Can anyone learn to sing?

[Abram]

I love to play piano and have been doin it for a little while now. I've started to write some of my own instumental songs. I have lyrics that I've started to write to put on top of one of the songs. There is one problem? I can't sing! I suck, terrible, awful! I don't want to start a band and have a singer, I just play for fun and love the endless voyage music provides.

I want to learn to sing but fear not being able to. Do I pay the money and take lessons and have to put some teacher in a position to tell me I suck and to give it up? Most my friends say you can't learn, your born that way. But of these friends none of them have tried to sing! (their advice is meaningless) So if you really wanted to learn and are willing to dedicate your self to learning, can the worst become at least okay? Anyone here have any experience in this? :help:

 

[SoyLeche]

There are people that are tone deaf (they can't tell one note from another). It is next to impossible for someone like that to learn how to sing well.

Most people can be trained, and if you want to learn, go ahead and find a vocal teacher. I wouldn't put too much money into it to start out though.

I have some sort of natural ability when it comes to singing, but my voice is reletively untrained. I am wanting to take lessons someday too.

 

[Abram]

There are people that are tone deaf (they can't tell one note from another). It is next to impossible for someone like that to learn how to sing well.

Most people can be trained, and if you want to learn, go ahead and find a vocal teacher. I wouldn't put too much money into it to start out though.

I have some sort of natural ability when it comes to singing, but my voice is reletively untrained. I am wanting to take lessons someday too.

I don't think I'm tone deaf only because I can hear that I'm off tone or key?

You use the word untrained, does that imply you can train it?

 

[SoyLeche]

I don't think I'm tone deaf only because I can hear that I'm off tone or key?

You use the word untrained, does that imply you can train it?

If you can hear that you are off key you are well on your way to being able to sing. The human voice can definately be trained. You may not end up being a Pavoratti, but you'll be able to hold your own if you want it.

 

[Karl R]

I don't think I'm tone deaf only because I can hear that I'm off tone or key?

If you can tell when you (or someone else) is off-pitch, you're not tone deaf. You can learn to sing.

You use the word untrained, does that imply you can train it?

• You can learn breath support.
• You can practice scales, which will increase your range.
• You can learn to blend with the rest of a choir. This involves learning how to listen.
• You can learn to read music (which is the same skill you learn when playing a piano).

Those are the major skills. Most of the rest is just practice.

 

[mr.guy]

So if you really wanted to learn and are willing to dedicate your self to learning, can the worst become at least okay?

Definately; one sometimes has to resign themselves to how their voice sounds, but that's no reason to quit; just listen to neil young, or tom waits. Most people i know who've dedicated themselves to a singing/practice regiment have come along swimmingly, though. Fundamentally, voice is an instrument and can be trained as such.

Anyone here have any experience in this?

I've years of experience of singing badly, and i'd be surprised were my voice to become any easier on the ear anytime soon. It's still a blast, though.

 

[SoyLeche]

Some say that you can learn Perfect Pitch... others say you can't. I think it may be the difference between Perfect Absolute Pitch (tell me to sing a D flat and I'll do it), and Perfect Relative Pitch (Play a G, then tell me to sing a D flat and I'll do it). I can't do either all that well.

 

[Abram]

Thanks for all your support! I just scheduled a lesson with a local instructor to give it a try. I'll let ya know how it goes. I'm kinda embarrassed because I'll have to try to sing in front of someone. Its something I only do alone in my car.

 

[mr.guy]

Some say that you can learn Perfect Pitch... others say you can't. I think it may be the difference between Perfect Absolute Pitch (tell me to sing a D flat and I'll do it), and Perfect Relative Pitch (Play a G, then tell me to sing a D flat and I'll do it). I can't do either all that well.

One can also do a bit of both; if you can manage to drill one tone into your head, you can then make the rest out scalerly.

 

[Abram]

So I had my first lesson last night. I was a bit nervous at first but after I lighten up and became more comfortable with the teacher it went real well. I learned a bit on breathing (who knew that was so important) , we tried to slide from high to low (I have some breaks in my voice that need work), then she played some notes on a piano and I had to match them. I did it! So the good news is I can learn to sing. How well? Practice and time will only tell. I schedule another lesson for next week.

Thanks all for your advice and motivation to get me to at least try. Keep a eye I for my next CD. :jester3: Just kidding!!!
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[Abram]

I have some sort of natural ability when it comes to singing, but my voice is reletively untrained. I am wanting to take lessons someday too.

I only paid $30 for a hour at a studio, its worth at least one lesson.

 

[d.]

one sometimes has to resign themselves to how their voice sounds, but that's no reason to quit;

this is the hardest part though. if one can get over the fact that one sounds like a cross between a squeaky floorboard and a goose experiencing puberty, the rest is not a problem.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

If you can tell when you (or someone else) is off-pitch, you're not tone deaf. You can learn to sing.

• You can learn breath support.
• You can practice scales, which will increase your range.
• You can learn to blend with the rest of a choir. This involves learning how to listen.
• You can learn to read music (which is the same skill you learn when playing a piano).

Those are the major skills. Most of the rest is just practice.

What he said.

I sing in our church's choir and enjoy it . I'm no soloist, but I practice and feel like I have improved over the years.

Our choir director's theory is that anyybody who is motivated can learn to sing. Now it's like any other skill. People are blessed with different talents, but even the most gifted have to work and develop their skills.

 

[Booko]

Some say that you can learn Perfect Pitch... others say you can't. I think it may be the difference between Perfect Absolute Pitch (tell me to sing a D flat and I'll do it), and Perfect Relative Pitch (Play a G, then tell me to sing a D flat and I'll do it). I can't do either all that well.

You can learn perfect relative pitch. If you learn to sight sing, you'll learn.

One of my docs uses tuning forks in her work sometimes, and I can always tell her what note is it. That's just because I recognize where a note is in my vocal range and I know where my breaks are.

 

[Booko]

this is the hardest part though. if one can get over the fact that one sounds like a cross between a squeaky floorboard and a goose experiencing puberty, the rest is not a problem.

If you learn how to use the muscles in your head to raise your soft palate and to refine the motor skills in your tongue, you will no longer sound like a pubescent goose!

These things and breath support make an incredible difference in your singing voice.

I still remember the day I really hit my head voice. It was a lovely day on campus, the window was open, and what came out was so incredibly loud and clear that I immediatly shut my mouth, it was that startling.

For those of you who have very young infants or are about to have them, if you want to help your child with future musical ability, either sing to them or play music for them a LOT.

Ear training later on is dependent on the ability to distinguish tones, and that begins in the very earliest months of infancy. At the time when a baby is learning to use its eyes, it's learning to use its ears too. Just as there are elements of language that are learned very early on (and are difficult to learn later), the ability to hear musical tones is learned early on.

 

[evearael]

For those of you who have very young infants or are about to have them, if you want to help your child with future musical ability, either sing to them or play music for them a LOT.

I couldn't sing well to save my life. I sing for my daughter anyway. Any advice?

 

[Booko]

I want to learn to sing but fear not being able to. Do I pay the money and take lessons and have to put some teacher in a position to tell me I suck and to give it up? Most my friends say you can't learn, your born that way.

Your friends are wrong, plain and simple. Unless you're tone deaf, you can learn to sing. And there are very few people who are actually tone deaf. Most people just have untrained ears.

Not only can the worst become okay, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that you actually have a very powerful voice. You don't really know until you learn how to work it properly. So just go for it!

I was very surprised to find out what kind of voice I have. My teacher wanted me to continue to learn opera (I'm coloratura), but I don't particularly like opera and prefered chemistry, so I didn't go on with voice lessons as much as I'd have liked to.

My daughter's voice is even better than mine. I'm trying to figure out how I could possibly fit voice lessons into her dance schedule. With her, and with her interests, not to train her voice would be a waste.

Anyway, there are a couple of ways to learn to sing better on the cheap:

1. Find a local university and see if there are voice students there who also teach. Their rates are cheaper, but they can be very competent in teaching a beginner.

2. Join an amateur choir. The director, if he or she is any good, will teach you some vocalizes (exercises for the voice) that will help, will teach you a bit of breath control, and how to open up your voice. Attach yourself to one of the better singers and learn from them what you can.


Don't be put off if someone wants to teach you bel canto style. Bel canto is to voice as ballet is to dance. If you learn those techniques, you can learn to do pretty much anything.

 

[d.]

If you learn how to use the muscles in your head to raise your soft palate and to refine the motor skills in your tongue, you will no longer sound like a pubescent goose!

yep, it's better now - but to convince oneself to keep at it after such a cold shower was the hard part for me.

 

[Booko]

I couldn't sing well to save my life. I sing for my daughter anyway. Any advice?

My mother *always* had the radio on "just for noise" when I was young, and we always sang along with it.

I took that idea and used it another way. When our kids were infants, we lived in an apartment. We put the radio on the classical music station all night, on very low volume, both as a calming restful thing, and to blot out the occasional bit of noise we made that might be startling. That'll get the ear training done with much benefit to baby and zero work for you.

My daughter is the strangest thing I've ever seen. I used to sleepwalk, but she sleep sings. One night I swore she had left the Beatles CD running on repeat all night, so I opened the door to turn off the CD, and it was *her* singing. She sings in her sleep a lot, but then, she's the type that hums all day too.

 

[Booko]

yep, it's better now - but to convince oneself to keep at it after such a cold shower was the hard part for me.

Well that's your problem, bubba! You gotta take warm showers to let the steam clear the sludge off your vocal chords! :slap: