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KENT VOICE STUDIO
The Simply Singing Test
Where does your voice want to start?
Your singing level isn't determined by how long you've been singing. It's determined by what your voice can do right now.
This short singing test will help you discover where to begin with Simply Singing.
You'll sing three short vocal exercises (with an optional extra) and a little of a song of your choice. Don't worry about getting them perfect — that's not the point. We're interested in what your voice naturally does when you try them.
Find somewhere you can sing comfortably, turn the volume up enough to hear the backing tracks, and let's begin.
Exercise 1 - The NG siren
Let’s see how smoothly your voice moves through its range.
First, listen to the demonstration.
I’m singing on NG — the sound at the end of the word sing.
Listen to the shape of the exercise, then copy it in a comfortable part of your own voice. You don’t need to sing at the same pitch as me.
Don’t try to make anything happen or correct your voice as you go. Just let the siren travel through your voice naturally.
Now you try
Copy the exercise using your own comfortable starting pitch
You don't need to match my pitch or my range. Let your voice travel naturally and don't try to fix anything that happens along the way.
If your voice cracks, changes, becomes breathy or you need to stop, that's fine — just notice what happens.
Exercise 2 - Turn Turn Turn
Let’s see how easily your voice turns as you sing higher
First, listen to the demonstration.
As your voice moves higher, something needs to change — you can't simply keep doing exactly the same thing and push the voice upwards.
Singers often describe the feeling of the voice adjusting to higher notes as turning, tilting or shifting gear.
This exercise moves gradually through your range so you can notice whether that change happens easily and naturally.
Now You Try
Sing along with the exercise
Don't try to make your voice turn. Just sing and notice what happens as the exercise gets higher.
Does it stay easy, or does it begin to feel heavy, difficult or as though you want to push? Don't try to fix anything — just notice what your voice does.
Exercise 3 - Finding your middle voice
Let’s see what your voice naturally does between low and high.
First, listen to the demonstration.
Your voice doesn't work in exactly the same way from the bottom to the top. As we sing higher, the voice needs to make a series of adjustments.
This exercise travels through your range and lets us hear what happens in the middle — whether your voice stays strong and connected, changes suddenly, becomes lighter, or finds an easy balance between the two.
Now You Try
Follow the exercise as it rises.
Don't try to make your voice heavier, lighter or more powerful. Just sing and let your voice do what it naturally wants to do.
Notice what happens through the middle and as you move higher. Does your voice stay connected? Does it suddenly change? Does one part feel much easier or stronger than another?
Don't try to fix anything — just notice.
Optional extra - Opera Angels
Let’s see what happens when you really open up your voice.
First, listen to the demonstration.
This exercise uses big octave leaps and asks you to imitate an opera singer — even if that's not how you would normally sing.
It takes your voice quickly from low to high and back again, allowing us to hear how freely your whole voice works together — through the middle, at the top and back down to the bottom.
Now You Try
Give me your best opera voice!
Don't be shy with this one. Let your voice open up and make a full, ringing sound.
As the exercise moves higher, don't try to change or fix anything. Just notice what happens.
Can you reach the upper notes? What happens when you come back down? Does the voice stay connected, or do some parts feel much easier than others?
Whether you've never sung opera before or you're a fully trained classical singer, just give it a go and let your voice do what it knows how to do.
Finally — Sing Me Something
Now let’s hear where your voice is doing what you want it to do.
Choose approximately 16 bars of a song you enjoy singing and would normally choose to sing.
It doesn't need to be perfect — that's the whole point.
Choose something that represents the kind of singer you want to be and the kind of music you want to sing.
You can sing with a backing track, accompany yourself, or sing unaccompanied.
Don't worry if there are things in it you can't quite do yet. Just sing it as you would normally sing it.
So - where do you start?
Let's look at what your voice actually did
1. Did your voice basically work all the way through?
Think back over all the exercises.
Could you get through them without your voice cracking, disappearing, becoming very breathy, getting stuck, or needing to push hard to make the notes happen?
If NO → your starting point is likely Foundation.
If YES → keep going.
2. Do you understand how your voice works through your range?
Are you aware that your voice can work in different ways as you move from lower to higher notes, and can you recognise and deliberately use some of those differences?
You don't need to understand all the science behind it — but you should have some awareness of how your voice changes and how to work with those changes.
If NO → Foundation is probably the best place to start.
If YES → keep going.
3. How flexible is your voice?
Can you listen to another singer and imitate some of the sounds they make, or does your voice tend to sound like “you” whatever you sing?
For example, can you deliberately make your voice lighter, fuller, brighter, softer or more belty because that's the sound you want — and then change it again?
You don't have to sound exactly like another singer. We're interested in whether you can hear a different vocal sound and get your own voice to respond to it.
If NO → Development is probably the best place to start.
If YES → keep going to find out if you're ready for Vocal Freedom.
4. Are you in control of the choices your voice makes?
When you're singing a song, can you decide how you want a phrase to sound and get your voice to respond?
Can you change the vocal quality, intensity or style because you choose to, rather than because that's simply what your voice naturally does?
Think about the song you sang at the end of the test. Did your voice do what you wanted it to do?
If NOT ALWAYS → Development is probably the best place to start.
If YES → Vocal Freedom is probably the right place for you.
Your Simply Singing starting point
Your starting point isn't a measure of how good a singer you are. It's simply where the work needs to start.
FOUNDATION
Build, strengthen or troubleshoot the instrument
Foundation isn't just for beginners. It's where we work on the basic functioning of the voice — whether you're building those foundations for the first time or returning to them to resolve something that's getting in the way.
If your voice cracks, tires, becomes breathy, gets stuck or doesn't always respond as you want it to, this is where we'll start: smoothing out those problems and building a voice you can rely on.
DEVELOPMENT
Develop the vocal gymnast
Your voice is working reliably and you already have some understanding and control over how it works. Now it's time to develop greater flexibility.
You'll explore more of what your voice can do — developing different vocal qualities, greater range and more choice, so your voice can respond more freely to the sounds and styles you want to create.
VOCAL FREEDOM
Make the choices
Your voice is already flexible and responsive. You have a good understanding of how it works and can deliberately create different vocal qualities.
Now the focus is ownership — refining your skills, expanding your choices and developing the freedom to sing what you want to sing, how you want to sing it.
STILL NOT SURE WHERE TO START?
Let me check it for you
If you're still not sure which starting point is right for you, you can send me your completed Simply Singing test for a personal level check.
I'll listen to what your voice is doing and tell you whether I'd recommend Foundation, Development or Vocal Freedom — and briefly explain why.
Personal level check — £5