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Projecting your Hindustani singing voice is not as easy as it sounds. Nor was difficult, luckily! Projecting Your Hindustani singing voice comes, like many great skills, only with loads of practice; however, there are certain steps anyone wanting to do this can take to make sure they're heading in the right direction. Projecting your voice is nothing but the ability to focus your voice so that it is clearly audible even without the use of microphones and speakers. Being able to do so means that your voice will be more audible, attractive, and authoritative.

  1. If you do have a singing voice, that is. How does one tell if one has a singing voice? Well, think of get-togethers, parties, or hang-out sessions where you either were asked to sing or volunteered to. Recall the response you got. Were people happy to hear you? If they were, then that's the best proof that you've got a singing voice. Don't count bathroom singing, though.
    • The machinery that you have in your body is made up of your stomach, lungs, windpipe, larynx (throat, simply put), mouth and tongue. It is of utmost importance that you take good care of these. Gargling with hot, salted water is a good way to keep the larynx clear and free of germs. The more organic and digestible your food, the better will be able to control your voice.
  2. Begin practicing holding it for a few seconds and increase it gradually. However, don't hold it for much more than a minute. It is advisable to learn the proper technique of pranayam. A yoga teacher will be able to instruct you.
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  3. A classical Hindustani vocal music trainer will be able to suggest exercises that you can use to project your voice.
  4. Breath control is of utmost importance. Control does not imply simply or only holding the breath for the longest possible duration (which is around 2-5 minutes, in the case of experts). It involves the ability to use air stored in your lungs to sing fluently, that is, without unnecessary or inharmonious pauses.
  5. Try to emulate them to the extent possible. You can also sing classical numbers from old Hindi films. For that matter, you can try out any classic songs by greats such as Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, Yesudas, Hariharan, and so on.
  6. Practice singing their songs. Invest in a good CD or cassette player and CDs and cassettes. Choose your favorite singers and listen to their voices attentively. Try singing along with the song. You can also try out karaoke audio CDs and cassettes. You will need to 'know' a song thoroughly, however, before you are able to use karaoke tracks. Such tracks are also available online. Explore the Internet for karaoke tracks.
  7. This will constitute first-hand experience.
  8. Protect it, develop it, and don't take paan (betel leaf) or tobacco. Keep well away from these. Your capacity to sing will develop gradually.
  9. Riyaaz (practice) is crucial. Spare an hour or so regularly to practice singing and projecting your voice.
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  • Question
    How can I control my voice to make it more efficient for singing?
    Community Answer
    Choose one note, preferably "Sa", and practice it for 20-30 minutes on tanpura. You can get free apps in Android for tanpura, if need be. Then try to sing other notes after 30 mins of "Sa".
  • Question
    How can we convert a heavy voice to a soft and light voice?
    Community Answer
    You don't have to if unless it's very important. Try breathing with your stomach rather than lungs for 10 minutes everyday, then you will be able to project your voice in a much better way.
  • Question
    How often do I need to rehearse?
    Community Answer
    Daily, no skipping. Skipping one day destroys 40 days of rehearsal as per Indian classical music texts.
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