Do you dream of setting your voice free and reaching your full potential as a singer? An online singing course, such as the one offered by Voice Essentials, might be just the thing you have been looking for to improve your skills and your confidence as a singer. We take a look at the basics you need to know before looking for online singing courses.

What You Should Know About Singing Courses Online

You might be excited to jump right in and get started with an online vocal course but hold your horses (and high notes) for just a moment. When you are looking for a learn to sing online course, it is important to know a few basics about singing to evaluate the various vocal courses online to make sure that you choose the one that is best for you:

  • Keep that voice box in good shape. As a singer, your instrument is your vocal cords. Just like other musicians take care of their instruments, you also need to look after your voice. Make sure that you know the fundamentals of singing to avoid strain or damage to your vocal cords. It is necessary to warm up correctly and to keep hydrated. If you are a singer, you cannot be a smoker!
  • You should also be aware that your vocal health will not be the same every day. An easy way of checking your voice is to yawn loudly. If you don't have any trouble hitting the high notes while you yawn, your vocal cords are in a healthy condition. If this is not the case, it may be a good idea not to do any strenuous vocal exercises on that particular day, as this may irritate your vocal cords even further. When you are considering taking online singing classes, checking whether they stress vocal health is important.
  • Take a breath. Air is the medium through which sound travels, and accordingly, breathing correctly is one of the most crucial aspects of singing, as you will find out in just about any singing classes online. Breathing will determine how well you use your voice. A typical mistake that novice singers make is to extend their diaphragm lengthwise when they inhale in an attempt to fill up their lungs. What you should do is open your diaphragm forward. This movement enlarges the space in your abdomen instead of flattening it out. This is a habit that you should keep up not only when you are singing, but as you breathe throughout the day. As you go about your day, remember to be mindful of the location of your breathing.
  • There are also a few other simple exercises that you can do to improve your breathing. You can try to inhale for four seconds and then exhale again for another four seconds. Make sure that you are extending and relaxing your diaphragm instead of stretching out your ribs and flattening your chest and belly. Repeat the exercise by exhaling and inhaling for eight seconds, and then for sixteen. This will help you to improve your breathing capacity.
  • Stay pitch-perfect. In simple terms, pitch tells us whether a sound is high or low. Some people have a natural talent for identifying the exact pitch of a note. We call this ability perfect pitch. If you are not so lucky, there is no need to worry. It only takes some practice to develop this skill. You can improve your ability to match your singing pitch to that of the music by having your music teacher play a note on the piano, and then try to match your voice to that note. If you don't have ready access to a real-life singing teacher, there are many options for online vocal classes, so there is no need for you to miss out.

These online classes will help you train to match your voice to any pitch to become a skilled singer. If you still have trouble playing this 'by ear' as it were, you can download an app that measures pitch exactly, and practice until the measurement of your voice and the measurement of the note on the piano are the same.

Advantages of Voice Essentials' Online Singing Program

If you are looking for vocal classes online, you can get all you need, and much more, with Voice Essentials' online singing course. To cater for all singers, there are courses available for three levels of proficiency to match your singing needs exactly:

  • Voice Essentials 1 – The perfect introduction for beginner singers. If you are just starting to find your voice as a singer, this course, which consists of ten modules, provides the ideal starting point for your journey. In this course, you will practice the technical skills all professional singers should master: managing your breathing tension, phonatory patterns, vocal tone, volume, pitch, articulation and resonance. We have based all the training exercises on research and evidence and specifically developed them to improve vocal range, performance and tone.
  • Voice Essentials 2 – The next step in your singing journey. This course of twelve modules is ideal for singers who have basic training but are looking to extend their vocal range and improve their performance. The learning aids provided in this course include downloadable lesson sheets for every module. We have designed this lesson to facilitate self-directed learning even after you have worked through the course. You will also have the added benefit of learning from fellow singers! You can engage in discussions and benefit from the support offered by a community of like-minded people.
  • Voice Essentials 3 – Reaching new heights with your voice. This course is the ideal challenge for advanced singers who want to bring out their best. Professional singers need to be able to sing for multiple hours on consecutive days. To do this, they need to train their singing organs not only to withstand this strain but also to sound amazing while enduring it. Voice Essentials 3 will introduce you to vibrato, help practice your falsetto and equip you with the skills necessary for singing harmony.

About Voice Essentials

At voice essentials, we believe that singing is a skill, not a gift. That means anyone can sing! We know that any person can develop their voice beyond its current ability if they follow an optimally designed training regime. What began as a selection of singing exercises for Dr Dan's private singing students has now become a comprehensive course available to anyone online. With more than 400 videos about learning to sing, Dr Dan's Voice Essentials community keeps on growing. With the increase apparent in the online groups, it is evident that although most singers would prefer face-to-face singing lessons, this is not always possible. To address this growing need, Dr Dan has created an extensive course and learning environment with lessons based on evidence and research. It is available at competitive prices to adults who want to learn to sing. Contact us today so we can help you to hit every note, every time.