Make sure that each time you practice you focus on abdominal breathing and your posture. Keep your chin level, head up, knees loose, toes pointed forward with weight on heels and soles, and your neck, abdomen and back relaxed. If you follow these suggestions, you can avoid straining your vocal chords by forcing too much air in or out to reach a specific note. This posture position and these tips are optimal for beginning practice and avoiding too much stress on your body.
Lie flat on your back and place your hands on your waist with your fingers aimed toward your belly button. Take a slow, deep breath and attempt to make your stomach rise. Keep breathing in until your chest slowly expands. Breath out slowly to a count of five. Repeat 10 times.
Repeat this exercise daily, even when you aren't planning to sing, to ensure that you gain control over your diaphragm.
Attempt to hum the expression, "Hmm." First, allow your pitch to rise at the end, as if you were asking a question. Then, allow your pitch to lower, as if you are doubting something. When your pitch rises, you should feel a sort of buzzing sensation in your nasal and eye area. This is a signal that you are doing the exercise correctly and not over-using the throat. When your pitch lowers, you should feel the buzzing move downward to your chest. This exercise gently stretches your vocal chords to avoid any strain.
The most commonly used exercise for vocal flexibility is to sing up and down the traditional scale: do, re, me, fa, so, la, te, do. Using the scale allows you to practice flexibility and pitch accuracy. If possible, attempt to sing words or phrases at the correct scale pitches to also work on enunciation while singing. It is also important to practice note durability, the ability to sustain a note as long as possible. Breathe in deeply and slowly. Sing one note and hold it for as long as you can without becoming short of breath. Avoid sucking in your stomach.