Stand up straight and breathe deeply. Deep breaths should result in the stomach expanding out and around slowly and evenly. Tense shoulders that rise towards the ears and audible gasps during inhalation indicate shallow breaths. Singers often experience difficulty mastering the deep breathing technique necessary for singing operatic notes. Students who have trouble in this area should begin by laying flat on the floor, facing the ceiling. Rest one hand on your stomach to feel the body's natural deep breathing. Relaxed shoulders and proper posture increases the natural resonance of the body, which then enhances the tone and richness of the voice.
Raise the soft palate to increase resonance. The soft palate lies behind the teeth near the back of the throat. Open the mouth and relax the jaw, allowing it to hang down. Do not force the jaw down, which can increase tension and cause irregularities in vocal tone. Yawning can help you become familiar with the sensation of raising the soft palate and dropping the jaw without tension. Many opera singers integrate yawning into warm-ups by vocalizing during a yawn, swooping down from the higher to lower ranges of the voice during the exhale of a yawn.
Allow for a periodic wavering in the vocal tone, called a vibrato. Vibrato contributes to the shimmering vocal timbre many associate with classical music, and sounds like the pitch is wavering slightly up and down around the central pitch. Opera singers typically present 6 to 8 pulsations in the tone per second, but the speed of the vibrato varies according not only to individual singers but to different styles of opera. Singers who experience difficulty developing or maintaining an even, expressive vibrato should listen to recordings of professional opera singers or work with a voice teacher.