5 Exercises to Increase Singing Power Like Crazy!

5 Exercises to Increase Singing Power Like Crazy!

Let’s be real:

Everyone wants more vocal power.

After all, there’s no shortage of breathy or soft singers out there!

That’s because most beginner singers end up singing light because they don’t know how to sing with more power.

Now, don’t get me wrong, singing with a breathy voice is an important vocal effect. 

But it’s the singers who can belt that get the spotlight.

Why is that?

Well, in addition to singing louder, singers with more power generally have better vocal tone, vocal range and vocal control.

I mean, is there anything more exciting than a great vocalist singing a note with tons of vocal power?

If you’re wondering how to increase vocal range, adding power to your voice is a great way to do it!

If you’ve ever wondered how to increase vocal range without falsetto, wonder no more.

Adding more power to your voice is a great way to hit those high notes without falling into falsetto.

Now, I’m going to let you in on a little secret:

Increasing your singing power is EASY when you use the right vocal exercises.

Since power and range are related, these are also great vocal exercises for singers to both strengthen a weak voice and increase range!

Unfortunately, we’ve all seen that singer that just strains and pushes their voice to get more vocal power.

But here’s the truth:

Real vocal power comes from using the natural power that’s already in your voice, not from pushing it.

a man holding his throat in pain

And if you’re forcing those notes, usually they don’t sound good.

But we love the singers who can get that easy power into their sound!

The legends of powerhouse singing! You know who I’m talking about:

Freddie Mercury, John Legend, Adele, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin…

And we love these singers because they make singing with power look easy!

But it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been singing 20 year or you’re just starting out:

You can sing with more vocal power.

It just takes practice and the right singing techniques.

Today I want to present my 5 favorite exercises for showing how to have power when singing but without destroying your voice.

These exercises will show you how to strengthen your voice and increase your vocal power, meaning that you’ll be able to hit high and low notes clearly and powerfully every time.

If you’re wondering how to increase lung power for singing, or how to increase voice power more generally, these exercises are a fantastic place to start.

And I promise that if you practice these exercises daily, you’ll increase your singing power like crazy!

Sound good?

Let’s get started…

By the way, if you want to watch a great video that walks you through these exercises step-by-step, check this out:

5 Exercises to Increase Your Singing Power Like Crazy!

What is Vocal Power?

We all know vocal power when we hear it:

Freddie Mercury at Live Aid:

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (Live Aid 1985)

Or Adele at the Echo Awards:

Adele's best live performance of rolling in the deep

The list of remarkable performances goes on and on…

But what is vocal power really?

Here’s what you need to know about the meaning of vocal strength or vocal power:

Vocal power is a singer’s ability to sing at a loud volume or dynamic. 

So, vocal power means singing with a lot of volume, right? You just need to know how to make your singing voice stronger and louder, right? That’s easy!

Well, not so much.

Here’s why:

If you just push for more volume, you could end up straining your voice or yelling.

So the real trick is to improve singing power without destroying your voice, to sing with power without straining.

And that takes skill and practice.

So how can you massively improve your vocal power easily?

Here’s how it works:

How to Increase Singing Power

A young black man singing into a microphone on stage in blue lighting

Let’s face it:

Singing power is the most in-demand skill a singer can have.

Whether you sing Rock, Pop or R&B, vocal power is a must!

Even most musical theatre auditions list vocal power as a requirement!

Clearly, if you’re wondering how to sing better, singing with more power is essential no matter what music you like.

But how do you actually improve singing power?

In order to understand that, let’s talk a little bit about how the singing voice works.

Here’s what you need to know:

Singing power comes from the interaction of your breath and your vocal cords.

To put it simply:

Vocal Power = Breath + Muscle

What does that mean?

Well, most people understand how important breathing for singing is.

After all, breath is the fuel for your singing voice.

But what do I mean by muscle in singing?

Well, when you sing, the muscles in your voice that create sound (the vocal cords) come together to vibrate.

In case you’re not familiar, the vocal cords are the pair of layered folds of mucosa and muscle in your voice box.

The vocal folds closed or approximated

When you sing, the vocal cords come together to resist the air from your lungs.

This resistance causes the vocal cords to vibrate together to create the sound that we hear as singing!

What about how to make vocal cords stronger? Do vocal cords get stronger the more you practice? Yes, of course! But the full story is a little more interesting:

You have to have the right balance of breath and muscle to increase your singing power.

Singing power, meaning both the breath and muscle of your voice, is about balance, not just raw strength in your vocal cords.

If you have all muscle and low air, there’s very little sound.

Low Air + High Muscle = Little Singing Power

Why?

Because if there’s not enough air for the vocal cords to vibrate, there won’t be much sound.

These are the guys that are straining so hard to sing that their voice sounds squeezed shut. 

There’s just not enough airflow to get the right amount of sound!

Or if you have a ton of air and no muscle, again there’s very little power.

That would look like this:

High Air + Low Muscle = Little Singing Power

That’s because if there’s not enough muscle to resist the air, the air will simply leak out in the vocal tone.

These are the young girls that are singing so breathy and light that there’s no real tone in their voice. There’s just not enough muscular resistance to get a powerful sound!

But if you have air AND muscle working together, you’ve got a recipe for amazing vocal power:

High Air + High Muscle = Tons of Singing Power!!!

Now before you go and blow out your voice singing as loud as you can, let me say this:

Real vocal power comes from the right combination of breath and muscle.

If one of those ingredients is out of balance you’ll either have a vocal break or strain your voice.

And that’s the opposite of vocal power.

The fact is you have to balance the breath and muscle in order to improve your singing power safely.

Just think about it:

If you just add a ton more muscle, you’ll just strain your voice and break.

a woman in a white tank top making a muscle with her right arm

Or if you add a massive amount of breath support, you’ll just sing super breathy.

Little blonde boy holding breath by plugging his nose

But if you can use more muscle AND more breath support, it’s easy to to increase your singing power.

So now that you understand that singing power happens when you find the right balance of breath and muscle, here are my 5 favorite exercises for helping you get your voice in balance.

These exercises will show you how to make your voice more powerful when singing, how to strengthen your singing voice without straining.

And when you find this balance, increasing vocal power feels easy.

Sound good?

Read on…

Sing with Power Exercise #1: The 5-Tone Count

Woman in blue light performing on stage in front of a microphone

Can I tell you a secret?

The easiest way to increase your singing power is to use the natural power of your speaking voice.

Expand Vocal Range

Want to Nail Those High Notes?

Every singer wants to expand their range. Expand Your Range Fast will show you how to finally hit high notes in your voice without straining. Expand your range by 5 notes or more!

Learn More

That’s because most people don’t speak too breathy or softly.

However, some of those same people will instantly be breathy and light when they start singing.

It’s bullcrap!

So let’s start increasing singing power by using more of your speaking voice.

In our first singing exercise, you’re going to speak-sing the numbers 1-5 on a very simple scale.

That way you can start to get the same feeling of your speaking voice in your singing.

And that’s a guaranteed way to increase vocal power!

Ready?

Here’s how you do the exercise:

This vocal power exercises is pretty straightforward:

1. Say the numbers “One, Two, Three, Four, Five” out loud at a strong volume.

2. Now find a comfortable note at the bottom of your voice (try C3 for guys and G3 for girls) and speak-sing the word “One” on that note.

3. Finally, speak-sing the numbers 1 through 5 on a 5-Tone scale, where you keep every note as strong as you would speak it.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a piano.

Check out this video walking you through the exercise:

10 Singing Techniques to Improve Your Voice

Do you feel how much stronger those notes sound when you speak-sing them?

The truth is that vocal power is easy to improve when you use this “speaking” power when you sing.

And even though you don’t want to sound exactly like you’re “speaking” when you sing, it’s important to start with this kind of sound when you’re increasing singing power.

Sing with Power Exercise #2: The 5-Tone “Gug”

Man with his mouth open wide shouting

Now that you’re starting to find more vocal power in your voice with the 5-Tone count, it’s time to show you one of my favorite exercises for singing power.

It’s called the “Gug” exercise.

In this warm up, we’ll switch from a single vowel/consonant combination in order to boost your vocal strength.

In this case, we’ll use a “G” consonant with an “Uh” vowel in order to gain more power.

That’s because the “G” sound closes the vocal cords very completely.

And remember, closing the cords more will help you find the right balance of air and muscle when you sing. 

Here’s how you do the “Gug” exercise:

1. Say the word “Gug” (as in “Gut” with a “g” at the end) out loud at a strong volume. 

2. Next, find a comfortable note at the bottom of your voice (again try C3 for guys and G3 for girls) and sing the word “Gug” on the note with the same strength as you were speaking it.

3. Finally, speak-sing the “Gug” on the same 5-Tone scale I showed you in the last exercise.

Again, don’t worry if you don’t have a piano.

Here’s a video that walks you through the exercise:

The 10 Best Vocal Exercises for Singers--All Male and Female Keys

Remember to keep an emphasis on the “G” sound when you’re doing this exercise.

That’s because the “G” sound is giving you the vocal power that you want by using more of the vocal cord muscles.

So if you hear any breathiness in the vocal tone, you’re doing something wrong.

Instead, just say the word “Gut, gut, gut” out loud at a strong volume and you’ll be amazed how your singing power increases immediately.

Sing with Power Exercise #3: The Octave Repeat Bratty “Nae”

A male guitar player singing into a microphone on stage

Here’s the ugly truth:

It’s easy to find more singing power on the lower notes in your voice, but it’s a lot harder to sing with power at the top.

Why is that?

Well, the vocal cords stretch out more when you’re singing high notes.

And when the vocal cords stretch, they don’t vibrate as strongly as in the bottom part of your voice.

And remember:

If the vocal cords aren’t vibrating enough, there’s not enough muscle to resist the air from your lungs.

So instead of just singing high notes softly, I want to show you an exercise which will help you close your vocal cords more even on high notes.

But I have to warn you:

The next exercise uses a very ugly sound in order to get the vocal cords to work better.

It’s called the “bratty” sound and it’s super helpful in getting the cords to close even on your highest notes.

So don’t worry if you sound silly doing this exercise.

As soon as you learn to sing those high notes more strongly, we can work toward getting a more natural tone when you sing.

You’ve been warned…

Here’s how you do the bratty “Nae” exercise:

1. Say the word “Nae” (like “Nasty”) out loud in kind of a witchy or bratty way. If you’re having a hard time finding this sound, just picture the sound of the wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz.

2. Next, find a comfortable starting note (try E3 for guys and C#4 for girls), and sing the bratty “Nae” on that note.

3. Finally, sing an octave repeat scale where you take each note of the melody and replace it with the bratty “Nae” sound. 

If you’re not sure how to play this exercise on piano, don’t worry.

Here’s a great video that walks you through it:

What is Belting and How to Belt Your Singing Voice

Try to keep this exercise really ugly and bratty when you’re singing it.

Remember, the bratty sound is what helps the vocal cords vibrate when you’re singing those high notes.

So if you hear any lightness or breathiness in your voice, try to add a bit more of the ugly sound to those notes.

When you do this correctly, you’ll be amazed at how much more power you have when you sing!

Sing with Power Exercise #4: The Octave Repeat “Gug”

Man on stage singing into a mike with red lights in background

Let’s be honest:

The “bratty” sound is super helpful at increasing vocal power, but it sounds terrible!

So now that you’re singing the highest notes in your voice with the bratty “Nae” exercise, let’s see if you can do that on a slightly more normal sound.

In the next exercise, we’ll go back to using the “Gug” sound.

Remember, the “G” consonant is great at keeping the vocal cords vibrating when you’re singing.

And rather than using the “bratty” sound, the “uh” vowel is really great at keeping the voice relaxed.

Without further ado, here it is…

Here’s how to do the octave repeat “Gug”

1. Say the word “Gug” out loud like you’re saying the word “Gut” but with a “g” at the end.

2. Next, find a comfortable starting note (try F#3 for guys and C#4 for girls) and sing the word “Gug” on the same note.

3. Finally, take a breath and sing an octave repeat scale where you take each note of the scale and replace it with the word “Gug”.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a piano, here’s the vocal exercise so you can practice at home:

Learn to Sing Better Today!

Remember, the whole point of the “Gug” exercise is to help the vocal cords vibrate more.

And with more muscle and air, you’ll naturally have a louder voice.

But if you’re hearing that those high notes are breathy or light, make sure that you’re enunciating the “G” consonant strongly.

You’ll notice that your singing power increases dramatically as soon as you pronounce that “G” a bit stronger!

Sing with Power Exercise #5: The Octave Repeat “Mum”

Young man with sunglasses singing into a microphone on stage in blue lights

Now that you’ve learned to sing those high notes with crazy power, it’s time for a real challenge:

The octave repeat “Mum”

Why is the “Mum” a challenge?

Well, in the previous exercises, we’ve used different sounds in order to get the right balance of muscle and air in your singing voice.

But the “Mum” exercise will give you less support than the previous exercises.

For example, in the “Nae” exercise, we used the “bratty” sound to get more resistance to the air from your lungs.

And then in the “Gug” exercise, the “G” sound helped you resist the air in your vocal cords better.

But in the next exercise, you only have an “M” consonant to hold on to.

So if you’re singing the “Nae” and “Gug” exercises well, it’s time to challenge yourself with the “Mum”.

Here it is…

Here’s how you sing the “Mum” exercise:

1. Say the word “Mum” (as in “Mother” with an “m” at the end) out loud at a comfortable volume.

2. Next, find a comfortable starting note (try F#3 for guys and C#4 for girls) and sing the word “Mum” on the note.

3. Finally, sing an octave repeat scale where you take each note of the melody and replace it with a “Mum” sound.

Again, don’t worry if you don’t have a piano.

Here’s a great video to walk you through the exercise:

Professional Vocal Warm Up - w/ Scales for Men and Women

Remember, the “Mum” exercise is supposed to be a challenge, so if you’re having a hard time, don’t worry.

Just go back to one of the previous exercises that was working well for you and do that until your voice feels stronger.

Then you can come back and try the “Mum” again.

Not gonna lie: this exercise can be a challenge. But if you came here wondering how to increase vocal power and get a stronger voice, the “mum” is absolutely essential.

And hey, once you get this exercise right, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ve improved your singing power.

Congratulations

Way to go!

By now, you’ve learned exactly how to increase singing power and done some of the best exercises to increase it.

If you’re wondering how to get a stronger singing voice fast and retain it for the long term, the key is practice, practice, practice!

Keep it up, and you’ll be singing powerful high notes in no time.

Before long, you’ll know how to sing with a strong voice, how to master that wild powerhouse singing style that we all dream of.

But if you’re feeling that your voice is a little bit breathy or light, don’t worry.

The best singers work with these exercises every day.

So keep working on these exercises and you’ll see your singing power increase like crazy!

Expand Vocal Range

Want to Nail Those High Notes?

Every singer wants to expand their range. Expand Your Range Fast will show you how to finally hit high notes in your voice without straining. Expand your range by 5 notes or more!

Learn More

8 Comments

  • by Testimony Posted April 20, 2020 7:52 pm

    seriously appreciate these tips

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted April 23, 2020 11:21 am

      You got it testimony!

  • by Newt Posted February 15, 2021 3:25 pm

    This helped me so much thank you for the tips.

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted March 13, 2021 1:15 pm

      You’re welcome Newt!

  • by Esther Posted March 29, 2022 2:19 pm

    Hi Matt! Thanks For ThIs, This is absolutely True! I have been working ON My MIX FOR about 3 Years Now. Although, my mix has grown much better, it’s still not powerful enough, I find it Hard to sing riffs, Growl & BeLT (Strongly). I’ve Done ALL THESE exercises Before, still do some of ‘Em, and they help GREATLY, I must admit. Someone said VOWEL modification might be THe problem, AnOther said I Only need to learn how to use my mix For power, another said I just need More TiMe. I don’t want to feel frustrated ‘Cause I’ve been shortlisted to partake in a Competition, I exercise My Voice MOSTLY 6 DAYS in a week and I thought my voice would Be ready by now BuT… could you kindly tell me what you think, also I’d like to know your take on vowel modification, cause You are honestly one of the very Voice coaches, I trust and respect. Thanks so much!

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted May 23, 2022 10:15 am

      Way to go Esther!

  • by Esther Posted March 30, 2022 1:17 am

    Hi Matt! Thanks For ThIs, This is absolutely True! I have been working ON My MIX FOR about 3 Years Now. Although, my mix has grown much better, it’s still not powerful enough, I find it Hard to sing riffs, Growl & BeLT (Strongly). I’ve Done ALL THESE exercises Before, still do some of ‘Em, and they help GREATLY, I must admit. Someone said VOWEL modification might be THe problem, AnOther said I Only need to learn how to use my mix For power, another said I just need More TiMe. I don’t want to feel frustrated ‘Cause I’ve been shortlisted to partake in a Competition, I exercise My Voice MOSTLY 6 DAYS in a week and I thought my voice would Be ready by now BuT… could you kindly tell me what you think, also I’d like to know your take on vowel modification, cause You are honestly one of the very few Voice coaches I trust and respect. Thanks so much!

    • by Matt Ramsey Posted May 23, 2022 10:15 am

      It’s my pleasure Esther!

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