We’ve all thought it before: “I’ll never be able to do this”. Whether it was finishing your first 10 page essay, running a new time for your mile, or learning to ride your bike - you’ve probably felt this feeling before. This can also be a common feeling for people who haven’t figured their voice out yet. Since the voice is such a personal instrument, it can feel especially true. However, there is hope for every person to be able to improve their singing!
There are some key skills that anyone can develop that will help you improve your voice!
Developing your listening ear
Much of singing and music is understanding what you are hearing. This pertains to matching pitch, the sort of tone you want to create, the volume level, and more. If you think about it, when you go to a voice lesson, your teacher is often giving you notes and exercises based on what they are hearing from you.
Pianos and scales
Even just being around a piano and going through scales can help you develop a better ear. Your body and mind become more familiar with the sounds, and then they are easier to replicate.
HEaring another voice
I’ve found that it’s often easier for my beginner students to match pitch with my voice than it is for them to match pitch with a piano. I think its easier to feel and hear the energy of a sound that is closer to the sound your voice makes (like another voice instead of a different instrument). Using another voice as a tool to calibrate your own can help you develop a better ear that can be transfered to other singers and eventually the piano.
Experimenting
Our voices can make all sorts of sounds. They can go high, low, soft, loud, sweet, brassy - and that’s what’s so fun about it! But you have to comfortable using and experimenting with the sounds your voice can make before you can become comfortable with them. Experimenting often looks like vocal exercises that make you feel silly, trying a style you don’t typically choose, and even trying to sing songs in a different style than they’re written in.
Singing should be fun, so curiosity should be part of the process! As you spend time with your body and voice, you will become more familiar with them and the mechanisms needed to create the sounds and pitch you desire.
Confidence
If you don’t see a trend about getting familiar and comfortable, I hope this makes it clear! Developing more confidence in your abilities and your voice gives your body the relaxation and energy it needs to create the sounds you’re looking for. If you’re always worried about sounding bad, you will end up constricting your voice, and your body will tense, and often cause you to make the mistake you’re so afraid of.
The sooner you can let your voice be what it is, and be okay with that, the sooner you will make progress with your voice.
Anyone truly can learn to sing, and the steps it takes to improve are pretty simple! Immerse yourself into simple music sounds, show up for yourself and embrace the voice you have now. Singing lessons don’t just help you become a better singing from technical training. Sometimes, progress is as simple as learning how to hit a note!
