Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 11/7/2007

Question
i cant afford voice training but i need to have a good voice for my musical theatre audition in 6months. Everyone keeps telling me to sing from my stomach but i have o idea how to! is there any way I can train my own voice?

Answer
Hi Hannah.  Thanks for writing.  This is a good question.  Let's see if I can help you.

First I will say that taking lessons is the best way to go.  I know you say you cannot afford them at this time.  But if you could find a way to pay for them, that would be best.  A good vocal coach keeps you accountable, is someone to talk with and can assist you in not harming your voice.  

That said, if you have the personal discipline to rehearse on your own, you can teach yourself things.  If you could find a good instruction book on singing at your local library, that would help you.  You want to look for a book that supports singing with your diaphragm. (It's not your stomach that you use but a muscle called the diaphragm in the lower part of your torso.  It's in your abdomen area.)

Singing strength is all about using your breath and your diaphragm.  So if the book has any exercises that you can do to strengthen your breathing first, that would be where you want to start.  Breathing capacity (strength of diaphragm and lungs) is key.

See if you can find a book first.  Then get back to me if you cannot and I can try to give you some exercises.  (Try to look for a book with pictures/ graphs / charts.)

Again, going to someone for lessons is preferred.  Finding a way to make that little extra amount of cash to do this would be worth your while.  But a book is a possible substitute.  It's a weak one but it is a possibility.  

I hope that helps.

Wanda