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Good singing is omnipresent. We hear it all the time and look enviously at the many young talents whose voice has become their most important tool. But what many don't know is that every one of us can sing. Everyone has a voice that can hit the right notes to make great music. It's just a matter of nurturing that talent to turn your voice into a true instrument as your daily companion. In this post, you'll learn how to train your voice, what to look for, and how to get your start in music.
In order to sing successfully and well, singing lessons are not mandatory. However, they can help you, especially at the beginning, and give you valuable feedback from singing teachers. Another advantage: music is simply more fun together! By learning together with others in a choir or by attending individual singing lessons, you can discover this feeling of fun in singing. Whether with or without a singing teacher, alone or in a choir - learning to sing is worthwhile either way! Not without reason, it has even been scientifically proven that singing leads to positive emotions.
However, you can practice the right singing techniques even without a singing teacher. It is important that you do not overload or damage your voice, despite the high demands you place on yourself. For example, if belting doesn't work right away, take a break for the day, give your voice some rest and care, and start again the next day with a fresh voice. This way you will achieve success much faster and, most importantly, healthier than forcing vocal techniques or practicing excessively. So with research, patience, good methodology and mindfulness, you can give yourself singing lessons to start with.
However, you should not completely forgo feedback on your first singing attempts. As an alternative to traditional on-site singing lessons, online courses are also available. To learn how to sing professionally and find musicians to support you, the Internet with all its offerings is an excellent place to start. In addition to apps or YouTube videos, many music schools now have an online presence. A single lesson to review what you've learned or introduce new tips can help you learn to sing better.
To best advance your vocal performance, you should also know about the type and function of your voice. For this, the pitch of your voice is of enormous importance. If you know your voice pitch, you can much better assess which songs suit you or whether you should transpose songs one pitch up or down. In general, the following voice pitches are distinguished:
The lowest pitch is the bass. Especially in male choirs, the bass is often the base of all sounds. Notes from F to f' are comfortable for people with the bass pitch.
The vocal range baritone represents the middle pitch of mostly male singers. The vocal range at this point extends roughly from G to g', which allows a wide range of use. By using the head voice, notes up to b' are also possible with good practice and active training.
Men with a very high voice or women with a very low voice usually have the tenor pitch. Their pitch ranges from c to a'. Good male tenors are especially in demand in operas, as they can thrill an entire auditorium with their voice. Many stars of today's music on the radio also sing in tenor.
Women with a low voice range usually sing in alto. The range of the voice is approximately from g to e. Few women sing exclusively in alto. There is often a connection between alto and mezzo-soprano, which raises the pitch somewhat.
The pitch of the mezzo-soprano ranges from a to f', but there can still be deviations due to the respective high or low mezzo-soprano. Well-known musicians with mezzo-soprano are Pink, Miley Cyrus or Adele.
Many women with a very high voice sing in the soprano. This is the highest vocal range, encompassing the notes from c' to a''. Individual singers hit even higher notes, but for learning how to handle one's own voice this is not absolutely necessary. A true queen of the soprano and many notes above it is, for example, Mariah Carey.
After you have been able to assign your voice to the appropriate register, you should try yourself out. Do you prefer to sing solo, be the lead singer in a band, or be a member of a choir? Especially for beginners, singing together with others is very instructive and can really bring out your talent. A choir is therefore the perfect introduction to the world of singing. If you belong to a choir or a band, you will often be able to experience your first performances, which will certainly shape you as a singer.
Whether you're a soprano or a tenor, a solo singer or a band member, famous musicians can be found in every voice range and situation, so you'll find songs and genres to try out and feel at home in.
In order to learn more about the singing technique that is important for you personally and your goals, you should decide which type of singing suits your style of singing. In music genres like pop, musicians often work with their speaking voice. This distinguishes the genres from other styles where the voice is artificially altered using the tild technique. At this point, the vocal cartilages ensure that the vocal folds are elongated and become thinner. This gives you the option to sing in multiple styles and create a distinction between speech and singing.
Pressure and stress lead to tension, which can also be felt in your muscles. For singing, however, you need to be relaxed. Relax your muscles so that you can hit the right notes in the future. Loosening exercises for the facial muscles should therefore be part of every warm-up before singing.
With the right posture, you'll be able to give your voice the expression you want. This includes a straight back, slightly bent knees and relaxed neck muscles to really feel comfortable while singing and build up your support.
Especially for long vocal passages, you need to know exactly when it's best to breathe. Ideally, however, your breaths should not be clearly audible to the listener, which is why you should breathe into your belly as much as possible. "Silent inhalation" is the keyword here.
A perfect voice cannot be activated at the push of a button. For this reason, sing yourself in accordingly so that your voice warms up. Repeating the scale or other small relaxation exercises can help you at this point.
For professional singers, vocal training is on the daily schedule. Even if you don't have to sing every day, your singing voice should be used regularly. Only by actively practicing and positively promoting your voice can you ensure lasting success.
Not only the enthusiasm of the audience, but also your own feeling when singing are great side effects when you decide to learn to sing. Always remember: as with any instrument, what others think about you doesn't matter when it comes to your voice. Many musicians didn't make it big because others encouraged them to. Most singers bring the necessary confidence in their own abilities and manage not to get in their own way. So trust in yourself, your voice and the feeling you have when you sing.
Never tell yourself that you can't sing. Because as already mentioned at the beginning: everyone can sing! And with the right training, you too can develop in a targeted manner.
Few industries are more diverse than music. Right here on our musician search portal you can find music teachers or contact musicians. We will gladly support you in your search for musicians and accompany you in using your voice as an instrument. Feel free to look around on our portal.
Originally published on April 27, 2021, updated on January 7, 2022