Many people enjoy singing but don’t think they’re very good at it. Others may enjoy singing but are afraid to perform in front of others.
And still others may just love belting out tunes in the shower but never imagined themselves doing anything more with it. So, how can you tell if you’re a good singer?
Answer these simple questions truthfully, and we’ll let you know!
How Can I Tell If I Can Sing?
Many people believe that singing is a natural talent that cannot be learned, but anyone can learn to sing with the proper instruction and practice. But how can you tell if you have the potential to be a good singer – here are a few things to keep in mind:
- First, it is important to have a clear understanding of pitch. This is the ability to sing a note accurately without wavering. If you can match the pitch of a note that you hear, then you have a good sense of pitch.
- Second, focus on your breathing. Good singers typically have strong lungs and are able to control their breath while singing. This allows them to sing for long periods of time without tiring.
- Finally, pay attention to your vowel sounds. Vowels are the building blocks of good singing, and being able to produce clear, resonant vowel sounds is a sign of a good singer.
If you have all of these things working in your favor, then there is a good chance that you have the potential to be a great singer!
To improve your odds of being a good singer, you may want to sign up for vocal lessons. This will help you learn the fundamentals of singing, plus everything you see in the video below (and more!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OhUlHHAyKA
What Makes a Person Able to Sing?
The science of singing ability boils down to three things: breath control, vocal cords, and resonance. Let’s start with breath control. Breath control is important because it provides the power necessary to produce sound. Without enough air flow, your vocal cords will not vibrate properly and you will not be able to hold a note.
Next are the vocal cords. Vocal cords are two thin bands of muscle tissue located in your larynx (voice box). When you inhale, your vocal cords open so that air can pass through your larynx and into your lungs. When you exhale, your vocal cords close and vibrate as the air passes through them. The pitches of the notes you sing are determined by how fast or slow your vocal cords vibrate.
Last is resonance. Resonance is created when the vibrations from your vocal cords cause surrounding structures in your throat, mouth, and nose to vibrate along with them. This amplifies the sound of your voice and gives it its unique timbre.
Is it True Some People Can’t Sing?
At some point in our lives, many of us have been told that we can’t sing. Whether it was by a well-meaning friend or family member, or by a music teacher with no bedside manner, being told you can’t sing can be disheartening. But is it true? Can some people really not sing? Let’s explore the feasibility of “tone deafness.“
The first step in understanding whether or not tone deafness is a real thing is to understand what it actually is. Despite its name, tone deafness has nothing to do with pitch. Someone who is tone deaf can still hear the difference between high and low notes. What tone deafness does refer to is the inability to identify melodies. People with this condition can’t tell one melody from another, regardless of how many times they hear it.
Now that we know what tone deafness actually is, the next question is whether or not it’s a real thing. And the answer seems to be…maybe? There’s no denying that some people have a harder time than others when it comes to learning melodies. However, there’s also no scientific evidence that indicates that some people are physically unable to identify melodies. So while it’s possible that there are people out there who are genuinely tone deaf, we don’t currently have any proof that this is actually the case.
How Can I Test My Singing Voice?
Before you read any further, there’s one important thing you should know – anyone can sing! While some people may have more natural musical ability than others, and an even smaller subset of those people have a voice that’s worth training for potential professional use, there isn’t a single person out there who can’t learn how to sing, especially with a good private teacher and a lot of hard work and enthusiasm!
Quick Steps – A Basic “Can I Sing?” Test
So how can you find out where you fall on this scale? You might want to work through a few steps on this basic Can I Sing Test to see what your current abilities might be:
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Switch on your radio, and find a familiar song – sing along (at the appropriate octave for you), and try to keep on pitch with the singer. If you’re not sure if you are, ask someone with a good ear for music to help you. Don’t be discouraged if you’re out of tune with the radio; it could just be that you need to develop your ear more to hear differences in pitches.
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Next find a song with a strong rhythm – and again, sing along. Now turn the volume down for ten seconds, but keep singing. When you turn it up again, are you still singing in time with the song? If not, don’t worry – developing a strong sense of rhythm takes time and practice.
More Advanced “Can I Sing?” Test Steps for Testing Your Voice
If you’ve done well at the “Can I Sing?” test above, you might want to look further into training both your voice and your ear – one won’t develop without the other! Try some of these steps to gauge your current level of ability for both:
Here are steps for your voice:
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Find a song that suits you – this can be any genre, but should have a simple melody line, be well within your current vocal range, and preferably already quite familiar to you.
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Using the sheet music (search online if you don’t already have it), study the tune, paying attention to pitch, rhythm, and an even tone. Avoid any vocal decoration that isn’t on the printed page – and if you can’t read music, ask someone (like your teacher) to help you.
Make sure you aren’t breathing in the middle of sentences (unless there’s a comma), or worse still, in the middle of words!
Finally, ask someone to listen to you – ask for constructive criticism, with particular attention to whether you had a decent tone, enunciated the words, and stayed with the rhythm.
More Advanced “Can I Sing?” Test Steps for Basic Ear Training
And here are steps for your ear:
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Play a note on the piano and sing the pitch back – some novice singers find this hard to do at first, as they’re used to “tuning in” to the overtones in the human voice. Being able to sing pitches played on an instrument is the most important piece of basic ear training you can do, especially if you want to sing your songs with accompaniment, join a choir, or form a band.
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Play a simple tune on the piano – no more than eight notes or so (you may wish to get someone else to do this for you). Sing the tune back, paying special attention to getting not only all the pitches and intervals correct, but the rhythm, too.
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Learn to identify basic things about songs – are they fast/slow, happy/sad (generally in major keys for happy and minor keys for sad), and so on. This will help you work out what you need to know about new pieces to learn them quicker.
Can I Learn To Sing? Yes! Here’s How
Many people assume that you have to be born with singing talent to be able to sing well. This simply isn’t true! While some people are born with perfect pitch or a natural gift for carrying a tune, anyone can learn to sing with the right instruction and practice.
The Basics of Breathing for Singing
One of the most important things to understand when learning how to sing is proper breath support. The majority of your breath should come from your diaphragm, which is a muscle located between your stomach and chest.
When you breathe from your diaphragm, your stomach will expand as you inhale. This is the most efficient way to breathe and will allow you to sing for long periods of time without running out of breath.
To train your diaphragm, try this simple exercise: lie on your back on the floor with one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. As you inhale, make sure that only your stomach expands and not your chest. You should feel like your stomach is filling up like a balloon. Exhale slowly and repeat 10 times. This may seem like a lot at first but with practice, it will become second nature.
Vocal Warm-Ups are Key
Another important tool in learning how to sing is vocal warm-ups. Just like athletes need to warm-up their muscles before exercising, singers need to warm-up their vocal cords before singing (particularly if they will be belting out some high notes!). Vocal warm-ups help prevent strain on the vocal cords and can improve pitch accuracy.
There are many different vocal exercises that you can do but here is one simple one to get you started: hum for two seconds on an “mm” sound, then glide up to a “v” sound (as in “victory”) and hold for two seconds followed by sliding down back to an “mm” sound and holding for two seconds. Repeat this 10 times.
As you get more comfortable with this exercise, try starting on different vowel sounds such as “ah” or “ee”. Just be careful not to overdo it at first or you may strain your vocal chords! These vocal warm-ups may seem silly but they can really make a difference in how well you sing.
Posture Matters
Proper posture is also important when learning how to sing as it allows airflow through the lungs, which creates more volume when singing.
When standing, make sure that you are not hunched over but rather standing tall with shoulders back and relaxed. It may help to imagine a string attached to the top of your head pulling you up towards the ceiling. Avoid tucking your chin into your chest, as this will restrict airflow and limit volume when singing.
When sitting, make sure that you are sitting up straight with both feet flat on the ground. Resting one foot on top of the other or crossing your legs will lead to poorer posture and decreased volume when singing.
Paying attention to your posture when practicing at home and also when performing onstage as good posture will help project confidence which can translate into a better performance .
Training Your Voice – The Ultimate Test
As with most skills, you can only get so far by yourself, and that’s particularly true with studying an instrument or learning how to sing. It’s not possible to hear our own voices with the same degree of accuracy that an outsider can, and a trusted pair of musical ears is always going to give you a more honest answer than recording equipment – besides, recording equipment can’t advise you what to do next if things aren’t sounding right!
Even if your aspirations as a singer don’t extend beyond joining a choir or the chorus of your local amateur operatic society, and you never intend to sing solo in public, it’s easy to get frustrated by the limitations of your voice when faced with more complex and demanding music.
When looking for a voice teacher, someone with experience in teaching beginners is useful, and it can also be desirable to look for a teacher with a similar range to you, i.e. a soprano for a soprano, and a tenor for a tenor. However, the most important quality you should look for in a teacher is someone who will help you find your voice – after all, it doesn’t matter whether you’re fronting a metal band or singing at the Met, the best part is incorporating your unique style once you’ve learned the singing basics. Good luck!
Suzy S.