I’m not a singer. I’m tone deaf. I can’t sing. Singing is not my cup of tea. Can I learn to sing?
Well, that’s what most people say when they are asked to sing a song. It’s true that most people think that they are terrible singers. Here’s an interesting question – can anyone learn the art of singing? Well, the straightforward answer is YES. However, not everyone can be exceptionally good. But they can sing better than they presently sing.
Is it that simple?
May be we are oversimplifying here. To get to the bottom of it, you have to answer the following questions.
- Do you possess vocal cords?
- Are you able to produce with the help of your vocal cords?
You must be able to sing if you have said yes to both the questions, right? Ahem, it’s not that simple. Speaking of being tone deaf, it can be a big problem if you seriously want to be a singer. There is a technical term for this condition – it’s called Amusia.
You need to realize the fact that this condition is regarded as a perpetual problem. What is it like being tone deaf? If you are tone deaf, then you will not be able to differentiate between different pitches; you will also find it hard to carry a tune.
However, you are not tone deaf if you are unable to differentiate the slight pitch differences. Amusia is a condition which is being hotly debated even today.
Many scientists argue that lack of exposure to music or lack of training should not be considered as Amusia. Are you able to differentiate between a high pitch and low pitch? Then you are not tone deaf, at all!
Being born deaf is a different scenario compared to Amusia. Understandably, you can’t sing since you have never been exposed to music. But, things are changing – there are scientists who are ready to challenge this as well.
Learning to sing
At this point, let’s assume that you have a working vocal cord and that you are not tone deaf. Can you be able to sing? You can do 100%. Your voice is your instrument. Once you learn how to use it, singing will not be an issue for you.
Exploring it with the help of an example
We need an example to demonstrate it better. Assume that guitar is your favorite instrument. And you have decided to take guitar lessons. You have found your teacher. The teacher has handed over a guitar. You have started playing it for the first time ever in your life.
The sound you produce is horrible. You try for some time; it only gets worse. Does that mean that you are inherently bad at playing a guitar? No. It simply means one thing – you haven’t acquired that skill yet.
You will always improve
Don’t worry about the initial failure. You have already heard that failure is the stepping stone to success. If you keep at it, you will see improvements. As you keep getting improved, you will acquire that skill to play the guitar to perfection.
The same can be applicable in singing as well. Your voice is your instrument. Initially, you don’t know how to use it. As the training progresses, you learn to use your voice. Maybe you don’t sound like a pop star. But you are singing better than you ever imagined.
These days, you can take the help of singing courses online to improve your singing. Singorama is a very good example. It’s one of the best singing courses available online.
All you need is a teacher
When it comes to singing or music in general, all you need is a good teacher to get going. You don’t have to think that you lack talent. You don’t have to think that you are tone deaf. All you need is a good voice coach. You can find somebody in the area you live.
Even better, you can find an online teacher. We have already mentioned the name of Singorama. You can definitely improve your singing with the help of a voice coach, be it virtual or otherwise.
A good coach can help you overcome your challenges. He will assist you through your limitations. Remember, your voice will definitely improve as long as you keep at it.
What should I do next?
You need to find an IVA teacher. Or you can go with the aforementioned online classes. Your teacher will be able to assist you with your pitch issues. Your teacher will show the correct way as far as using your voice is concerned. You will be able to correct your pitch this way. Once you have developed an effective routine, you have to keep practicing, every day.
You have to train and develop your musical ear
Achieving the better pitch is the initial challenge. Once you have succeeded in that, you need to develop a trained ear. With the help of a trained ear, you will be able to tell when you are going flat or sharp. When you sing songs, this knowledge is going to be really useful.
The next crucial thing is the beat. You have to be on the beat while you sing. You can’t be over the beat, under the beat or off the beat. The beat is as important as the pitch. You will be able to keep track of it only after developing a trained ear.
Musicianship
This is another important term that you have to keep in mind. Mere ear training is not enough for musicianship. Well, first and foremost, it is a broad concept. It deals with a complex range of musical abilities. We can say that it is the ability to think in sound.
It’s the ability that allows you to produce music with the help of imagination and the music they have absorbed. It can be singing, improvisation, reading notation or anything like that.
To conclude, we can say with a lot of conviction that anyone can sing. And all that you need is a teacher who can help train your instrument a.k.a. voice!