is equivalent to a 2-hour football game for a linebacker. The impact of a live concert, the strain on the voice, is irrefutable. Like athletes, is imperative that singers train or they are going to inevitably end up with injuries or issues. You can avoid all of that.
Try these steps to get your voice out of your throat:
- Set up your alignment in #1 above.
- Use the “chest press” to take the pressure off the throat so it can “ring” more freely. Press your fingers into your chest about 5″ above the sternum.
- Sing a long note on “ah” using about 5-10 lbs of pressure on the chest keeping the chest elevated and the back of the neck free (not tense).
- Start with 3 lbs of pressure moving to 5-10 lbs of pressure halfway through the note to the end.
- Practice this a few times.
- Do you notice how you have more sound with less pressure on the voice and more pressure on the chest?
You can practice the chest press technique in my Cole Vocal Method. The first step in the method is the Singers Gift Vocal Warmups. Start here.
The more you take the pressure off your throat, the more resonant and rich your voice will sound.
2. Stretch your tongue
A tight tongue causes all kinds of problems with vocal tone and timbre. When the tongue is too tight and too active in vocal production the voice can sound too thin, tight, nasal, strained, squeezed, pinched, too bright, or strident sounding. A tight tongue can also cause an overcompressed uncomfortable sound.
The tongue, as a small muscle, also tends toward tension. Tension in the tongue can cause all kinds of problems including nasality, cracking and breaking on notes, going too early into head voice, lack of power or belt, and difficulty with high notes. In vocal technique, we stretch the tongue to lengthen it reducing tension which helps produce more sound and smoother, more consistent high notes.
Try this to start stretching the tongue to help improve high notes:
- Take a washcloth or paper towel wetted with a little water and pull the tongue straight forward.
- Stick the tongue out and downward towards the floor. Inhale and exhale reaching the tongue down toward the floor to stretch it out.
Try this to improve your tone:
- Hold the jaw slightly downward and sing “AH”.
- Look in the mirror as you sing “AH”.
- Can you see the uvula (a little bit of skin that hangs down from the roof of the mouth)? Or is the tongue high in the back covering it up?
- Now hold your jaw and mouth open and yawn at the back of your throat. Do you see the tongue move downward revealing the uvula?
- Now sing the “ah” again and see if you can get the tongue to move downward.
- Keep practicing this. The tongue will start responding.
Some people have a super high tongue and need a little more help. Grab a set of my Singers Gift Warmups which help you get control over your tongue. In my Singers Gift Vocal Warmups, I show you how to decrease tension in the tongue and how to get control over your tongue. As you practice these techniques the tongue will start to relax and you will get control of the back which helps with high notes.
3. Laryngeal position
When you sing without a good technique the larynx gets pushed upward resulting in a high larynx. Other causes are too much tension accumulating in the throat tightening the muscles squeezing the larynx resulting in a constricted sound and causing early fatigue.
A high larynx causes a strained, constricted and thin sound creating instability in the sound and leaving the voice vulnerable to cracks and breaks particularly during register shifts.
In vocal technique we use the term “laryngeal resistance” to identify the motion of keeping the laryngeal muscles in a lower position during singing. This is tricky because this is a motion that needs to be programmed into the voice and can’t be forced. This motion is imperative to get a more resonant and rich sound —and to produce notes that don’t crack or break.
Try this.
- Yawn with your finger horizontal at the top of the throat. Try to yawn more with the back of your throat vs. your jaw. A little of both is good.
- Watch in the mirror. Do you see your finger and throat slip downward as you yawn?
- Another trick is to bring an imaginary cup of water to your mouth to drink. As you drink do you notice your throat slip downward? This is a movement we do throughout the day and is easy to identify.
- This is a motion you want to get on auto-pilot to use before you sing high notes. Once it is programmed into the body it becomes a natural movement. Don’t overdo it. Everything with the voice is best experienced as small and subtle movements as tense movements will tighten the instrument.
Warning: You can’t force these muscles down. They need to be gently and correctly trained to sit in the right position. Start with my Singers Gift Vocal Warmups that come with full demonstrations. When the larynx sits in a deeper bed (which comes from training) you have more control over your voice and high notes.
Getting control of your instrument is achieved by practicing The Cole Vocal Method 5 days a week for 20 minutes a day. Start with my Singers Gift Vocal Warmups to get these motions programmed into your voice!
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4. Vocal fold closure
One of the biggest issues with singers who have not had training is the lack of correct vocal production and vocal fold closure.
When the vocal folds are too far apart this results in an overly breathy voice and a lack of overall control.
Sometimes the singer is even unaware of the breathiness in their voice. Because the ears are far back from the mouth, the singer mostly hears the sound from inside their head and not the actual sound that is being produced coming out of their mouth. That is why your voice sounds slightly different on a microphone or during recording listening in headphones where you hear all of the subtleties.
Try this:
- To more accurately hear your voice first sing and “AH” without cupping the ears
- Then sing an “AH” while cupping your ears with your hands. This brings the sound from your mouth directly into your ears. You will hear your vocal tone more accurately— as if under a microscope.
- Cupping the ear is not a habit you want to establish, but it is useful in this exercise.
- I use a device called “Hearfones” worn during vocal technique exercises that allows the singer to hear the voice more accurately. As you hear the voice more accurately, you will automatically self-correct the tone of your voice.
- Ultimately tone is developed and improved correctly with specific vocal techniques taught in my Cole Vocal Method that includes The Singers Gift Vocal Warmups, The Vocal Rescue Kit and my Master Voice Building exercises taught inside my Vocal Freedom Circle.
5. Stop spreading your voice wide. Think long and oval.
Stop spreading your lips in a smile when you sing. This is a technique used by some voice teachers to brighten up the sound of the voice, but unfortunately, without the correct foundation in the technique, this will only pull the laryngeal muscles upward destabilizing the voice and creating a thin sound.
Try this:
- Do this in front of a mirror. Place your finger horizontally across the top of the throat. Watch your finger. Yawn. Did you see your finger and the throat slip downward? This position helps to lower the laryngeal muscles and open the throat creating a lusher richer tone and timbre.
- Try using an oval shape in your mouth when singing vowels. Shape your mouth in a long oval like an egg standing upright on your vowels. Don’t overdo it, just apply it a bit and you should hear a pronounced difference in the richness or fullness of your tone.
- Also, stop tightening your mouth and jaw when you sing. This means you are “using” these muscles to sing with and they should be accessory muscles to the sound – not primary.
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To work on your belt and sing with more power, start by practicing my Singers Gift Vocal Warmups (see below). These are the starting point for my technique. These exercises will open and free your voice while developing vocal tone and the right alignment that leads to power. To sing with power, your voice needs to be free of tension, have good alignment practices (long neck and a raised chest), as well as have great breath control by breathing diaphragmatically to support a powerful sound.
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Hi, I’m Cari Cole.
You’ve got talent, but you want to become great at it. You’re in the right place! My mission is to help you refine your unique artist vision to bring to the world.
About Cari Cole
Cari Cole is the CEO / Founder of caricole.com and CCVM: Label Without Walls. She is a Holistic Vocal Coach, Artist Development Expert, A&R Director, and Songwriter based in New York City helping artists for the past 38 years. She is a mentor for Women in Music and The Association of Independent Music Publishers.
Her latest venture, CCVM a label services company, provides artists with a seamless path from creation to completion. After 30+ years of observing the overwhelm and challenges that artists face, Cari pulled together the best top creative professionals and designed a new approach to supporting our artists.
Disclaimer:
The information provided on Cari Cole's website is informational only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Cari Cole's website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
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