I started studying singing for a music degree last year. Though previously I've been singing with different bands and set ups (and karaoke, of course!), only after starting to really study the topic, I started to realize what "rehearsing" actually means. Though I've trained with amazing singing coaches, I've always had hard time to actually rehearse enough on my own. And voice, as an instrument, really needs it repetition and systematic rehearsing to learn new stuff.

After few weeks I noticed that my tune had significantly improved and after a month I was slaying songs I never before could properly sing.

Ever since I started studying singing, I made rehearsing part of my every day. And the improvement has been mind-blowing. After few weeks I noticed that my tune had significantly improved and after a month I was slaying songs I never before could properly sing.

Though I'm still at the beginning of my journey as a singer, I wanted to share some rehearsing tips that I've found useful. However, I do believe that singing belongs to everyone, like we say at Singa - not just for the trained singers. There's no right or wrong in karaoke, and continuing your singing just the way it is is perfectly fine! But if you're interested in developing your skill, read on!


1. Rehearse and Repeat


As we are not machines (yet?), we don't usually master things by showing our body once like 'hey, this is how it's done' and then expecting it to know it the next time. Everyone who's been training almost anything (like dance, piano, football, tennis, etc.) knows this. We need repetition. When I'm trying to learn and master something new - for example a scale or piano comp - I might train it twice a day for 3 to 7 days in a row and then see how far I've come with it. For example if trying learn to sing with using a blues scale, I might repeat rehearsals like this:

Some things take 3 days to learn, while some you might train the rest of your life.


2. Use helpful tools

Though you don't need anything but your voice to sing, I use some apps to make it easier for me to rehearse. Whenever I need to practice a new song for a gig, I search it's karaoke background from Singa. With a karaoke version it's easy to learn the lyrics while practicing the vocals. With Singa, the song can also be transposed 4 steps up or down, so I can find the right key for me and train with the fitting key. Singa also has assisting vocals for many tracks, that you can turn on if you need support with learning the melody.

With Singa my practice pattern looks like something like this:

1. Find the song I want to practice from Singa
2. Try with the original key first, and then transpose if necessary to the right key for me.
3. Sing the song with the karaoke background a few times.
4. Dig into the details. When there's an unfamiliar or difficult phrase/part in the song, I'll stop, rewind, go though the part, and take it again as many times as necessary.
5. You guessed it. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

3. Imitate

Even though every voice is unique, and at least personally I don't prefer to sound like anyone else, sometimes imitation is the way. Really good trick for me to learn something new, is to take a song that is either really hard for me, or, style-wise something I never-ever sing - and start learning it, in the exact manner it's been sang by someone else. Like, say, take a Christina Aquilera live performance and imitate every single ornamentation she does. Takes nerves? Yes. Get's you somewhere? Also yes.

Anyway, these are the few things I wanted to share - hope you find it helpful! If you'd want to share something with me that you have found useful, please ping me at silja (at) singa.com, or on Instagram @siljani  

Feel like singing? Navigate to Singa to find instrumental tracks for your practice. Happy singing!