how do you learn to sing?

I want to think i can do this, because if i'm following alongside one or more people who can sing, then i can synch up with them and carry a decent tune. but if i ever try to go off on my own... it's crash and burn.

what I'm trying to do is learn a solo guitar/vocal piece. and then what makes it even harder is when the guitar part diverges from the vocal, i instinctively try to follow the guitar.

any recommendations?

12/23/2010 12:44:07 PM

First things first, you want to go on American Idol and get made fun of on national television...

12/23/2010 12:48:43 PM

thanks for your help

12/23/2010 1:03:28 PM

if you need to learn how at this late age, forget about it.....only sing in the shower....save us all!

or just sing country, you can get away with sounding terrible.....

[Edited on December 23, 2010 at 1:19 PM. Reason : w]

12/23/2010 1:17:47 PM

Well,

Have a friend take you to a piano and poke out 3-4 random notes at a time. You sing them back with correct pitches. Like, think the "N..B..C" jingle. Sequences like that. Sing three/four back at a time. Mix up the notes, use both black and white keys.

If you cannot adequately sing them back without sounding like a cat in a washing machine, then you are most likely tone-deaf and cannot be taught how to sing. Plain and simple.

However if you are not tone deaf, start with favorite songs of yours. Sing them somewhere you can hear yourself; stairwell, big room, shower, etc,

People who are not tone deaf know when they are out of tune. They can hear it.

If you can match other folks who are singing, most likely you aren't tone deaf and can be taught.

12/23/2010 1:19:03 PM

no i'm not tone deaf. i know when i'm off.

i can sing pretty well if i follow alongside someone who can sing. I'm not so good on my own. and when i try to play an instrument and sing, i get completely lost and everything disintegrates.

i guess i ought to go find some place that gives lessons.

12/23/2010 1:25:43 PM

Aren't there computer programs out there where you sing into a microphone when it calls out notes or plays a song, and it tells you how you are off and stuff?

seems like a nice, non-embarrassing way to learn out to properly carry at tune.

12/23/2010 2:31:40 PM

If you're serious about this, hire a vocal coach.

12/23/2010 2:54:09 PM

i'm serious, but i don't know if i'm serious. that sounds like a lot of cash.

i just wanna be the singin git-tar playin cowboy at the campfire.





[Edited on December 23, 2010 at 4:26 PM. Reason : I already bought a hat]

12/23/2010 4:25:01 PM

rock band.

12/23/2010 4:53:32 PM

12/23/2010 5:36:57 PM

i am tone deaf.

thus a lost cause.

12/23/2010 5:50:41 PM

i dont understand tone deafness. is this a real condition? or is it just a figure of speech like someone has a "green thumb" or has "two left feet"

if you're really tone deaf, is that like color blindness? do you have difficulty distinguishing or enjoying music?

12/23/2010 6:38:15 PM

Tone-deafness is an actual condition. It is not a colloquialism.

It means that you cannot distinguish pitch and afterward sing it. Nor, do you have any ability to correctly relay intervals between pitches. Sharps, flats, semitones, whole notes, etc.

There is absolutely no hope for people who are tone deaf.

I took a voice class at State where the prof had us sing the aforementioned pitch test with several notes. Those who couldn't do it where asked to drop the course.

12/23/2010 11:32:58 PM

...singing in the shower makes you sound a lot better than you actually sound.

don't take that advice.

12/23/2010 11:42:42 PM

Touche'

Sing in the shower to hear yourself. It does make you sound better, but at least you can hear the delay. Take that advice.

12/24/2010 12:33:43 AM

i disagree, ArcBoyee. Not all people have a naturally good voice and good ear, but with practice and training anyone can match a pitch with their voice assuming they're not truly def.

there are two things at work here. One is hearing the desired pitch and noting how your pitch differs. The second part is being able to control your voice in order to control it and then correct pitch. the latter is the hard part, not the former.

I have a good ear and can always pick out wrong notes, etc. I have poor voice control though so i'm a pretty weak singer. Sitting with a piano for even an hour can be really eye opening. I'd start there. Just slowly sing the C scale (all white keys) up and down. This will give you a feel for what an interval sounds and feels like. Most people who can't sing are just way too extreme in their pitch changing and are all over. its actually really subtle.

12/24/2010 12:28:55 PM

Learning to sing a steady pitch is also difficult.

12/25/2010 12:38:24 AM

I never sang a note until I got to college and I started singing and playing guitar (which was difficult to do at first even though I'd played guitar for years) and eventually I got to where I could sing or at least tell when I'm out of key. I think that you can improve it just takes a lot of time and practice. I sing and play everyday and seen some changes though I'd never sing in public. I used to record myself on my Mac so I can actually look back and see the improvements I've made over the years. I've also looked into vocal training and from what I understand it's a lot of tedious voice exercises and scales. as corny as it may sound, chorus may be your best bet because you can recognize how to sing in certain keys/octaves.

[Edited on December 25, 2010 at 3:27 AM. Reason : .]

12/25/2010 3:27:02 AM

i'm finding that repetition/practice is improving... i think chorus or lessons would be helpful

12/26/2010 12:47:13 AM

Okay i think i've found the problem. practice definitely builds confidence, but my effective vocal range seems fixed at less than two octaves.

basically I break at higher than C5 and I can't get any lower than F3.

what can you do to increase the upper range of your voice? any chance i could gain a few more whole tones on the upper end, to say, G5?

12/28/2010 12:10:58 AM

most cell phones have a record/playback feature that you can use to listen to yourself.

I'd also like to learn to sing, a friend has been helping me with it. Mostly going up and down the piano and trying to sing the scales. Your range gets better if you warm up. She also recommended Disney songs as good practice. "Somewhere Out There" from American Tale is a good one, although it might be a little high for a dude.

Quote :

"i disagree, ArcBoyee. Not all people have a naturally good voice and good ear, but with practice and training anyone can match a pitch with their voice assuming they're not truly def. there are two things at work here. One is hearing the desired pitch and noting how your pitch differs. The second part is being able to control your voice in order to control it and then correct pitch. the latter is the hard part, not the former."

I agree with this. I always thought that I was a hopeless case and that some people just "can't" sing. Not true! Like any skill, there are some people who are naturally better but anyone can improve with practice. The reason I was so bad is because I had trouble controlling my voice. I've been getting better at it though

12/28/2010 12:20:19 PM

i cant actually sing, but I can mimic a few songs very well. so much so, that people think I know how to sing. I can sing several songs from Leaving Las Vegas. I suggest you learn to mimic some song you think will be useful.

12/28/2010 3:17:07 PM

I think the biggest thing with being able to sing without having the notes given to you while you sing is having the memory for pitch...it could be either perfect pitch or relative pitch. However, it's much easier to harmonize or sing with out music or someone singing with you when you have a pitch memory.

12/29/2010 12:48:03 AM