Standing in front of a mirror, watch carefully how your jaw moves when you pronounce the vowels, A-E-I-O-U. If your jaw closes when you say these letters, use your fingers or a cork to keep your jaw open about 2 inches. Keep repeating these vowels until you can pronounce them while keeping your jaw open. Training your vocal cords and sticking to them comes after you have gained self-confidence and realize the fact that anyone can have a good singing voice if they strive at it.
Remember, the goal is not to strain your voice or play incredibly high notes, you just have to prepare for the practice session ahead of you. Adding a little weight and resistance to your vocal cords when it comes to high notes will make your notes higher without tension. If you ever feel lost doing your own vocal training, there are always voice coaches available who can help you in the right direction. Breathing, good posture, vocal warm-ups, vocal exercises, and the other little tips and tricks for voice training will keep your vocal resonance bright and clear as you touch the heartstrings of those lucky enough to hear you.
Amy is trained in Lee Silverman Voice Therapy, Estill, LMRVT and is part of the American Speech and Hearing Association. Needless to say, it's best to avoid smoking, screaming, or anything that puts excessive strain on the voice. A simple way to train the ear (and also learn the vocal range) is to play a note on a piano and then try to match the pitch you hear. However, if you're like most people who participate in vocal training, you probably want to be able to hit warm high and low notes.
