1. Find a good vocal coach.
(Shamelessly self-serving, I know…but it’s the truth. ) If you’re a beginner, you have the golden opportunity of starting off with a “blank slate.” Don’t blow it by filling that slate with bad habits and poor training. Some vocalists go the “self-taught” route, but there’s a higher chance of doing long-term harm for the sake of short-term gain.

2. Get connected.
Learn how to connect your bottom and top voice so you can sing from low to high without any breaks. Unless you are an incredibly “tight” singer, your vocal coach should get you into some sort of connection (even if it’s not polished) in your FIRST lesson. Get that connection and singing songs will be rewarding. Don’t get it, and you’ll be in for a world of frustration and pain. See the article Belting 101: the Life and Times of a Yeller.

3. Practice frequently.
Notice that I didn’t say “for a long time.” The fastest way to build good vocal habits is to repeat them frequently. If you repeat one 10-second exercise 10 times a day, you will develop the habit faster than if you practice one hour straight per day. See the article Talent vs. Training

4. Warm up.
When you do settle in for a longer practice session, start with exercises that encourage an easy balance in your voice. This helps the muscles and tissues associated with singing to “warm up,” resulting in increased blood flow and elasticity. Lip trills and tongue trills are great because they require less of your voice than actual singing. 3-5 minutes of these exercises should get the warm-up process well on its way.

5. Workout.
After your voice is warmed up and “ready to roll,” don’t go straight into a song. Train your voice the way an athlete trains his body…take your voice to the gym. I call it “voice building.” Your vocal coach should be giving you exercises that break down your bad habits and build up good ones. Your voice will develop faster if you practice these every day, even more often than you practice songs.
6. Find practice and performance songs.

A practice song is a “voice building” song. It’s one that challenges and encourages your voice to stretch out in new directions. You won’t be able to sing it in a perfect, polished way at first, so just practice it at home and in your voice lessons. Eventually, you will master it, and it will turn into a performance song when you can sing it “in your sleep.”

7. Drink plenty of water.
A healthy singer needs at least two litres of water a day. If you’re voice is not healthy, you may need to drink more like three. This hydrates the voice and lubricates the vocal cords…like putting oil in your engine. Don’t guzzle your water. Sip it over the course of a day so your body has time to absorb it.

8. Avoid caffeine before singing.
Caffeine is a diuretic (like alcohol and decongestants) which means it dries you out. Remember all that water you’re drinking to stay hydrated and lubricated? Well, that cup of coffee is DE-hydrating your body. I’ll admit it…like most Vancouverites, I’m a Starbucks addict. So if you must partake, drink a cup of water for every cup of coffee or alcohol.

9. If it hurts, stop.
Singing with good technique means singing with ease and comfort. If you feel strain, you’re doing something wrong. Don’t practice a strained high note over and over, hoping that it will get easier to sing. You will just teach your body how NOT to sing. Ask your vocal coach for exercises that help you sing those same notes in an easy, balanced way. Then transfer that feeling from the exercise into the song that was causing you grief.

10. Have fun!
Remember that singing is supposed to be enjoyable. Don’t get so serious or so critical about your voice that singing loses its magic. Love and enjoy your voice for what it is today, expecting that it will just get better and better!