Can anyone learn to sing? The simple answer to that question is yes. However, you’ve got to take the right steps and have the correct information to do so.
In this article, we’re going to give you the most direct and effective advice to get you there. After all, despite the fact that we live in the era of information, the Internet is littered with bad advice. Be happy that you came to the right place, with the right information. So… can anyone learn how to sing? Absolutely, just read below.
Take singing lessons
Most renowned singers have taken singing lessons for years. In many cases, they still have a vocal coach. The truth is that nothing beats a good teacher. This is because they can steer you in the right direction and get you to where you want to be much quicker and without wasting time.
Sure, there is great advice on books and the internet. However, only a good teacher can pinpoint the precise areas in which you need help, and devise exercises, a routine, and an overall plan that focuses on your strengths and deals with your weaknesses. After all, each one of us has different challenges when it comes to singing.
How often should you take lessons? Well, that depends on what you want to accomplish. Lady Gaga enlisted a vocal coach for over a year, to train her on a daily basis. Other renowned singers that have a long history of singing lessons include Adele, Katy Perry, and Justin Timberlake.
Keep in mind that there are traditional means of learning singing and other modern tools like our Roadie Coach. With Roadie Coach, you can have quick access to personalized feedback and a step-by-step learning approach. Roadie coach will carefully listen to your voice and instrument and give you feedback on each, making it a great tool to track your progress and improve.
Lip thrills are your friends
Lip thrills are as effective as they are weird. These exercises are some of the most used by singers of all levels. Typically, they are used at the beginning of a singing session, or when a quick warm-up is necessary. They are also simple and relatively easy to execute.
Lip thrills are great for warming up and loosening up. It is important that you breathe well and execute the lip thrill consistently from beginning to end.
There are plenty of resources on the web regarding lip thrills, and YouTube features several of these extremely effective exercises.
Develop your breathing
In order to sing well, you need to breathe well. There are plenty of exercises that are well known for helping singers with their breathing. One of them is to inhale slowly and slowly exhale while having your diaphragm muscles engaged, and exhale as slowly and steadily as possible. Another great exercise is to inhale naturally, and then exhale forcefully while pronouncing the letter “S” continuously.
Good breathing is a cornerstone of good singing. Besides doing exercises designed to help you sing better, you could also benefit your lung capacity with physical activity, especially Yoga. Superstar Sting practices Yoga with the utmost discipline, and his breathing and physique can attest to that.
Just like every aspect of singing or music in general, breathing has to be practiced so it can be mastered. In other words… can anyone learn to sing? Yes, and it all starts with breathing.
Practice scales and arpeggios on different syllables
Practicing scales and arpeggios is de rigueur for becoming a good singer. You can start with the major scale and its arpeggios. For instance, in the case of a C major scale, the notes would be C D E F G A B. The arpeggio is just the first, third, and fifth note of the scale, in this case, C E G.
Practice major and minor scales in different syllables. This will help with various aspects like your tuning, endurance, and overall voice agility.
Practice
It is hard to think of any aspect of high musicianship that does not involve practice. We’ve discussed this many times here on the Roadie Blog. However, let’s state it again: if you want to become a good musician, regardless if you play, sing, write, arrange, etc., you need to practice effectively. There are no shortcuts. Singing is not the exception.
Warm-up before singing
In singing, you are your own instrument and there is no replacement for your vocal chords. Therefore it is imperative that you warm up before singing. This is especially true for concerts and longer practice sessions.
A good singing teacher is perfectly capable of giving you plenty of warm up exercises. Warming up for singers is a lot like warming up for athletes. The point is not only to warm up to perform well, but also to avoid injuries. Even James Hetfield of metal band Metallica has a warm-up routine in place. You can see a little bit of it on the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster.
Stay hydrated and watch what you eat
This one might not be as hard to accomplish, but it also requires discipline. Not only do you need to drink water, but you must also be careful with foods and drinks that lead to dehydration or throat irritation. For instance, coffee and alcohol must be controlled. Oh, you don’t like the sound of that? Well, nobody does. However, discipline and self-control are a must if you want to last as a singer, even if at a local level.
Singers like Madonna and Sting have a personal chef that travels with them everywhere they go. Superstars aside, you can also keep an eye on what you eat. Start simple. Fruits and vegetables are your friends. Spicy Mexican food and vodka are not.
The answer to the question of can anyone learn how to sing is a straightforward one. Despite it being a resounding “yes”, it involves a lot of work and dedication. If you follow the steps above, you will be well on your way to learning how to sing. As always, start off slow, have patience, practice every day, and have fun!
