Everyone can sing and, in fact, it is almost impossible to find someone who has never sung. Most of us do it on a daily basis, and not just in the shower, without worrying too much about the quality of our singing or what others who may hear us will think. This is good and so it should be. But when we want to take that song to other situations, perhaps to a recording or stage, it is common to have all kinds of insecurities and doubts.
Let's see what we need, basically, to sing with dignity and, why not, also to enjoy doing it.
Sing for the sake of singing
The first thing we have to say in this matter is that you sing. Beyond your artistic ambitions, before you even think about concerts, recordings or whatever you have in mind, you have to understand what it means to sing. We are talking about one of the most extraordinary human faculties, something that we can do naturally and that has so many benefits that it is difficult to list. He who sings his evil scares, singing for the sake of singing,… call it what you want. Popular wisdom and everyone's personal experience demonstrate it every day, in every moment that we allow ourselves to sing and express ourselves with a simple melody, for example. You have to sing, we must take advantage of that gift of nature and if, in addition, that song brings joy or emotion to other people, then all the better. The first thing, then, is to sing. That we like to sing. Give us something personally.
Listen and hear yourself
And singing with more resources or tools, what we call “singing well” or “singing better”, simply consists of listening, listening to ourselves, singing and again, again. To begin to have more control over how we sing, we need to listen carefully, more attentively than usual, and recognize certain things that make up that special sound of the human voice. I am referring to intonation, rhythm, timbre, inflections and pronunciation, for example, all that information that we receive as a whole when listening to someone sing. The term “active listening” is sometimes used to describe that special way of listening, identifying and understanding musical sounds. I insist that it is not only about notes but also about melodic structures, dynamics and volume, about many nuances that are directly involved in singing. Listen to music and listen to yourself. Because it's not exactly the same. What we perceive as our voice is a mixture of what is returned to us by the place where we are singing and our personal acoustics, what resonates in our body. That is why many people find it strange to hear their voice recorded, for example, because in that situation we are only hearing ourselves “from the outside” and that is strange, we are not used to hearing our voice that way. So, listen to music and listen to your voice, your singing, and you recognize details, connecting information with sensation, identify what you like and what you can reproduce. You don't have to sing in every way possible, just how you can do it and find it comfortable or interesting. Each singer has his tools and his preferences: that set consists of his particular way of singing, his style, if you want to call it that.
Know and take care of your voice
Our voice is a musical instrument, as we already know, and any instrument must be known and cared for. That is important work that should be ignored without paying the consequences, sooner or later. Postural education or breathing are essential to be able to sing. Much of the sound you can emit depends on them and the effects that that song has on your own body and also on the audience that may be listening to you. You have to understand how the organs involved in voice production work, have some control over your abdomen, chest, larynx and oral cavities. And you especially need an important command of the air that enters and leaves your lungs, of the amount and pressure that you are going to use at each moment, according to the expressive needs of the passages or musical works that you interpret. This whole network of mechanisms and how they relate to each other is what explains the voice that you will be able to use in your songs. But taking care of your voice is not only an issue that affects when you sing, but you have to take it into account all day long. There are everyday things that can ruin and damage your voice and others that will preserve it. Alcohol, smoking, coffee and intense spicy foods are not good for voice care. Shouting or straining your voice in any way will not help keep your throat in good condition either. On the other hand, drinking water regularly and avoiding extreme heat or cold will help the health of your vocal cords and your voice as a whole. Quality rest is another decisive factor in taking care of your voice. Ultimately, you must understand your vocal instrument and take care of it if you want to sing regularly reliably and maintain good health.
Singer at a concert
Technique and expression
The human voice is an incredibly versatile instrument. It can be sung in a hundred different ways and many of them contain extraordinary expressive potential. We know this well from singers of all kinds who have shocked us time and again and from our own personal experience singing those songs. To acquire that control and knowledge over our voice, we have to sing, we have to take action and practice, while always listening, of course. And to practice we can do exercises or execute techniques and other systems that help us improve, this is what most singers look for or do. For each detail we can find several exercises or techniques. For example:
Vocal warm-up: Before singing, it is important to do a proper vocal warm-up to prepare your muscles and avoid injuries.
Breathing control: Breathing technique is essential for good intonation and voice control. Learn to control your breathing and use it to improve your vocal technique.
Knowledge of vocal technique: Learn about how the speech apparatus works to improve your technique for better sound quality.
Learn music: Having knowledge of music theory, scales, harmony and so on can be of great help to fit those sensations and sounds into a global understanding of the musical and artistic experience.
song study: Study and learn from other artists and songs to acquire new skills and improve your style.
Trust: Confidence is key to being a good singer. Practice and rehearse until you feel comfortable on stage, so you will really trust your voice and abilities. We could talk about tessitura, register or vocal amplitude and more aspects that affect singing but these points are worth an example. A final note. Record yourself singing and listen to the result. Nowadays it is very easy with any device and it will help you understand what works best for you and what you need to correct or practice more carefully.
Singer at a performance
Conclusions
Singing is more important than singing well, it is more important than having other people's recognition or admiration. We could say, without exaggeration, that singing is a celebration of life. If we want something more than that, then we have to put extra attention and care into how we do it, but without transforming ourselves into machines or automatons. Becoming aware of the peculiarities of our voice and the possibilities that we can apply to singing is the cornerstone of this art. Knowing your body, the sensations you have when singing and the effects produced by doing it in one way or another is the basis for you to feel safe and be able to enjoy or experiment, until you find the ideal way for you, which is usually called, your voice If you want to learn to sing better, start by listening and listening to yourself, establish a very close knowledge and intimacy with your body, take care of yourself a little and learn what is necessary through the conscious practice of singing. It can be a demanding job but it is really worth it. This way you will learn to sing better and better, not to hurt yourself while doing so and you will have the opportunity to enjoy that gift that is singing as well as, perhaps, if you feel like it, share that treasure with other people wherever you want, without fear, without doubts, as a vehicle for your own emotions and the feelings that connect us as fragile and yet powerful human beings. Whatever it is: Sing! #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_column_with_background { padding: 10px; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form_column:not(:first-child) { margin-left: 20px; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_paragraph { line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_segment_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_text_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_textarea_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_select_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_radio_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_checkbox_label, 3 .mailpoet_list_label, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date_label { display: block; font-weight: normal; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_text, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_textarea, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_select, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date_month, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date_day, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date_year, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_date { display :block; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_text, #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_textarea { width: 200px; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_checkbox { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_submit { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_divider { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_message { } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form_loading { width: 30px; text-align: center; line-height: normal; } #mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form_loading > span { width: 5px; height: 5px; background-color: #5b5b5b; }#mailpoet_form_3{border: 1px solid #fcb900;border-radius: 40px;text-align: center;}#mailpoet_form_3 form.mailpoet_form {padding: 20px;}#mailpoet_form_3{width: 70%;}#mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_message {margin : 0; padding: 0 20px;}#mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_paragraph.last {margin-bottom: 0} @media (max-width: 500px) {#mailpoet_form_3 {background-image: none;}} @media (min-width: 500px) { #mailpoet_form_3 .last .mailpoet_paragraph:last-child {margin-bottom: 0}} @media (max-width: 500px) {#mailpoet_form_3 .mailpoet_form_column:last-child .mailpoet_paragraph:last-child {margin-bottom: 0}} Please leave this field emptyDo you write songs or would you like to?
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