Do you need talent or skill to sing?

When we see someone singing incredibly well on stage, we tend to attribute it to their talent. But is that really true? Are some people just born with the talent of great singing, or is it a skill that we can learn through taking lessons and practicing? Well… don’t worry!

With enough practice and hard work, anyone with a voice can learn how to sing really well. Of course, talent plays a major role in how quickly and easily you are going to learn. But that doesn’t mean you’re not able to become a great singer if you’re not born with great singing talent.

This is just the short answer to the question, but how can we actually improve our singing?

How do you improve your singing?

The Larynx

First of all, it’s important to know that our voice is produced in the larynx (also known as “the voicebox”), an organ inside the top of the neck. The larynx consists of many complex muscles, bones, and cartilage. So the good news is: we can train those muscles just like any other muscle in the body. The bad news is: we cannot physically see this larynx or “voicebox” because it is literally inside of us. So a lot of it comes down to trying through trial and error in combination with consistent practice.

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Practice

Consistent practice really pays off when you are learning how to sing. Everything comes down to muscle memory because you cannot see what you are doing. People that are practicing the piano have an easier time because all of the keys they have to press are right in front of them to see.

Speaking of the piano: a great way to practice is to do it in combination with a piano or a keyboard (or any other instrument to your liking is fine). If you have one that is. If you don’t, and you are on a budget, you can download a digital piano as an app for your smartphone.

So if you have some form of the keyboard in front of you, you can start pressing a random key, and see if you can replicate the tone with your voice. This will be challenging in the beginning, especially if you’re not accustomed to raising your voice. No matter how experienced you are, this exercise will always be helpful to train your ears and see how quickly you can replicate the tone with your voice.

Singing scales

And if you are looking for a little bit more challenge: you can try singing multiple notes in a row up and down in the form of a scale. Here are just a few suggestions for scales that you can practice:

C major: C D E F G A B C

C minor: C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

C lydian: C D E F# G A B C

C pentatonic minor: C Eb F G Bb C

C chromatic: C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C

(b reads as flat and # reads as sharp)

How much do you need to practice?

As singers, we have a second problem. We can’t practice for too long per practice session. Our vocal cords are susceptible to fatigue when you use them for too long. So the recommended time for practicing is between 30 minutes to an hour a day.

So how often should you practice? If I may use a cliché quote here, I think I can get my point across. Bruce Lee once said: "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." You’ve guessed it: this of course also counts for singing.

The best way to practice is to do it daily and shortly. Firstly, this will get you into the habit of using your voice on a daily basis, and this will also reduce your warming-up time. Secondly, it won’t just give you the physical skills that are needed, the mere act of practicing on a regular basis will also shape your identity and self-confidence as a singer. It will change the way you look at yourself.

What is the best way to practice?

I would argue that the best way to practice is to always have fun while doing it. So choose songs you really like to sing. Make a list of your favourite vocalists and their material so you can learn their songs. If you sing along to your favourite songs, you will build up a vocabulary and you will improve without the feeling of practicing really hard because you really enjoy the material you are singing.

-Make a Spotify playlist with at least 10 songs that you would like to learn how to sing.

As I mentioned earlier, you can also improve your pitch by singing along with an instrument like the piano. Another exercise that you can do is “the siren”. Just start with the lowest tone that you can possibly produce with your voice and raise it up slowly until it starts to break and move into your head voice as high as possible. This will help you to loosen up your vocal cords.

Do you need any music theory?

No, you don’t need to know any music theory to become a great singer. If I may paraphrase Dave Grohl, the lead singer of the Foo Fighters, he said in many interviews that: “you don’t need any lessons to rock”. Of course, music theory can help you further into your journey of becoming a better musician, and I definitely recommend doing so, but it’s not necessary to do so.

**Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters, Picture:** **Diego Mora Barrantes**

How to gain self-confidence to sing?

Self-confidence is also a skill that you can learn. I might sound a little repetitive here, but to come back to the Bruce Lee quote: a lot of it comes down to just doing the reps. If you can sing a song 10 times, then move on to singing it in front of the mirror, then start recording yourself on your phone as well, then sing in front of 1 person, and then sing in front of your band, or a small audience.

After that, the step to singing in front of an audience on a stage won’t be such a big step anymore. You’re just repeating the same behavior you’ve been practicing for the past few weeks.

My personal opinion

Of course, I’m writing this article for you, the reader, in the hope that it’ll be somewhat useful to you. But I’m also writing these things just a little bit to myself to be honest because I’ve been using these tips a lot myself for the last couple of years.

For the longest time, I’ve been struggling with the myth that singing is just a talent that some people possess. But after practicing a lot for the past couple of years, I’ve come to realise that everything is possible, as long as you put your mind to it and just practice.

And while practicing: never forget to have fun and sing along to your favourite songs. Nobody has to hear you sing. Just sing your favourite material on a regular basis and I guarantee you are going to have a good time.

Hey!
My name is Erik Reino

I’m an independent artist, YouTuber, blogger and I’m a teacher/coach for people that want to become better at making music.
Thanks for checking out my website! I hope it’s of any use to you. Please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.

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