Can anyone learn how to sing? In this video Stephanie reveals the simple truth
behind one of the most common questions that aspiring singers ask. So stay tuned
and don't forget to check out our free online singing classes. Hi, I'm Stephanie
from TakeLessons and I believe anyone can learn to sing. I'm a perfect example -
I did not learn how to sing from birth. I had to work very hard and learning how
to manipulate my sound was very crucial. My tone was very nasal and I learned how
to manipulate my sound and understand how to place sound through instruction
and teachers. Yes some people are born with natural talent. Natural talent is
different than learning to sing because you actually know how to utilize your
voice correctly, naturally. So it's less habits that you have to learn to break.
The problem is a lot of bad habits develop when singing, as you progress, in
terms of straining and encouraging that muscle memory of hitting that note
by pushing and producing sound from your vocal cords instead of your diaphragm.
And all these aspects that we don't see. It's all internal and that's why it's
frustrating to learn to sing because it isn't tangible - you can't turn on a
button like a keyboard and have all the notes laid out in front of you. You're
working with muscles with air with sound and vowels and all these aspects of the
voice that are very overwhelming at times because you have to focus on so
many things. But the truth is the more you relax, the more you let go and trust
your own voice, a lot of these aspects actually fix themselves. A good example
is a student of mine I had several years ago. He was by far the most challenging.
Off-pitch, straining, no idea what he was doing. He improved the quickest of any
student I've had. He can sing on pitch now; he can hit notes that are higher
than even my sister could sing. It's impressive, and I even had my mother at
the last recital comment how impressive he was and that she even believed that
he was unfixable. I can get someone to understand how
to fix a problem right on the spot but a lot of times singers have issues with
consistency. Consistency honestly is practice. Like any instrument, it
requires you to practice, so we have to develop this muscle memory and these
good habits of singing by practicing. A good way to start singing is by singing
other people's songs, but please don't imitate. A lot of times people start
imitating other singers and cause problems alone by doing that. You don't
want to sound like anybody else. Your voice naturally will have its own tone
and will feel more comfortable by producing its natural tone. So by
creating tones, you're actually creating tension to manipulate your sound to be
something else, and a lot of times you hear things on the radio or particular
tones that you don't understand how to create them. So you'll be using that
technique and encouraging bad muscle memory to create these sounds. Your
natural tone will have its own sound because you're created different from
someone else - your nasal cavities are different, your width and size of your
nose, your lips, everything resonates different than somebody else.
Your lung capacity, the body shape, everything will create your natural tone
and will make your voice unique. Don't worry about sounding like anybody else
because that part is opinion. So whether your voice sounds good to somebody or
not good to somebody else is matter of opinion. Yeah you might be labeled as a
bad singer if you don't sing on pitch because the song does require you to sing a
melody line. It is learnable. It is something that is a technique. Practicing
is crucial. It'll make you be consistent with the technique that you are learning.
It is easier to manipulate and to control your voice by being in lessons
because you're being encouraged with proper technique. A lot of times trying to
figure it out yourself is very difficult. Make sure you find a teacher that you do
feel comfortable with to make the mistakes that you need to make and that
you are doing this safely. So she should be able to or he should be able to
explain in a very physical way how to correct and
tell you what was going on when you feel a problem arise. As a beginner you should
hear differences right away, as soon as you start practicing. So doing scales,
breathing exercises are tedious work but they will improve your song that you're
singing. Being a more advanced intermediate singer realistically
speaking will take several years, maybe a year, it all depends on your ability of
understanding and how much awareness you have with your own body. A lot of times
the internal stuff that I explain to people is frustrating because you can't
see it. You have to be able to be aware without overthinking. So dropping your
jaw, lifting your soft palate, modifying the vowel, releasing your air to your
diaphragm, all these things all at the same time. It sounds overwhelming, but
know that the more you trust your voice, let it go, let it do what it needs to do
to produce its natural tone in an emotional and connected way, most of the
problems actually go away. I always tell the first class with my students that
80% of the problems that happen is because they're overthinking. They're
afraid of the note that's coming in the song so they keep their air in instead
of releasing it in that moment in a very confident, powerful way. They
hesitate so they keep their air in. Their diaphragm doesn't engage, their jaw doesn't
drop, everything's tight. So 90% will be all in your head. You got to trust the
process, trust your voice, emotionally express it,
and don't try to control it. Stop overthinking and let your voice be. Most
of the problems go away when you trust your own voice. Pay attention to how it
feels, your emotions, and it will reach its
natural maximum potential. What is your proof that anyone can learn how to sing?
Let us know what inspires you in the comments below. And if you enjoyed this
video consider subscribing. We'll see you next time.