The future of music

Can Anyone Learn to Sing? The Honest Answer

January 31, 2023
can anyone learn to sing

When songwriters write a hit track they say the artist is key because the singer makes a song. There are so many artists out there but what makes them memorable and sets them apart from the rest at the end of the day is their voice.

Singing is one musical talent that doesn’t require a hefty price-tag. We are all born with an instrument in tow, but how well we can utilize it is a different matter. We use it every day for communication, but not all of us sing.

The burning question then is, can anyone learn to sing?

Yes, anyone who can speak can also learn to sing. However, the sound quality of the voice is reliant on several factors. Disregarding a physical vocal disability, with correct training, anyone can learn to sing adequately to sing most basic songs.

Many of us can hum along to the radio or maybe even belt out a tune in the shower but not all of us can sing with a voice that is going to gather the masses and keep them coming back for more.

So what is the difference? Can anyone learn to sing professionally?

Practice, practice, and more practice along with the right knowledge and tools to master your craft. Like learning to play any other instrument, singing is a skill that you can go from beginner to pro in.

With a little luck, this FAQ-style article will point you in the right direction!

Can Anyone Learn To Sing – Frequently Asked Questions

Can Anyone Become a Good Singer?

When we discuss singers, we often throw around words such as talent rather than skill. Perhaps this is because the voice is a built-in instrument so it is easy to dismiss some of the hard work that goes alongside developing your voice as a singer. But anybody can learn to sing with a little dedication.

Can Singing Be Taught?

True there are some who can sing that are born with a natural inclination, voices of angels, or a diva-like personality that helps sell their voice to a crowd. They make their work seem effortless, it can be easy to forget they have put in the hours for it, and for someone dabbling in singing it can be overwhelming.

But, even the best singers out there started somewhere and on a good day can have wobbly moments where their pitch isn’t always on point or a high-note is missed.

So if you find yourself falling short of the notes you meant to hit or struggle not to get out of breath, the good news is that if you put in the work it can become a thing of the past, for the most part.

Singing requires a little talent but is mostly skill at the end of the day.

How Can You Train Yourself to Sing?

Be realistic and consistent

Singing requires a lot of practice, it isn’t something you can pick-up and drop whenever you want to. If you truly want to succeed at singing or have any grand desires to earn a living with it then you need to respect your voice.

The biological components that are needed are muscular and like any other muscle need to be warmed up to work and worked regularly to strengthen them. If not you risk doing yourself damage.

So if you have ever participated in the odd karaoke event and assume you could gig for a few hours, 2 nights in a row, you are in for a surprise.

Man singing.

You need to set aside practice time every single day. It could be as little as ten minutes, to begin with, that you work up to a minimum of half an hour daily.

If you are starting out, set yourself small goals that are easy to achieve to give yourself a good sense of momentum and spur yourself on.

Can Singing Be Learned & Can You Learn to Sing Better?

Anyone can sing but there is a lot of technical expertise that must go hand in hand with it. Since the voice is a biological instrument, you don’t want to damage your vocal cords because you may cause physical pain. You must be prepared to go about it the right way.

Lots of beginners who simply sing along to their favorite tracks and take it to an audience learn the hard way that incorrect form, posture, breathing, and insufficient warm-ups can take a real strain on their bodies. It can even leave you with irreparable damage in the long-run.

So it is wise to seek a tutor or at the very least do some research.

You can find a teacher in your local area, they will be able to ensure you are singing safely and implementing good techniques, they can correct you and provide guidance.

If you don’t have access to singing lessons you could try looking online, we’ve rounded up the best online singing lessons here.

Can Voice Lessons Help a Bad Singer?

With the right instructor, anyone can improve their singing. Vocal tone can be developed and with the right support and strength, you can transform your voice.

Is It Possible to Learn How to Sing Without Tutoring?

If your budget doesn’t stretch to a private tutor, there are plenty of singing apps, online lessons, and masterclasses you could try. We have a list of recommendations you can try in our best online singing lessons article.

You might also like to read our 30 Day Singer review about our favorite online platform to learn to sing.

Singing Technique

Posture

You need to open your ribcage to sing and support your breathing with your diaphragm. That is the muscle that should be doing the bulk of the donkey work. Without strong diaphragm support, you will not be able to sustain a note for very long or give it the power it needs behind it.

To open your ribcage, you need an elongated spine held in a straight line from neck to coccyx. Your shoulders should be relaxed without tension and your feet and hips should be shoulder-width apart.

Good singing posture.

You should face forwards so the neck isn’t twisted and putting pressure on your larynx, keeping your jaw inline with your sternum.

Your face muscles should be relaxed and it is a good idea to warm them up beforehand, especially the mouth and lips to help you annunciate the consonants and syllables you sing.

Breathing

Breathing is incredibly important for singing well. If you don’t have a good capacity don’t worry you can incrementally increase it with regular breathing exercises.

There are several diaphragm strengthening breathing exercises you can try. With a little practice, you can build up the amount of breath intake you can draw and the length of time you can exhale with control.

Some breathing exercises can make you feel a little silly so practice in a quiet private space and just let go of any inhibitions if you want to improve.

You can head over to our how to sing better article for some great breathing exercises to add to your daily practice.

Vocal warm-ups

You wouldn’t run a 200-meter sprint without warming up your muscles and stretching your legs first, and neither should you sing without warming up your voice.

Again, some vocal warm-ups can make people feel self-conscious, but believe us, all your favorite chart-topping artists are backstage putting themselves through their paces before a show and so should you!

This can include humming, vocal runs, arpeggios, octave jumps, and scales.

So why not head over to our 16 best vocal warm-ups article for a walkthrough of what to do!

How to Learn to Sing – A Few Top Tips

Listen

Although the correct techniques are key, you can learn a lot from simply listening and familiarizing yourself with different vocalists and vocal styles.

One good way to do this is to listen to covers of the same song and hear what each singer brings to the table in their own way. The voice at the end of the day is a unique instrument, no two voices are alike.

Sing to backing tracks

Instead of singing along with your favorite artists, learn the song and sing it yourself, it is difficult to truly hear your own voice when you are being bolstered by a superstar. You need the vulnerability to hear your own voice.

Don’t sing acapella

Although it may sound counterintuitive, when you sing acapella without having an accurate sense of pitch you risk just making a mess of it.

Having a track gives you an idea of whether or not you are hitting the sweet spot and ensures you don’t change key mid-way through without realizing it.

Although very few people are actually completely tone-deaf, many of us don’t fair as well as we think without some form of accompaniment.

Perform to an audience

Sooner or later you have to bite the bullet and show your voice to someone else, even if you have no real intentions of performing per se.

If you are not going to opt for a traditional tutor approach to learning to sing then you have no feedback. Likewise, with an online course or singing app, you don’t get a good measure of your efforts.

You need to seek somebody else’s opinion eventually.

Start small, sing in front of people you trust, and build your confidence. But don’t just stick to family and friends, they can be biased or too supportive, which can make for a slap in the face when you do venture out into the wild and sing to strangers.

Remember confidence is key.

Final Thoughts – Everyone Can Learn to Sing

The methodology, theory, and biology of singing are factors anyone can commit to learning. Anyone can sing to the best of their abilities and their ability can improve and change drastically over time as well.

Hopefully armed with the knowledge of this article and the guides we have linked, you will be off to a flying start!

Further Reading:

Will Fenton

Will, the founder of MIDDER, is a multifaceted individual with a deep passion for music and personal finance. As a self-proclaimed music and personal finance geek, he has a keen eye for futuristic technologies, especially those that empower creators and the public.

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