The art of singing is a combination of talent and hard work. The answer is yes if all you are interested in knowing is if you can learn to sing. Learning to sing is more of practice rather than talent.
The only advantage of having a good voice naturally is that it can speed up your transition. Nevertheless, that should not be a deterrent.
There are a lot of amazing singers out there who did not know they could sing the way they do today until they understood what was needed.
What is needed is constant practice broken down into simple steps. What are these simple practices? Continue reading to find out.
10 Easy Steps You Can Follow to Teach Yourself How to Sing
Every learning process involves steps. For learning how to sing, these are the tips to follow:
1. Know the right posture for singing
You must know the right posture to learn the art of singing and voice training. The correct posture for singing is known as the tall posture.
Maintaining this posture simply implies aligning your body with the sound it produces. To maintain this correct singing posture, you must:
- Stand and spread your feet apart until they have a distance similar to your shoulders.
- Watch your hips and align them with your shoulder, also. At this point, your feet, hips, and shoulders should be aligned position-wise.
- Ensure your chest is conveniently lifted and keep a straight neck and chin position.
It is best to carry out these actions in front of a large mirror for a better frontal and side view.
2. Practice breath support by breathing from the diaphragm
Learning breath support will ensure you never go out of breath when singing. The correct breathing technique for singing is called diaphragmatic breathing.
This breathing method favors breathing from your stomach when singing rather than your chest. You can master diaphragmatic breath with these 3 simple steps:
- Stand in front of a mirror showing only one side of your body. You should easily see your chest and stomach movement with this stance.
- Place your hands underneath your belly and inhale such that your tummy protrudes as you inhale.
- Breathe out and see your stomach readjust inward.
This technique aims to ensure your stomach inflates during inhalation before you start singing. Please note that your chest must not move during this practice.
3. Learn to sing on pitch and in tune
Learning to sing on pitch and in tune is a challenging practice. This is because you cannot sing and be the judge of your pitch simultaneously.
Nevertheless, there are ways you can learn to pitch all by yourself:
- First, get a recorder nearby to record every attempt.
- Count from 1 to 5 progressively and regressively at the same time. Choose a range while doing this (preferably G3 for girls and C3 for boys).
- Lastly, begin counting each note on a 5-tone scale from the 1st to the 5th and back down.
It is only natural for your voice to go up or down without harmony at this stage. Things will get better with time.
4. Know how to project
Learning to project allows people to hear what you are saying while singing and is very easy to master. Using the power of speaking voice when singing is the best way to learn voice projection.
Here are the practical steps you can take to learn how to project your voice when singing:
- Pick a phrase that you want to sing with a stronger voice from a song.
- Imagine yourself on a stage and say the phrase like you want everyone to hear it. Please, do this without yelling.
- Now ‘speak-sing” that same phrase and notice how improved your vocal power has become.
5. Learn to sing with your chest voice
Terms like chest and head voices cause a lot of confusion in song learning. This is because it can be difficult to know if you are singing with your head or chest for beginners.
Let’s start with everything you need to know about chest voice:
- The best way to feel your chest’s voice is to gently place your hand on it while saying a few words
- The vibration you feel is your chest voice. Practice with this voice repeatedly using a 5-tone scale and back down. With time you will know when to use it
6. Learn to sing in head voice
Now that you have mastered chest voice, it is time you move to head voice. To feel your head voice:
- Place your hand at the back of your neck and sing using a high note
- The vibration you feel while doing this is the head voice
- To master this voice, you must practice songs from high notes to low
Do not be discouraged if your voice breaks while mastering the head or chest voice. It is a sign that you are improving.
7. Sing in a mixed voice
Singing in mixed voice simply means mixing both head and chest voices. This process requires a lot of patience to master.
The best way to avoid singing with too much of either voice is to focus on a single note and maintain it.
8. Master belting
One tone at a time is how you master singing in a mixed voice. However, the ability to sing in a mixed voice for different notes is called belting. Like most processes, there is a right and wrong way to belt.
Here’s how to do it:
- Pronounce the “Nae” in “Nasty” in a loud, bratty, or teasing fashion
- Find a comfortable note to sing “Nae” on. Repeatedly singing on that note in an octave repeat scale will get the best out of you when it comes to belting.
9. Learn to sing with vibrato
Vibrato is a special characteristic that every famous singer possesses. That shaky sound sends a shimmer down your spine when you listen to amazing singers.
These are the 4 steps involved in learning vibrato:
- Connect your index and middle finger and place them above your belly button.
- Choose a note you are comfortable with and sing the “e” vowel sound in “eat” using that note. While singing, poke your stomach a bit.
- Your pitch should begin to wobble and shake as you poke and release.
Please note that it can be challenging to hear vibrato, especially if you are just starting. Recording yourself will speed up the process.
10. Break down songs to sing them better
Lastly, it is important to break songs into chunks to sing them better. What this does to your learning process is that it allows you to know the best melody for each sentence in every segment.
FAQs
Is it possible to teach yourself to sing?
You can teach yourself to sing with a valuable guide like the one above. Recording yourself while singing is also good practice.
How long does it take to learn to sing?
On average, it may take about 3 to 4 months. Advancing your skill by learning different vocal techniques is a different case and may take up to a year.
Can a person learn to sing at any age?
You can learn to sing at any age. Fortunately, the human voice naturally gets better with age.
Can a terrible singer become good?
A terrible singer can become good if he or she practices regularly. Start by learning the basics and the techniques guiding them.
Conclusion
Now that you know you can learn how to sing, you should be buzzing to start. This article has provided background knowledge of all the steps you need to master the art of singing.
However, how you choose to learn to sing is a decision you have to make. If you would like to get started via online lessons, check out the best online learning platforms to learn anything.
Did you find this article helpful? Thanks for reading.
