How to Improve My Voice: The Vocal Siren Explained
If you want to improve your voice, the first thing to understand is that vocal development is a discipline. It takes time, commitment, and focus. There is no magic pill that will instantly make your voice do exactly what you want — progress comes through consistent practice.
One of the best vocal exercises I nearly always start with is the vocal siren — specifically, the Estill siren. This exercise was developed by Jo Estill, founder of Estill Voice Training, and it has several characteristics that differentiate it from other vocal sirens.
If you’re starting to develop or explore your voice — whether it’s your speaking voice or singing voice — this is one of the most effective exercises you can use throughout your vocal journey.
What Is a Vocal Siren?
A vocal siren is a smooth pitch glide (like a blue-light siren) that connects your voice seamlessly through its full range.
Starting somewhere in the middle, gently move the voice up to the top of your range and then down to the bottom, repeating this a few times on one breath.
The movement should feel steady, with the pitch constantly flowing like a sine wave.
The Estill siren is performed on an “ng” sound, like the end of the word “sing.” Hold the “ng” and glide your voice while keeping:
The tongue high and forward
The back of the tongue touching the soft palate
The tongue tip resting behind the bottom teeth
How to Perform the Estill Siren Correctly
A key feature of this exercise is keeping the sound as quiet as possible. This is crucial for the vocal siren to be beneficial.
Think of making a gentle crying or whimpering sound on the “ng,” like a tiny whimpering puppy. It can help to start slightly higher in your range to find this quality. Once you’ve found it, maintain that quiet sound as you glide through your range.
You’ll likely notice that this requires more effort higher up than lower down — that’s normal.
Stabilising the Sound
To stabilise the siren, you may feel muscular engagement in the back of the head, neck, or throat. If this is difficult to locate, try gently sucking on the end of your thumb — this can help you identify the correct engagement.
The sensation may feel like a slight drawing back at the back of the neck (some people describe it as trying to wiggle their ears). Once you’ve found it, try to engage those muscles without using your thumb. Then, engage these muscles whilst you siren, especially as you approach the higher part of your range.
Why Is the Vocal Siren So Useful?
This is one of the best vocal exercises because it trains multiple aspects of healthy voice production.
1. Trains Low Airflow
Contrary to popular belief, the vocal folds need very little breath pressure to create sound. Excess breath pressure is often the cause of vocal strain and even vocal injury.
The quiet nature of the siren trains low airflow. If breath pressure increases, the sound will either become louder or cut out completely, as the vocal folds stop meeting efficiently.
2. Connects and Improves Vocal Range
The whimpering, crying quality encourages a slight tilt of the larynx, lengthening the vocal folds. This helps the voice transition smoothly into higher notes without a sudden break or “gear shift.”
For many people, this allows access to higher notes that previously felt difficult without pushing or adding excess volume.
3. Strengthens and Checks Vocal Health
The quiet sound encourages thin vocal fold closure, where only a small portion of the folds meet. This creates a clean, clear tone without extra breath.
This makes the siren an excellent daily check-in. If your voice is tired, swollen, or irritated (for example, due to illness), it will be much harder to maintain a quiet, clean siren. This signals that you may need extra hydration, steaming, or vocal rest.
Final Thoughts
Building a consistent vocal siren practice is, in my opinion, one of the most effective ways to improve your voice. That’s why it’s an exercise I give to almost everyone, no matter where they are on their vocal journey.
If you’d like personalised advice on how to build up your siren — and clarity on the direction of your vocal development — check our availability and book in a free consultation.
Speak with confidence. Sing with joy.