How to learn to sing

[Robert]

I have a good ear for harmony and pitch, but my voice is not trained very well for singing.

How do you singers recommend a "vocal newbie" gets the right training?

I would love to front my own band, playing all the guitars and doing the vocals! :dude

The problem for me right now is my guitar playing is about million miles ahead of my vocal abilities....

Any tips or suggestions appreciated.

 

[Katastrophe]

Some people can sing naturally, and others require voice lessons. In an old band, we took voice training, and it worked great. Our other guitarist brought a guitar along and transcribed vocal melodies and harmonies on the guitar, so we knew what each part was.

Basically, lessons consisted of warm up, scales, and practicing tunes that we liked to sing. Having a coach there to point out the little sharps and flats was great.

 

[mainestratman]

Just over a year ago, I decided that relying on other people in order to make music was more hassle than it was worth, so I picked up my acoustic and just started singing along to songs in my range.

I performed a few open mics, got lots of positive feedback, and just kept singing... in the shower, in my car, whenever.

I'm not even remotely close to being Sebastian Bach or Pavarotti, but it works for blues.

 

[hubberjub]

Record and listen to yourself. The voice you hear in your head is nothing like what you sound like to others. Take lessons for a few months. All you really need to learn is proper breathing technique. That makes a huge difference.

 

[Eric]

Record and listen to yourself. The voice you hear in your head is nothing like what you sound like to others.

Very true. You need to get used to hearing your own voice on a recording, so playback is critical. I guess that alone won't help you get better, but it will help you come to terms with the voice you have.

 

[vroomery]

There are about 5 thousand ways to go about learning to sing. Here are a few important points that I've found are almost universally true.

1) The more you sing, the quicker you will improve. Just like others have said, sing in your shower, car, practice room. It's just like playing your guitar. The more you play the better you know your instrument. You start to notice little things about how it should feel when you reach certain parts of your range.

2) Even though it seems tedious and unnecessary, vocal warm ups make all the difference in accessing the difficult parts of your range. I have a CD with a few basic warm ups (played on the piano) that I listen to almost every day in my car on the way to work. In the last 6 months I've gone from being comfortable hitting a G to being comfortable hitting a Bb and I attribute much of that to this warm up CD. 2 other warm up tips I use all the time are to warm up in the shower (because of the steam) and to eat something before you sing. Something about the contracting of the muscles in your throat helps your voice warm up quicker.

3) Listen to a recording of your voice. Much like guitar, besides pitch, the most important thing that can change the sound of your voice is tone. It's really hard to hear the tone of your voice because of the way it resonates in your head. Listening to recordings helps with this very much.

4) Never underestimate the many benefits to be had from taking proper vocal instruction. I wouldn't take lessons from anyone that doesn't have a masters in vocal pedagogy unless they have uniformly good reviews from his/her students. Bad vocal advice can hurt your voice in the long run. It's very important to protect your instrument.

This is a link for the CD I use to warm up. It's crazy expensive so I just downloaded it from a torrent. I know this isn't legal or moral, but charging that much for a product is absolutely ridiculous.

http://www.singingsuccess.com/

 

[mainestratman]

I guess that alone won't help you get better, but it will help you come to terms with the voice you have.

:beer:

That's been one of my biggest problems singing.

 

[wingsdad]

Good advice particularly hubberjub, katastrophe & vroomery. The techniques katastrophe describes were what I learned a lot from working with a co-writer who was an ace with constructing harmonies. I find a piano or keyboard is a much better aid than a guitar for identifying intervals.

But no matter how your voice sounds, pitch-wise, tonally...it's about breath control & techniques.

Here's a link to a book/CD course that's very good. I got it for my daughter years ago on recommendation from her HS Choir teacher. Even though she's got a natural ear (pitch, harmony) developed from being immersed in music since she was about 4 yrs. old, singing in school & church choirs, etc., she wanted proper technique. And while she got that from her teacher at school, she wanted something she could practice with at her own pace, at home.

Seth Riggs Book & CD Singing Course

 

[marnold]

If you are planning on doing the 80s metal type thing again, I'd suggest an extraordinarily tight pair of trousers.

 

[bcdon]

The problem for me right now is my guitar playing is about million miles ahead of my vocal abilities....

Any tips or suggestions appreciated.

Robert, we know you can shred. So all you have to do is scream along. I'd buy the album. ;-) :dude

 

[otaypanky]

I always loved singing, since I was a little kid. But I didn't try singing out until the early 90's. I'm surprised and a bit disappointed in a way when after goofing around with guitar for 46 years that I sometimes get compliments from folks on my singing. LOL But it does take time, at least it has for me. I took a few lessons back when I started singing out, but just a few. It was too much trouble getting into Manhattan when I lived in NJ back then. But I remembered a few key pointers I got from my instructor. A few years later I was given a nice compliment from a friend who I consider a very good singer and harp player. He said I was starting to sound like myself. I think prior to that I had a very affected voice. Relaxing and working with what nature gave you will give you your own signature sound. Just like when you pick up the phone and hear hello. Chances are you instantly know who it is. Like when you hear one note and you know it's Albert King. I'm so thankful now that I have gotten into singing. I always have 'my instrument' with me. No tubes, no biasing, and I can do it in the car, anywhere. Have fun Robert, I'm sure you'll have a ball :happy

 

[Katastrophe]

If you are planning on doing the 80s metal type thing again, I'd suggest an extraordinarily tight pair of trousers.

I'd add to that spandex. It'll help with the high notes!

 

[hubberjub]

If you are planning on doing the 80s metal type thing again, I'd suggest an extraordinarily tight pair of trousers.

Amazing advice. Disregard my previous post.

 

[mainestratman]

bcdon.. THANK YOU for the "pick-me-up".

I miss Metallica.

 

[Jimi75]

Here's my tip.

JUST DO IT! THROW ALL CONSTRAINTS OVER BOARD!

The voice comes with the time. Especially for self written material there's no one in the world who could interopret it better than you. That's why guys like Clapton and Knopfler started singing their own material. Sometimes the authentic feeling you can put in songs weighs so much more than a perfectly pitched voice.

Generally and this counts also for covers, it is the best if you understand the song, its message, and if you can interpret and express that. It sure takes some time to be able to do so, but hey, you are a guitar expert, a super photographer, a marathon man, founder of the best forum on the net, there's nothing you can't do Rob! Good luck with your plans! Looking forward to hearing the first takes. I am sure it will be very good. :AOK

 

[Robert]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!

If Bob Dylan and Uli Jon Roth can do it, so can I!

 

[Eric]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!

If Bob Dylan and Uli Jon Roth can do it, so can I!

Also, you might want to consider going cookie-monster on all of the vocals -- even if your voice was horrible, nobody would be the wiser.

 

[jpfeifer]

Hi Robert,

I'm the same way with singing. I always thought of myself as a guitar player who backs up other singers, who are the real vocalists. I've always hated my own voice.

Over the years I've started in small steps to bring my vocal chops up a little. I started out by singing harmony parts behind the lead singers, which i still do. But I've improved my voice from just doing this.

Then I started taking a few songs that I really like and singing them as the lead singer in our band. The more you do it the better you get at it. The biggest thing that it takes is shear nerve. You kind of have to psyche yourself up for it and just go for it. Sometimes you will suprise yourself, other times you will humiliate yourself, but you have to put your voice to the test and see what sounds good. Voices are kind of like amps. They have a different tone when you push them hard, verses playing them quietly. Some voices sound good pushed, others sound better with a more breathy softer tone.

It helps to practice at home with your acoustic and record yourself singing some songs that you connect with. THen listen to yourself and see how you like your own sound. Try a few different styles and see what works well for your voice.

Right now, I'm playing with a Beach Boys tribute band and doing a lot of the high falcetto parts. It's really fun, and very challenging to keep these in tune while doing the guitar parts, but it's loads of fun. In the process it has strengthened my falcetto sound a lot more just from having to cover these parts and stretch my capabilities.

Good luck! --Jim

 

[bigoldron]

I'm a fair singer at best. I just wish I could sing and play at the same time. Not that I'm that great a player either, just not good at multi-tasking I guess....

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I have not sung much on my own (they make me sing a little bit in our acoustic jam) but did in an acapello 4 part group in college. There, we were taught to listen for pitch by plugging one ear with a finger. Does that help one hear one's self? I guess it would help one to hear pitch, but not tone so much. Any thoughts?

I am enjoying the posts, as I would love to sing more.

 

[deeaa]

Plugging the ear by any means helps you hear the sound through your own skull/jaw bones, which _may_ help you hear the pitch better. Depends on the style&such. It doesn't help as much if you sing high&heavy style, better with lower vocals.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I'm a fair singer at best. I just wish I could sing and play at the same time. Not that I'm that great a player either, just not good at multi-tasking I guess....

Same here. I can sing and harmonize pretty well but I cannot sing and play at the same time. My brain is not wired for that. With practice I probably could though I guess.

 

[thearabianmage]

I've been trying to learn to sing for 4 years now and after practicing and researching techniques and speaking to (incredibly hot) vocalists at the Institute, who can bloody wail!, everyone emphasises warm-ups to the Nth degree.

Warm-ups, then breathing techniques (intake, output, control), then posture/position. There are a million other things people say, but from my own experience, these are three big'uns. . .

This is a great thread, by the way. Loads of awesome advice! :AOK

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Ok, warm ups, breath techniques and posture, and just singing. Maybe recording one's self. Sounds good.

What about picking songs in your range? I can stay with Eddy Vedder on his mellower stuff before he starts howling. Though I play lots of Neil Young, I cannot reach his range and have to sing an octave down. Back when I sang four part, I could sing bass parts or baritone, but usually was assigned bass. It is overall more natural, though I have to reach for the really low notes. In baritone, I have to reach for the high end of that range.

 

[deeaa]

Warmups work well - I never do those but they would be great. Breathing is important - at least not doing it all wrong is

Howling is a good word...muchos easier to get high when you howl as opposed to trying to sing. Baby bawling all the way...makes it easier.

By all means find songs that are good for your range. From your description I'd assume songs like 'Born on the Bayoy' in C would be work...of Pearl Jam, try 'Elderly Woman'...Beatles: Hide Your Love Away...you'll find good ones. Grateful Dead's country rock songs are suitable too for 'mid' voices.

I'm naturally a bass, but I find myself singing female high voices even now and then...it comes with just lots of use.

 

[thearabianmage]

What about picking songs in your range?

Picking songs in your range note-wise is a good idea, although you can always transpose a tune if it's too high or too low

But you should always try and expand your palette - practice many songs, in many different styles. :AOK

 

[deeaa]

BTW Neil Young's Heart of Gold is a good tune not too high.

Mind you, usually when you *think* it's too high it isn't. Neil's voice is just very tinny and sounds high - but it really isn't. Chances are, you sing it like you're trying to _sound_ as high as he does, and actually singing way higher.

Voices differ. If you sing many a tune at the correct pitch...it may sounds lower than the original just because your voice is much more bassy.

 

[street music]

I'm enjoying this thread, I too want to start singing more and I just feel that voice is much worse than my guitar playing , which is really just strumming along . I have several songs that I love to sing along too but just haven't recored my self. I use to sing in grade school and church but I just seem to stay back away from the mic when I'm playing with others.

 

[deeaa]

One more thing came to mind: do NOT sing off-key. I can't think of anything more detrimental for voice than singing off-key.

What I mean by that is that if you sing without being assured of the voice, quite tentatively and maybe even wavering a bit, you're bound to be stressing the voice and 'singing too much'.

So start with really simple melodies, or just one note or two, long legatos. Play for instance just open G and A and sing to that just wooo...oooo...or something. Pick two notes you know well and aren't too high.

But BE SURE of the note. Be so sure you can set aside the guitar and wait a while and then be able to belt out the same woo-oo in exact pitch. And when you're sure of the note and it isn't too high, you CAN really belt it out. Imagine you're not singing, you're yelling at some young punk trying to steal your car or something 'Heeey Youu!' but exactly in tune.

Unless you're really constantly producing sound the wrong way, this kind of natural-pitch yelling should happen easily and when you learn the notes and can hit them with exact accuracy and conviction, you could do that all day and not strain your voice.

Only and ONLY when you can do that no problem and make a sound loud enough for neighbors to hear, it's time to go onward to more notes - play simple patterns and find out how far up or low you can go and STILL retain the very same voice level and conviction. The very second you hit a note that's even slightly harder to sing with conviction, fall back. I suggest playing for instance whole notes in 9 notes rotation, start from G first, 9 whole notes up, I usually just sing 'this sounds stupid' divided on those nine, next start the same from G#, then A, and so on. Now if the A riff suddenly gets hard to sing revert back to G# and do that a few more times.

At best I used to be able to sing from dropped D on low E to something like 8th fret on high E string like that and no falsetto yet, but these days I struggle to go so low, something like F is lowest I can sing OK.

 

[pes_laul]

One thing My choir director taught me on how to improve range was to play on a piano (or guitar doesnt matter) middle C and keep going down half steps till it gets uncomfortable. Then do the same thing again but keep going higher until it gets uncomfortable. If you keep doing this it will build your range up and before you know your range will improve