How to sing louder without effort and without losing your voice? Join me in these vocal resonance exercises, on video.
These will help you to get a fuller, richer sound.
This article is part of my Singing Techniques & Exercises guide, where I break down the skills that make your voice easier to control and more expressive. Here, we’ll zoom in on resonance: how it really works, and the specific exercises that help singers get that vocal power without sounding aggressive.
Vocal power without sounding aggressive
We all want to have “power” in our voice when we sing. Whatever that means. Usually we mean volume, we want to sing louder. Yet we don’t want to sound aggressive. We want a full sound, maybe even carry over an orchestra, and really impress everyone. So that they will gasp: what a voice!
You'll need to exercise, and to be specific: do vocal resonance exercises.
Here’s the deal. Most of us don’t know (initially) how to sing louder and more powerfully without losing our voice after 10 minutes. I confess I was no different. I had to learn it. The good news is - I did! Now I can show you.
Small Sound in a Big Space: power without pushing
You create the space — Badass Face switched on, feeling the cold spots, expanding the ribs, etc. Inside that space, you add a small, focused (preferably twangy) sound. Imagine a tiny point of light, like a firefly flitting around inside a huge, dark cave. The cave amplifies the firefly the way a guitar body amplifies the small vibration of a string.
This changes your whole approach to volume. It’s not a big project anymore. The volume comes from the resonances you opened, and the twang — not from pushing. You feel like you’re barely doing anything, and the audience hears your full, rich voice.”
︎︎ TRY IT NOW
Let’s try both big and small sounds, so we can compare them. Sing Happy Birthday. On the third ‘Happy bírthday…’ the melody jumps to a higher note. First, make that jump while you’re thinking of a very big, powerful sound. Really go for it. Next, do the exact same thing, but imagine the sound inside is a tiny firefly. Turn the internal volume knob down while keeping the space wide open.
The result is usually loud, and that can be confusing. I told you to lower the volume, and it didn’t happen, so you might think you did it wrong. You didn’t! If the result was loud when you weren’t trying to make it loud — that’s exactly what we want. I’m all about cheating, you see? I will always want more sound for less effort, and so should you.
This same principle — and the Badass Face that opens the space — is also the key to singing high notes without strain.
This is the short version — the full method, step by step, is in my book Sing Anyway
The three volume buttons
- Twang — the bright, focused quality (Exercise 2 below, plus the nya drill).
- Space — open resonance (Exercises 1, 3, 4 and 5 below).
- Support — steady breath that feeds the sound. That button has its own page: breath support exercises.
Where is our resonance?
The vocal instrument consists of multiple organs in our body. And there are resonances throughout it. We have spaces in the nasal cavities, pharynx, throat, lungs. Yes, also the mouth, but you’d be surprised how small of a role this one plays. When we make sounds, there is potential for sound waves to move around in all of those spaces.
You hear some teacher talking about “voice placement”, like: place the sound in your mask. I don’t believe in this approach. I think the voice exists in the entire instrument. When the result is ideal, in my book, we will feel the sound in multiple places. And that's what can give the sound volume and power.
Why ‘project your sound’ is bad advice
Myth-bust: “‘Project your sound’, or ‘sing to the last row.’ These are instructions teachers love to give, but they are, at best, misleading. Here’s why. Your main resonator, the pharynx, is at the back of your throat. When you think ‘forward,’ the tendency is to add more muscle effort and push on the vocal cords. Whereas, when you think ‘backward,’ toward where the resonance actually lives, you tend to open up the spaces that make your voice carry naturally. The volume comes from resonance, not from force.”
That’s exactly what Exercise 5 below trains — the backward motion.
Our speaking voice will give a fuller sound
You will see in the tutorial on this article that I am working with the speaking voice. When we use our natural speaking voice (unless there is some struggle with the speaking voice, in which case, you should check out the vocal cord tutorial) we close the vocal cords better and use less air in the voice. That will get the result of a fuller sound. If you think about it, the opposite of that will be a sound with a lot of air, and that’s less sound - the extreme version of which is whispering.
As we use our speaking voice on higher and higher notes, it will sound ever more weird and squeaky inside our heads. If the space of the instrument is open (we work on that in the below video tutorial as well) it won’t sound weird on the outside.
So don’t freak out! That squeaky voice has a professional name - the twang. I use it for multiple purposes, because it’s magical and essential for vocal control.
Twang is often associated with country music singers, but every good singer uses it. In classical singing it has a fancy name too — the squillo. Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder are the queen and king of it.
Exercise 1. The hand trap
0:06 in the above video. We'll try to trap the sound and the air, so to speak, in between our hands. Lay one hand on the upper part of the chest - just under your collar bone. Put the other hand on the back of your head, just under your skull. Make the NG sound, as in the end of the word tongue. Feel the vibrations on both your hands. The more you concentrate on those hands, the more resonances you'll be able to get. We won't 'send' the sound out, and we're not making a big sound. Just think about the sound staying between the hands.
If you need even more resonance, visualize the sound going into your mouth towards the neck hand, and then travelling down to your chest hand. This is of course a mind trick, it's not physically what happens. But it's effective.
An important thing to realize here is that the air and the sound in our voice play a zero sum game. The more airy your voice is, the less sound, or less resonance, you get. When we whisper, we barely produce sound. If you want a louder sound, you want to "extract" air. So here we are imagining we use almost no air. Thinking of the trap helps with that.
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Exercise 2. Speaky quality: yo yo yo
6:06 in the above video. You can keep your hands where they are in the trap position. They will help you. Say yo yo yo yo yo. Next say yo yo yo on the notes. Don't make a singing sound, make it ugly even. Hear (and feel) how that is louder?
As you go up, the sound might be weirder and weirder in your ears. The extreme version of the speaky voice is a squeaky voice. And we need that for the extra high and low notes. But don't worry about it, it's a tool to become louder and richer, eventually it won't sound squeaky or weird on the outside (and it probably already doesn't)
Extra twang drill: nya
About the author
I’m Linor Oren, founder of SingWell. I have an opera background and in the past I've performed on stage. I've taught hundreds of students how to find their authentic voice. What I’ve learned is that singing isn’t about being “born with it” — it’s about unlocking what’s already inside you with the right tools and guidance. My passion is helping singers at every level grow in confidence, technique, and joy, so they can sing with freedom and expression.
Exercise 3. Trill to vowel
9:42 in the above video. Do a lip trill part and then repeat the sequence with a vowel. (again, if you can't do lip trills, replace them with the NG sound.) When doing the lip trills, concentrate on where you feel the vibrations, and how much air you are using. Use that feeling when you're also saying the vowel. You might feel vibrations anywhere the air goes when we breathe, that's great.
Exercise 4. Inhale on a vowel
14:16 in the above video. Another way to have more resonance is to make sure the spaces where the air goes are open. A really good way to do that is to feel where the air goes when you inhale. I like the exercise on a vowel, for example u. I create the u shape and breathe in with that shape of the mouth. When we sing on u, we visualize the sound going in the direction of where the air was.
This exercise turns on awareness of what is going on inside your body. That's new for some of us. If you need some time for this, take it. With time you'll be able to feel where all the parts of the respiratory system - which is your vocal instrument - are.
Exercise 5. Backward motion (pointing with thumb)
22:26 in the above video. In this exercise we'll combine what we worked on with the squeaky/speaky voice and the backwards motion. 'Thinking backward', whether you are speaking or singing, is very helpful. It makes you concentrate on the pharynx - which is your main resonance.
The gist: these 2 things
All the resonance exercises focus on opening up your spaces/resonances and then concentrating on those. You need both. It's not enough to just open the space and it's also not helpful to try and concentrate on the space, if it's not open.
Bonus: controlling your volume, loud and soft
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True vocal power comes from resonance, not force. When your voice resonates freely, it becomes louder, richer, and more expressive without strain.”
speaking about vocal exercises...
What you get on this page is a tool. Having a tool is one thing, becoming a carpenter another. For systematic and lasting improvement you need a system and guidance. So...
Two extra tricks to get more resonance
There are two main things you should keep in mind while you are finding new dimensions in your voice:
- Feel your instrument.
You can and should learn the anatomy to know where the resonances of the voice reside. But to get the best results you should have a kinesthetic sensation of those resonances. If you follow the tutorial to the t, including all the physical tricks I give there - you will get more and more sense of your instrument. - Weird is good.
As I explain over and over again whenever I get the chance, the voice inside your head is not the same sound that other people hear. In other words: it’s not real. And the twang we talked about before - that sounds heinous in our own ears. So please don’t give it the wrong meaning. Instead, let it be a good sign, that you are discovering new functions, new resonances, new abilities, and suspend all judgement of the sound.
Once the backward motion and the twang each feel easy on their own, combine them into one image — a backward buzzer.
Want the full toolbox of images and drills like this one? Start with my singing techniques and exercises guide.
No longer a little mouse...
Maybe you feel it's time to stop shushing your own voice and take your desire to sing serious. My weekly 'Belting Mouse' mail shows you how. It gets you on track with stories and insights from my life as a singer and that of my students.
For 'little mice' who are tired of squeaking and want to start belting...
Where in my practice session should I work on my resonance?
I preach a 4 part practice structure for the best vocal progress:
You can read more on the article: how to practice singing.
This tutorial counts as the technique part, so part 3. So you will need to warm up before you do this tutorial. You can do it as your part 3 or in addition to working on your song. And don’t forget part 4 - singing for fun, that’s also very important!
Can’t wait to hear from you on how you are developing your resonance, volume and vocal power. Let’s power through it!
Want to practice other aspects of your singing voice? Check out all the vocal exercises.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is vocal resonance?
Vocal resonance is the natural amplification of sound that occurs when your voice vibrates through spaces in your body such as the throat, nasal passages, and chest. These vibrations add depth, volume, and richness to your sound without needing to push or strain.
How can I increase my vocal power without shouting?
You can build power through resonance exercises that teach your voice to use its natural amplifiers efficiently. Try exercises like the hand trap, the speaky “yo yo yo,” and lip trills. These help close the vocal cords effectively, reduce excess air, and create a stronger, more focused sound.
When should I practice resonance exercises?
Include resonance exercises in the vocal technique section of your practice routine, after your warm-up and before you work on songs. This helps you develop power safely and ensures that the same resonance carries over when you sing.
How do I sing louder without straining?
Power comes from resonance and twang, not from pushing more air. Open the space (Badass Face, cold spots, expanded ribs), add a small, focused, slightly twangy sound, and let the space amplify it — “Small Sound in a Big Space.”
Does “projecting” or “placing the voice forward” work?
Not really. Your main resonator, the pharynx, sits at the back of the throat. Thinking “forward” tends to add push; thinking “backward,” toward where the resonance lives, opens the spaces that make your voice carry. Volume comes from resonance, not force.
What is twang, and does it add power?
Twang is the bright, slightly squeaky quality (the classical term is squillo). It narrows the funnel above the cords, focusing the airflow like a thumb over a garden hose — more focus, more power, less effort. It sounds odd inside your head but not to listeners.
Why does singing louder feel like less effort?
Because the volume is produced by the open resonating spaces, not by muscular pushing. When you stop forcing and let the space and twang do the work, the sound gets bigger while the effort gets smaller.
What’s vibrato