Singing Tips for Beginners

Is singing a natural talent OR a learnt skill?

We all have a speaking voice and use our vocal folds/cords every single day, so you’re actually already familiar with how powering your voice feels. Learning to use your singing voice is just an extension of that same vocal process, using the same equipment. But with a certain set of learned basic skills. Ease your way in with one of my takeaways, a free PDF companion guide to this article: Need Help with Singing Basics.

Q: Can you teach yourself to sing or is it natural?

An education professor once said: “ Singing is more of a learnt skill than a talent.”

Singing does not lend itself well to self-teaching. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you don’t need guidance when you’re learning. Another pair of ears to listen to you sing and watch how you’re achieving the sounds you make is not only important but vital. Many factors govern why you have the voice that you were born with (unique to you!) and a singing teacher’s job is to let that uniqueness shine. Problems like singing out of tune are difficult to self-correct even when the singer is aware. How will you learn to correct it?

Q: How can beginners improve their singing?

These are some of the typical questions beginners ask. Recognise any of them?

• Can anyone learn to sing?
• How long does it take to learn to sing?
• How do I learn how to breathe in singing?
• How can I sing beautifully?

Answers: Yes - anyone can give singing a go. BUT - a positive outcome depends on different factors, not least of all the willingness to learn, determination to take it slow and not get impatient. Using your voice well is a learned skill. There’s a balance that has to be established and learning/knowing 5 basic vocal technique principles will get you there.

As we age and mature, so we as singers can imagine that it may become harder to produce good sound. That our bodies have 'issues' that have accumulated over time and are difficult to reverse. Or - that it is too late to learn - or worst of all in my view, that there is in fact little need to learn anything new! Surely, the joyful learning path never ends?

Q: What should beginner singers learn first?

Learn about and discover the vocal range you already have - get to know your limits and your comfort zone without pushing the voice to achieve pitches that feel awkward or create vocal tension. Learn a simple song, perhaps one with a backing track that is a good speed for you and feels comfortable when you sing along. What do you notice? What things did you find difficult - or what problems did the song give you? Being guided by a singing teacher makes it easy of course.

Q: How to learn singing at home for free

Discover free memberships and online resources (the right ones) to get your vocal journey rolling.
A word of caution: read about the importance of guidance and mentoring, and how, if we do not take care to practice correctly we continually build on bad muscle memories/pathways of learning.

Q: How do I start learning to sing?

Keep things simple: if all you’re looking for is a short introduction to the basics of a vocal warm-up, you might start here. Focus on understanding muscle-memory-building tools that you rely on the most in the basic use and care of your wonderful unique voice.

Not always the best advice (without structured answers and how-tos)

• Practice every day (but what if you’re doing it wrong and for too long?)
• Record yourself and analyse your vocals (how will you know what to look for?)
• Warm-up before singing (just how do you warm up the voice?)
• Master your breathing techniques (um ... how?)

I would love to help you learn

Head over to my Little Soprano HQ website and watch a quick introductory video to smooth the way toward why you should even consider thinking about vocal technique. You'll find other free learning resources there too.

Why is it so important to learn even the most basic of essential vocal tools (exercises)??

Since we can’t go out and replace the one voice we’ve been given, it’s important to understand the basic principles of vocal production.