singing

That's OK - I sound dreadful, too, but it doesn't stop me.

A few lessons from a decent teacher wouldn't do you any harm. Ask down at your local music shop - they'll probably have a list of tutors they can put you in touch with.

Best,

Alan

hey,
    keep smilin! Not everyone in the world can sing. Take the people that tried out for American Idol for instense. Can you honestly say that you think all of those people deserve a music career? I am not being mean either. But some people are just not blessed with the ability to sing. Me thankfully I "was" blessed. Now I dont think im all that great but I take the advantage of the complements that I get from people to get out there and sing when I can. i love to sing!!! 8) I suggest that if you really love to sing like I do and the only thing holding you back is not being able to keep the tune, find some way you can get singing instructions. That is the best way to go. If you have a good voice, DON'T WAIST IT!!!!! Youll regret it in the long run! :'( TRUST ME!!!!!
    Well I hope I have been of some help! E-mail me sometime if you need more advice if I have helped. ;)
                                                          Sincerely,
                                                  Micaella Quinones

I concur that you should get a few lessons, but try and find a teacher who won't go with the "classical" approach, but rather one who's more in touch with your style of music. A good teacher will bring phenomenal results; at one point I hadn't sung in 12 years. I went into lessons and gained over an octave in less than 6 months.

Also, most people think they sound dreadful; it's like listening to your voice on a tape recorder and not recognising it. You do really sound that way, you just hear yourself differently as the sound is carried from your vocal box, through your jawbone to your ear.

Ask others what they think. I've never thought of myself as a particularly good singer, but in every band I've been in I had to sing as we didn't really want an extra mouth to feed. But a lot of people - Americans for some reason - tell me I have a great voice. I don't believe it, but it gets the job done.

Anyway, hope that's enough advice to send you in the right direction.

You also have to be careful about what teacher you get.  Always ask for credentials, they should have some sort of pedagogical education.  They will always teach to your interests, because that's how they keep students interested, but you may have to be patient through some fundamentals.  A good teacher will teach you some of the less fun "classical" stuff so you don't thrash your voice.  Bad technique can give you a lot of problems, most notably warts on your vocals chords, which will ruin much more than your frontman abilities.  So don't get too impatient, but find someone that will be flexible according to what you need.  Then trust them.

Like any mucle in the body. Your vocal chords will produce to the level that you excersise them.

It's alot like when you 1st started learning to play the guitar. You had to develop the strength and dexterity in your hands to properly fret each desired voicing.

I believe you can overcome your hurdel of "singing out of tune" by devoting more time to ear training.

Here is a website with ALOT of "vocals" wisdom... http://www.mayerarts.com/articles.htm

I think you need to be careful what you ask for.  I wouldn't go and tell a teacher not to do anything.  What I would tell the teacher is what I want to achieve.

If you don't want to sing opera, great.  Tell the teacher.  If you want to sing Jazz, Rock and Roll, Blues, like Tom Waits etc, tell the teacher.

But don't rule out any particular type of training.  The classical approach has a lot of crossover in all types of singing.  Breath control, relaxation, pitch support, dynamics, (singing softly is a bear) are all taught in the same basic way.

As long as you get to your final destination, right?

I tell my teacher what I want to sound like for every piece we practice, i.e. Operatic but warm, classical but with a hint of folk familiarity, Olde English classical, AC/DC, Folky etc.

There is no way she can get me the sound I want if I leave her guessing what it is.

Nick

Jame,
I would suggest three things for making your voice better:

1) Practice singing into a wall (about 6" from the wall) in order to get used to your voice.  It makes understanding and hearing yourself a lot easier (and it's cheap).

2) Sing in the car as much as possible.  Don't blare the radio too loud, but the close reverb from the windshield will give you a better feel for how your voice sounds and how to work with it.

3) Find a way to hook up a mic, your CD player and a set of ear phones to your computer.  If you do them all at the same time, you can actually train yourself on improving because essentially you got your own mini-recording studio right there.  

Those helped me get farther in my singing career...

Nick

P.S. Lemons do wonders on your voice box if you are singing a lot during practice.  Take care of your voice as that's how it'll get better.

:)Hi everyone.I have been singing all my life but have only recently been singing regularly in public.The feedback has been great but I was desperate to pick up the tricks of the trade.Some people have got this natural ability, some need to nurture their talents.I have been going for singing lessons for about 2 months now and know that Im singing better.It has also given me a lot more confidence about singigng publicly.I have had my voice recorded into the computer and have used the recording as a tool to help me improve my technique.The hardest thing for me to have done tho is stop smoking.Ive got a cough but I know it will eventually go and my voice is sounding better already.Keep up the good work.If its your passion share it.Cheers.Trisha.x.

I think you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Bob Dylan doesn't care what he sounds like and he's made it big, compare his song "Forever young" to the way Joan Baez sings it and you'll see what I mean. That is what gave me the confidence to get off my butt and just "DO IT"

I don't have a great voice either, but if you can get the magic of the lyrics across, and connect with the audience, you're half way there.

good luck, and believe in yourself !!!! ;)

JAMIR

Try dating a singer, my girlfriend has really straightened me out. Err... my wreck your confidence (I'd never gotten anything but praise about my singing until I sang for my girlfriend...just a yawn).

The only other thing I wanted to add was just know your limitations, I went to the local open mic night on Saturday and this kid got up to sing some songs he wrote and it was kind of a punk type of thing but with some pretty heartfelt lyrics and he sounded great...until he tried to hold notes really long. You could say the "roughness" of his voice added to his performance but his inability to sustain a note in tune was pretty yucky to listen to. You don't have to be Colin Raye to sing but if you can't sustain a note for godsakes please don't :P

-Dan

I couldnt sing - but did anyway in my bedroom, cause I enjoyed it!

When I started writing songs, I decided I want to perform them oneday, so I started getting lessons. I wont win any singing comps, and still trying to increase my amps - but i am better-

I looked at all the singer/songwriters I admire- and non of them would have one those comps! Ben Harper, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Donavan (or course Bob Dylan), Jimi Hendrix,

I actually like voices that sound different from all the others, as long as they are in tune. When you hear the singer, you know who it is   ;)

if any of you have heard of Kasey Chambers (an Aussie) - one of my friends went to her concert and heard a story about how she didnt even get in the finals for a Kareoke comp - and she has had a number of top 10 hits in Oz