Vocal exercises will prove to be very helpful to mature in singing, speaking and living.

These exercises are not intend, of course, to become a professional singer, for that you have to be trained professionally. But these vocal exercises will enable your own voice and your own ear to open up to your own heart.

Your voice is an essential expression of yourself and transmit some of the real self.

It is necessary to purify the voice by purifying yourself and to use it in such a way that it may say and sing your innermost feelings as an expression of your divine heritage.

" The Sufi breathes the breath of God,

so he is conscious of the honour of God "

says our Master, Hazrat Inayat Khan.

To be exercised for at least two octaves from F to f' or whatever may be, or may become, within the range of your voice.

Exercise on the vowels A= a: in fast; E= e: in face; I= i: in free; O= o: in vote; Y= y: in minute; U= u: in foot; the vowels may be separately used or combined.

Never force your voice high, low, loud, long, but always seek to intensify the sound and your hearing and try to refine their qualities.

A tone-run of four notes on the vowels e:, o:, y: and a:, these are the vowels of the Sacred Hidden Name in the Avesta.

Trills of two, or more, natural notes, also from F to f', first intone exactly the two tones, then produce a fast trill; these make the voice pliant and strong.

A chromatic run from F to f' on each of the element-vowels, with no clear sustained notes noticeable, will make the voice flexible and the ear fine.

Singing long sustained notes crescendo and decrescendo from F to f', will enable you to concentrate on each tone and to become conscious of the wonder and the magic effect of sound as such.

To sing " AUM Shanti AUM " slowly upwards, note by note, and with a long sustained "AUM" note by note downwards the natural scale as a conclusion.

The use of a well-tuned piano or, still better, an (Indian) harmonium is necessary or helpful for these exercises. There will always be a need for some exercise to keep your voice in a sound condition and render your singing easiness and naturalness.

It may be helpful also to exercise together, letting everyone join, there is no barrier for anyone to sing. Heart-singing forms no choir but unites all the devotees' voices in one harmonious love-song. Everyone is welcome as a heart-singer by virtue of her/his willingness and perseverance to participate in praise and rejoicing.

Another important point is to allow the body and feelings to move on the rhythm of the music to get the heart-and body-beat of ecstasy in the heart-singing. You may also use percussion- and melody-instruments or hand-clapping as an accompaniment.