Singing

[rdb90]

Is singing a gift you get from birth? Can you either sing or not sing? Or can you get really good by practice even if you stink at first?

[Hope4Peace]

well some people are born good simgers... others get good by practice. i kno although i have always had a decent voice..... i wansnt really good at using it till i was about 15. another thing.. even people with not so good voices can be good singers.. and some can even be good enough that they can make up for thier voice... sry if that dosnt help.. but thats how it is.... take care!

*~peace and love~*

[rdb90]

It helps a bit, I know I'm not a good singer, but out of every 20 words i might hit a really good note, or i think so myself lol...

later

Edited July 24, 2005 by rdb90

[Hope4Peace]

awww well im sure ull get better..... r u currently doing any warm ups or exersizes?? also.... u shudnt drink milk lol.... gives u flem in ur throat.. drink somthin carbonated to open ur arways... n after that.. if u wanna drink while ur singin just drink water... good luck.. take care.. n if u have any questions dont b afraid to ask

*~peace and love~*

[rdb90]

Haha, yeah, thanks, I only sing for a laugh though, me and my friend made 4 songs and recorded them on a cd for a laugh, we didnt have any music so its pretty funny, but im just wonderin if i will get good, cause it would be cool to be able to sing stuff i write good and yeah, ive been singing since i was like 5, but was never good lol

later on

[Hope4Peace]

well then if u ever wanna get serious about being a singer (for a band or wutever).. those are sum tips

[rdb90]

Thanks, I might try to actually do a good song sometime, lol

Later on

Edited July 24, 2005 by rdb90

[Rudi]

Or can you get really good by practice even if you stink at first?

Yes

[ATom2]

While it is possible to get fairly good over time, not all people are able to do so. Tone deafness is quite common and some people can't sing on key because they can't hear "comprehend" the notes they are shooting for.

Therefore, some people will never be able to sing.

That's life!

[theartoffocus]

Is singing a gift you get from birth? Can you either sing or not sing? Or can you get really good by practice even if you stink at first?

All I know is that I was crap as a little kid, soon as I turned 14, my voice broke, i got main parts in local theatre musical productions, now I'm 16 and going to New York to join Sir Thomas Allen's opera company... there's hope for us all. lol.

[Nightwolf]

The best advice I ever got from the greatest singer I know is "Sing...all the time, everywhere" keep practicing and it will come

[FinnArild]

The best advice I ever got from the greatest singer I know is "Sing...all the time, everywhere" keep practicing and it will come      

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is my belief too. You can get good at whatever you put your mind to.

[Donna]

This is true, RD, that one can learn. As far as tone deafness, I don't know what that is like, but HH imo is right on the money.

I have many challenges singing flat or sharp...it's just something to iron out, it can be done.

At one time, no one would let me sing lead.

What I did that helped: I taped myself singing, listened to it, and tried it again, then listened to that. Repeat til ya start hearing what it's supposed to be. Many times I gave up in disgust. But always went back to it the next day/week. And started getting results.

Painful esp. at first, but it worked. Also, took 2 semesters of voice...after that it's like I became an ok singer almost overnight.

[john]

Hey

I agree to a point in terms of pitch, but it can take training to fix ussues with tonality.

With pitch the singer has a unique problem which causes pitch confusion, making it difficult for the singer to hit the correct pitch. Sound produced by the mouth reaches the ear in two ways:

From the mouth, through the air, to the ear.

From the mouth, through bone (especially the jaw bone), to the ear.

If any of you know any physics, the waves that make up a sound alter when travelling through different mediums. The result? You hear 2 pitches, and the variance can be up to 3 semi-tones!

This is one of the reasons why you sometimes see singers with the fingers of one hand cupped behind their ear, and the heal of their hand towards the mouth. This amplifies the sound coming through the air (just try it). It's also partly why it is recommended to practice singing at performance volume regularly. That' is not the same as full volume.

This helps the singer compensate for the pitch difference, and then eventually through practice rarely if at all need to use it. This is part of "training your ear".

Practice also brings control. At least correct practice does. One of the main problems singers have is breathing. This is very important as you need to have enough breath to make a particular pitch, and hold it.

So most people can with training become reasonable, if not pretty good singers. But some others will never be singers due to lack of concentration, control, or that fundamental feedback mechanism - awareness.

Cheers

John

Cheers

John

[Donna]

Well explained. What's the difference between practicing singing using regular performanace vs full voice? Do ppl tend to practice using full voice?

[john]

Hi Donna

Not full voice, but full volume. Many amateur, over confident 'singers' (and a few pro ones as well) seem to think louder equals better. Performance volume means (at least to me) the sound of a well projected voice, singing at a volume that is comfortable, and sustainable. Too loud, your vocal tone will change, as will the chances of singing every night of a tour, and still having a voice at the end of it.

It's like turning up your stereo to full volume. Chances are your speakers will distort it badly, and your neighbours will complain. Add to that, singers that push too far simply sound like they are shouting. Probably because they often are.

Maybe we shouldn't refer to them as singers...

Cheers

John

[hariossa]

last weekend I did a lot of voice recording, like 4 hours of take after take after... and at the end of it my throat was dead, I sounded like Miles Davis speaking, and my wife said "of course you can't speak now, you've been shouting for hours" so there must be something VERY wrong with my technique (or my lack of it).

[john]

Hey Hari

When you sing you maybe singing too loud, but you are probably singing from the throat. This might sound strange, but try experimenting how the sound is produced by moving the sound backwards towards the throat and forwards to the lips. If you ry it, you'll see what I mean. When you move the sound forward to your lips you should feel your nose and lips tingle. If you sing producing your voice from hear you will produce a lot less strain on your vocal chords. You'll need to practice!

Cheers

John

[hariossa]

Thanks John!! I'll try that tomorrow... I'll tell you if I make it.

[FinnArild]

Another common way to hurt your vocal cords is by "glottular attack". That is: you start an "a" (for example) with your vocal cords shut. This causes air to build up in front of your vocal cords and pop out when you release them.

The alternative is to start the "a" with a silent "h" (open vocal cords).

That too takes quite a lot of practice.

Other things to try to avoid: coughing and rinsing, whispering (worse than you think) and of course: smoking.