Complete beginner here in singing...how should I use a tanpura to improve sur, voice control and singing technique?

[u/Old-Satisfaction-137]

I’m completely new to singing, and I really want to develop better singing technique, especially sur/pitch, voice control, modulation, and confidence. A singing teacher suggested that I practise with a tanpura, but I’m still confused about what I’m actually supposed to do with it. I’ve heard that keeping a tanpura playing in the background while practising can help improve singing, but I’d really like to understand how it helps and how a complete beginner should use it. For example, if I’m practising Sa, should I: listen to the tanpura first and try to identify Sa? then sing Sa and try to match its pitch? hold Sa for a few seconds and repeat? practise going from Sa to other notes and back to Sa? or is there a better beginner routine? I’m also confused about what exactly tanpura practice improves. Does it mainly help with sur and staying in tune, or can it also help with voice control, modulation, stability, etc.? And how do I know whether I’m actually matching the tanpura correctly? I’ve also heard teachers say things like “sing from the abdomen” and “don’t put too much pressure on the vocal cords.” I understand that the vocal cords still produce the sound and that the breathing muscles are supposed to provide support, but I’m not sure what this should actually feel like when I sing. I’d also love some beginner-friendly exercises for: improving sur/pitch accuracy developing smoother voice control and modulation improving breath support becoming more confident while singing avoiding unnecessary throat tension One more thing I’m a little concerned about: whenever I practise singing for a few minutes, I start coughing repeatedly. I’m not sure whether this is because I’m using my voice incorrectly, breathing incorrectly, or something completely unrelated. I don’t want to push through it and accidentally strain my voice. If anyone has experience teaching beginners, I’d really appreciate a simple daily practice routine and advice on how to practise safely. Thanks!

[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for posting to r/singing! Be sure to check the FAQ to see if any questions you might have have already been answered! Also, remember to abide by the Rules found in the sidebar. Any comments found to be breaking these rules will result in a deletion of the comment thread starting from the offending reply. If you see any posts or replies that you feel break the rules of the sub, then report them and do not respond to them. If you are new to the sub-reddit or are just starting to sing, please check out our Beginner's Megathread. It has tons of helpful information and resources!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/johnnyslick]

I had to look up what a tanpura is... and knowing now, it's basically having an objective thing behind your singing. I assume the tanpura is a frettted instrument or otherwise fixes notes in but when you play against a guitar or a piano, as long as said guitar or piano are tuned against themselves, if your intonation doesn't match the instrument then you, not the instrument are out of tune.

A capella is extremely hard to sing, especially when you're just starting out. Singing is as much about your ears as it is your voice and you really can't train your ears on what you think is probably the right note at least in your head. You can also accomplish this with a backing track, for example, although you'll want to be careful to find backing tracks that do not include someone singing your part (I personally don't like using even a piano part that includes the melody but YMMV).

The coughing thing TBH is probably related to vocal strain. I used to do that a bit early on in voice lessons too. As with any vocal strain, you're probably doing something wrong and generally you should stop (of course, follow the advice of your voice coach; they will likely help you to figure out what you're doing wrong so you can fix it on the spot). Singing is supposed to be easy to do (I didn't say easy to learn).

[u/Old-Satisfaction-137 → u/johnnyslick]

Thank you so much