Does it seem like when you’re out with your friends for a round of karaoke, you’re the only one struggling to sing? Have you ever been told that you can't carry a tune in a bucket? Believe it or not, you don't have to be born with a good singing voice to be able to sing. You can learn to sing. Keep reading to find out how!
Talent vs. Skill
Obviously, some people are naturally talented at a wide variety of things. Whether it be athletics, creative writing, or singing, some people just don't have to work as hard as others when it comes to certain activities.
For example, being naturally "talented" at basketball will get you pretty far. However, you can't rely on natural talent alone. Someone who eats, sleeps, and dreams of basketball has a better chance of eventually surpassing that naturally talented athlete.
When it comes to singing, you may have the talent but haven't worked on the skill. When you put in the work, you can become an amazing singer. If the talent isn't quite there, that's ok. You can still become a great singer! In fact, when it comes to singing, 98.5% of the population can be taught. So, there’s an exceptional possibility that you’re one of those people!
Tips for Getting the Skills to Sing
Even if you feel you don't have a good voice to start with, you can improve it! With the proper technique and lots of practice, you can hone your skills and find your true singing ability. Like with anything, the more you practice, the better you’ll become. No professional athlete will get out there and play without hours and hours of practice first. It would be career suicide.
Control Your Pitch
If you have no control over your pitch, your voice won’t be able to hit the notes correctly and you’ll sound off, or "pitchy."
First, you must have a good supporting breath to control your pitch. Keep reading to learn what the correct breathing technique is below.
One way you can work on controlling your pitch is to find a piano or keyboard and pick a note. Get your voice as close to that note as possible and work on sustaining that note. When you’re comfortable, you can jump around the keyboard to different notes in the same octave or even get wild and go out of that octave to see how your voice handles other notes. Keep working on training your ear to hear the different pitches and determine whether you’re staying in tune with those pitches.
For more support on how to control your pitch, check out this YouTube video.
Strong Vocal Cord Support
If your vocal cords haven’t been worked enough, they won't have the strength to support your voice. There are many vocal warm-ups and vocal exercises for singers out there to help support and strengthen the vocal cords. Some of these include humming, lip buzzing, and tongue trills.
Click this link to check out these 9 vocal warm-ups for singers to get you started.
Deep Breathing
One of the most important components of singing is breathing. Without it, you won't be able to sustain or hit certain notes, and your voice will sound flat. Most of us know that singing from the diaphragm is key.
Stand up straight and tall, relax your body, and exhale your air fully. Then inhale deeply and push out the air when you sing. You should see your stomach pushing out when doing this technique. If you see your shoulders going up and down when you’re breathing, you’re not doing this technique properly.
To reach those higher notes, make sure you’re using that diaphragm to get that air out. Breathing deeply also leads us to the next key ingredient for improving your skills: confidence!
Confidence
Confidence is a huge part of being able to do most anything well, including singing. Could you imagine seeing Lady Gaga up on stage and shyly singing her tunes? Not everyone may want to be a hit star up in front of millions, but confidence will help your singing voice come out the way it’s meant to.
Following all the above tips will help you find the proper technique when singing—which, in turn, will help you gain that confidence. Something else you can do is start singing in front of people!
Practice that song in the shower, in the car, or alone doing dishes until you feel comfortable enough to sing in front of a group of friends or family. Eventually, you can take it to the stage. Stretch your body out and use that deep breathing to get you calm and focused.
How Can I Work on These Certain Skills?
Learn how to take constructive criticism! It will only make you better! Although it may be hard to sing in front of people that you’re close to, they should be the ones to give you an honest opinion. You may not always want to hear what other people have to say, especially if it seems negative, but they may give you an insight into something you never thought of before.
Consistently work on those things that you and other people are seeing until you have conquered them.
Music Classes
Find a music class at your local community college. Start at the very basic class and work your way up. You’ll be amazed at how learning more about music, in general, will improve your singing ability.
2. Private Lessons
You can take it a step further and look in your local area for a vocal coach or music teacher who is well-rated in giving private singing lessons. Getting private lessons from a professional can help correct any techniques that you may be struggling with, expand your vocal range, and help you gain the ability to become the best singer that you can be. It's a win-win!
3. Online Tutorials
If you aren't quite ready to hire a vocal coach, you can do your own research. There are tons of information and online tutorials to help you get started. The internet has a vast wealth of knowledge waiting to be explored on this topic.
Whether you take music classes, get private lessons with a vocal coach, or learn on your own, there are a lot of steps you can follow to gain knowledge and confidence when it comes to finding your singing voice and achieving the ultimate goal of becoming a better singer.
However, you may still have doubts about your singing ability, and it may lead you to ask yourself another question...
Is It Possible That I Am Tone Deaf? If So, What Now?
The inability to tell notes apart and perceive differences in musical pitch accurately may mean that you’re tone-deaf. Tone deafness, or amusia, is extremely rare with only around 5% of the population suffering from it. That means that almost everyone in the world can be taught how to sing!
According to Andrea Brown, a music teacher at Morley College, less than 2% of students she has trained have been profoundly tone-deaf. She believes that working the correct muscles and boosting confidence in students has an impact on how they sing.
There are certain tests you can take if you think that you may indeed be tone-deaf. Follow this link to test your pitch perception. This test is conducted by researchers at Harvard University on tone-deafness and is super easy and fun to take.
Keep Going if You Want to Learn to Sing
If you’re serious about singing and want to improve your voice, please take advantage of what we have shared in this article. Commit the time to practice. As singers, we can tell how our voice sounds after we’ve been practicing consistently. Our vocal cords open with ease when they’re relaxed after being exercised.
Make sure you’re constantly working on those particular skills that will help your voice reach its full potential. There are so many ways to gain that knowledge, whether it be using the internet, taking a college course, or hiring a professional. Make sure to take advantage of your resources!
Remember to be confident! There are all kinds of unique voices. There are so many different genres and styles. Everyone likes something different; you just have to find one that is the best suited for your voice type. Don't be afraid to have someone listen to your song or even belt it out during a night of karaoke.
Lastly, be honest with yourself about your vocal range. You may not have the vocal range of Celine Dion, and that’s ok! Just keep working on yourself, and you’ll find your voice.
Let us know what you think! Can anyone learn to sing? Comment below.
