Q&A for How to Sing Classically

It will not happen at once. Also, keep in mind that how high you end up singing will depend on whether you are an alto, mezzo, or soprano. Start practicing with the lower notes first, then build your way up to the higher ones. Don't attempt to go too high, or you will ruin your voice; if the notes become too painful to sing, you should stop.

Breathe from your belly, not your throat. When you breathe from your belly, your voice is fuller and not as raspy. Raise the corners of your mouth -- this will make your voice clearer. If you want to be good at singing and overcome your weaknesses, you have to put some time and effort into it, meaning you have to practice a lot.

Criticism, whether it be constructive or not, like negative thoughts, can hold us back. Use it to analyse yourself. Confidence does not come straight away - just like technique, it takes work. They tend to go hand in hand. Sing alone at first and be honest with yourself. Our friends, no matter how well-meaning, might not know the best way to help. Being nervous is natural, but notice how it flies away as you get on with your singing - almost everyone is the same. We can actually become better, happier people by learning something like singing.

If your throat feels scratchy when singing, it is probably because your vocal folds are not open. It would take too long to go into detail here, so search up the anatomy of the voice box if you're curious. If you don't want to do that, try and make the shape with your tongue that you make just before you yawn. This lifts the soft palette and opens the vocal folds wider.

Depending on if it's private or group, roughly an hour.

Start singing the scale starting on a lower note. If you want to sing higher, I would recommend using your head voice if you're not already - try to sing from the top of your head. If you're having trouble with this, find a vocal coach or look up some videos online - there are tons on YouTube. Please don't strain your voice though - if you are trying to hit those notes and it's just not happening, or it hurts, stop immediately - trust me, I've dealt with this before- instead, work on strengthening the notes directly underneath the ones that are causing you trouble, and work your way up slowly over time.

You may be pushing your voice too hard. Be a little kinder to it. Drink lots of water, give it plenty of rest, and don't go past your range. If you want to increase your vocal range, get a coach, look up you tube videos, and strengthen what you DO have in your upper range. Be careful not to strain your voice though. Move your range up very slowly.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow is a very good piece. It works for me, and I'm a soprano.