Free Singing Tips - Tips to Hold a Note for Longer

Most singing problems are related to breath support so If you want to hold notes longer you need to do the following:

Take in enough air before the note starts but not too much as you may feel the urge to rapidly exhale if you have taken in too much air. You will get a feel when you have enough air.

Once you have mastered this you need to let it escape slowly and use your vocal chords to create the desired note as the air passes them. It can be thought of as squeezing air out of a tight gap, or when you have air escaping out of a tyre, you hear the air ‘squeaking’ out. You need to remember the higher the pressure and the smaller the hole the air has to escape the higher the note will be.

Another good tip is to make sure you are supporting your breath. To do this lie on your back and exhale until you cannot breath out any more. Put your hand on your abdomen and breath in, you should aim to have your abdomen inflate as you breathe in rather than your shoulders move out.

If you do this then this means you are putting more weight behind inflating your lungs and giving your breath-out more control from the bottom up. Your abdomen muscles are much stronger and smoother to control than your upper torso, and so it follows that your output will be much smoother and more controlled for that perfect note. Now remember the way you breathed in on the floor. Stand up and breathe the same way. Breathe in and count to four then perform your note.

When you are performing the note you also need to think about where you come in to the note. You could build up to it from a lower note or come in over the top and then merge down into it. As you already have taken a deep breath in anticipation of the note then you are expending less breath and energy to come in slightly above the note because you are using your vocal chords to tune in top-down.

Tuning in from a lower tone means you are increasing your vocal frequency, stabilising it and then lowering it again. All of this uses more energy and time trying to tune into the note you desire.

Long considered one of the most artistically challenging vocal skills, a beautiful vibrato quality is often what creates the world's most memorable voices.