How to Sing Like a Professional

Last Updated: July 14, 2021 References Approved

With some skills, practice, and determination, you can easily sing like a professional. Make sure your neck is straight and you have good posture, and always warm up before you start. Practice every day, record and listen to yourself, and keep a healthy lifestyle to develop your skills. It is important to be confident and have your own unique singing voice to sound like a professional. Have some patience and don’t give up, and over time you’ll develop your voice and sing great!

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Using Proper Technique

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Keep your neck straight when you sing so you can breathe properly. If you lift your head up, your vocal cords stretch with the movement and your voice may get strained faster. Your tone will likely be off and sound altered as well. To prevent this, always keep your neck straight with your head comfortably facing forwards. This is proper singing form.^{[1]
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- This also keeps your vocal cords relaxed, so you can hit all the high notes!
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Maintain good posture to maintain proper singing form. Before you sing, straighten your back, and square your shoulders. Don’t overstrain yourself so you are uncomfortable, but support your diaphragm by standing straight and tall. Good posture results in good breathing techniques, which is crucial when singing like a professional.
- If you don’t have proper posture, you may not be able to develop a full range of major and minor scales, for instance.
- Avoid being too rigid or stiff. You want to stand up straight, but don't lock your knees or constrict your muscles.
- To practice good posture, try standing against a wall or lying on your back while singing.^{[2]
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Sing from your diaphragm to control your airflow. To do this, use your abdominal muscles to breathe from your belly or diaphragm region. Inhale quickly and deeply, and then exhale slowly and steadily. This breath cycle allows you to let out rich notes with ease.
- Singing with your lungs full of air helps you maintain your pitch and extend your notes for longer.
- Professional singers have superb air flow regulation, so they can bust out solos or sing 1 note for a long time.
4
Warm up before you start to preserve your singing voice. Professionals take care of their voice to keep it in optimal condition. To do this, always start with a vocal warm-up before you sing. A warm-up is an exercise designed to prepare the voice and body for singing. You can do things like roll your lips and practice major and minor scales.
- To roll your lips, relax them and blow air through your mouth to get them to vibrate. Then, change your pitch to stretch your vocal cords. This keeps you relaxed while still getting your muscles moving.
- There are countless warm-up video tutorials online if you need additional resources.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Developing Your Skills

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Find a singing mentor or instructor to get professional assistance. One-on-one coaching is a great way to take your singing skills to the next level. You can find a local instructor by searching online or asking your peers for recommendations. In addition, many singers offer virtual, video instruction options. Find a lesson plan that works with your schedule.^{[3]
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- While this is not required, it helps you learn new skills and get a professional opinion.
- Having someone else listen to your voice and offer feedback is extremely helpful when developing your skills. Even professional singers, like Celine Dion, have vocal coaches!
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Sing for several 30-minute sessions a day to practice regularly. The best way to improve your singing voice is to sing as much as you can. To do this, set aside a short practice session every day. You can also sing throughout your day to maintain your skills and work on new abilities. Sing your favorite song, or learn the lyrics to a new one. Over time, your voice may become clearer and stronger.
- If your schedule permits it, sing for 1-3 hours a day! Be sure to take a 30-minute break after each 30-minute singing session to allow your voice to rest. During the break, memorize lyrics, work on your posture, or practice breath control.
- If you have an important event coming up, don’t strain your voice the night before. Instead of a massive practice session, sing for just a few minutes as a warm-up.
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Practice your scales and octaves regularly. Start with a "C" note, and sing all of the notes in the scale until you reach "C" in the next octave. Then, do this for the next octave of notes. You can listen to video tutorials or use an app like Sing-Sharp to follow along with the pitch.^{[4]
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- This helps you practice singing higher and lower notes and develop your range.
- For best results, practice your scales every day. You can do this as part of your warm-up exercises.
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Use a familiar song or digital tuner to make sure you sing in tune. This is super important when singing like a professional. To check this, play a song with a steady beat, and sing along with the melody. If you are on key, your voice will easily blend in with the music. If you are off key, your voice will sound harsh and unpleasant.^{[5]
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- In addition, you can use a digital tuner you help you. When the tuner plays a note, and sing the tone and match it to the best of your ability. The tuner indicates if you are singing too high or too low, and then adjust your pitch as needed. There are also apps, like Sing-scope, that you can use in place of a tuner.
- If your tone is off, then your singing voice may sound sloppy and unprofessional.
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Record your singing voice with a microphone to track your progress. You can use a smartphone, computer microphone, or an online song recorder. Sing a song you are very familiar with, and then listen to the song after you record it. Listen for mistakes and places for improvement, and also note what you did well.
- To use your smartphone, look for the “Microphone” app on your phone to get started.
- To use your computer, click on the “Start” button and search for “Microphone” on your application list.
- You can also use sites like https://online-voice-recorder.com/.
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Maintain a healthy lifestyle to protect your voice. Singing like a professional starts with taking care of yourself. Always drink 8 glasses of water a day, as your voice sounds best when you are hydrated. Don’t smoke cigarettes, and avoid foods that affect your voice, such as milk, alcohol, coffee, and nuts. These are harsh on the throat and can alter your singing voice.
- In addition, avoid singing when you have a cold or your throat feels scratchy. Let your voice rest, and drink some warm tea with honey.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Building Your Confidence

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Master the basics so you are confident in your abilities. To develop your basic skills, you must practice regularly and be dedicated. The more effort you put in, the more confident and free your voice will sound. This takes time, but it makes a big difference when singing like a pro.^{[6]
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- Have patience with yourself! Singing like a professional doesn't happen overnight.
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Look for new learning opportunities often to expand your horizons. You'll feel more confident and capable if you can sing a wide variety of songs and hit many different notes. To do this, learn new songs after you nail your favorites. Try different singing exercises to reinforce new abilities.^{[7]
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- There are countless online resources, including videos and song samples.
- You can also look for jobs or recreational activities that require you to sing frequently.
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Have your own unique voice and don’t be shy with it. Professional singers know their personal voice and aren’t afraid to use it! As you practice your singing voice, you will naturally develop your own style, tone, and sound. When you get a feel for this, run with it If you try to be anyone but yourself, you will put extra pressure on yourself and not get the results you want.^{[8]
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- While looking to singing legends can help inspire and motivate you, avoid striving to sound just like them.
- If you are doubting your voice or are unsure of your own style, keep practicing. The more you develop your skills, the easier this will come to you.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Singing in Public

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Pick a song you know very well so you can sound your best. The more comfortable you are with your song choice, the better you can deliver the song. Choose a song you have practiced many times and know by heart. Knowing the song well helps alleviate any anxiety or stage fright as you get ready to perform.^{[9]
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- If you pick a song you haven't practiced much, you may wind up forgetting a part or not hitting all the right notes.
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Captivate your audience by matching the tone of your song. Great vocal technique is part of singing well, but the delivery of your song makes the performance special. To do this, think about the lyrics or melody you are singing, and embody the emotions as best as you can. In addition, you can dance and move to the beat to deliver an authentic performance.^{[10]
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- For example, if you are singing a melancholy song, think about times you’ve felt sad or disappointed, and infuse your song with these emotions. Feel them in your heart, and sing in a way to reflect them.
- Pick a song that has meaning to you, so you can easily embody the theme or emotions of the track. While you're performing, keep in mind why the lyrics are important to you and why you want to share this song.
- If you sing great but don’t seem connected to the song, your performance will seem staccato.
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Keep going if you make a mistake. If you are in a performance and you miss a note or sing out of key, that’s okay! Simply keep going as if nothing happened. Sing the next note or improvise by changing your pitch. If you don't draw attention to the mistake, the audience likely won’t even notice the error.^{[11]
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- If you stop and draw attention to the mistake, people will realize something is wrong.

Expert Q&A
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Question

Can you learn to sing with a bad voice?

Annabeth Novitzki
Music Teacher
Annabeth Novitzki is a Private Music Teacher in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Memphis in 2012. She has been teaching music lessons since 2004.

Annabeth Novitzki

Music Teacher

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

You can definitely learn to sing in ways that are damaging to your voice or don't sound good. That's why it's so important to get feedback from a professional, like a voice teacher, if you want to improve.
Question

How can I sing higher?

Annabeth Novitzki
Music Teacher
Annabeth Novitzki is a Private Music Teacher in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Memphis in 2012. She has been teaching music lessons since 2004.

Annabeth Novitzki

Music Teacher

Expert Answer

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All the skills in this article will help, but the primary skills to support high notes are strong breath support and a very relaxed throat. To see more specifics on singing high notes, check out this article: https://www.wikihow.com/Sing-High-Notes
Question

What is professional singing?

Annabeth Novitzki
Music Teacher
Annabeth Novitzki is a Private Music Teacher in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Memphis in 2012. She has been teaching music lessons since 2004.

Annabeth Novitzki

Music Teacher

Expert Answer

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A professional singer is one who gets paid to sing. Most people sing for a hobby or because they love it, but professional singers practice, train, and rehearse because they are able to earn money singing.

Warnings

Avoid singing in keys that are out of your range. You want to be comfortable when you sing, and pushing yourself beyond your range will not make you sound your best.

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