Do i have enough potential to take vocal lessons?

You're approaching this from completely the wrong angle. The whole 'am I good enough for lessons' idea is nonsense. There's just one question you need to ask yourself: Do I want to sing better or not. If you do, take lessons. If you don't, don't take lessons. It's that simple, really. As for the clips, you're holding back, which most of us do because we're not entirely sure of yourself. Take some lessons, become more confident and you'll be on your way.

i always hear people say "holding back" when it comes to singing.

what does that mean? i didn't feel likei was holding back, i was singing fairly loud.

It might mean that it feels like your voice is constricted. Volume is not the issue but what your doing with your voice, where you are directing the air... But from your clips i didn't sense to much of that tbh.

You have a good voice, and if you want to improve it then vocal lessons may be a good idea for you. I don't really understand when people ask if they are good enough for lessons. Would you hesitate to get a guitar lesson when you first start playing without knowing how to play hendrix songs first? Nope! Teachers are expecting for you to have little to no knowledge about singing, so the fact that you have had some experience singing means that you may be at an advantage!

Go for it in my opinion, if thats what you want to do!

Keep on singing,
Nath

When you hold back both volume and timbre changes. In these clips it's pretty obvious by the timbre that you're not singing all out, possibly because of the way you recorded it. Just record a backing, put on headphones, put the volume fairly high and really sing.

I'd also say that, on those clips, you sound like you're trying to sing like a scouser. While that may have worked for Mssrs Lennon and McCartney, it really isn't the way to go - its stopping you singing in your true voice and it encourages what is generally considered bad technique....e.g. the scouse accent is generally considered nasal, it involves forcing the sound from your throat muscles rather than your diaphragm, and (to a scouser like me, anyway) its a pretty irritating tone.

I'd suggest learning to play these tunes on guitar, even if its just strumming the chords, and feel free to move away from the originals note-for-note, introduce your own phrasing and your own tone.

Would you hesitate to get a guitar lesson when you first start playing without knowing how to play hendrix songs first? Nope!

When I'm good enough to play Rachmaninov on the piano, I certainly won't need to pay someone to sit there and listen to how good I am. :wink:

And forcing your singing from your throat is quite possibly (or at least partly) why you seem to have difficulty holding a note without cracking. I can hold notes for a long period of time, but only when I'm singing from the diaphragm. If/when I try to sing from my throat (which I know I shouldn't, but every now and then I wish I had a bluesy Tom Waits/Jonny Lang growl voice), the notes don't last very long. The coughing fit that ensues does, however.

Seriously, Ignar was spot on in his first post. The question isn't are you good enough to get vocal lessons. The question is do you want to sing and sing well? If so, get vocal lessons. If not, become a rapper. Or Jeff Beck.

But all that said, props for posting. You're a lot braver than I. And a lot better.

Hi, I know how you feel. I had wanted to sing since I was 12 yrs old but was too shy... Too shy, in fact, to sing in the shower or car in front of my husband of (then) 11 yrs (sax player). Then one day I felt damn it!... nobody ever died from making an a-hole of themselves, I'll still be breathing at the end of it...bonus.... I didn't want to get to 80yrs old and say "what if"... but I "had" to go to a teacher who (I felt) could tell me if I had something vocally to work with.... or take up knitting.....I had 2 months singing lessons then joined a band (not my husband's)and I have now been singing for 16 years and (not meaning to sound immodest) I've discovered I'm damn good at it. I am grateful I at least started and have had singing in my life (sang in front of 5,000 people New Years Eve) but I could have made a full time career out of it if I'd started a lot earlier.
Funny thing is... I've never experienced nervousness / anxiety before or during performing, I am totally comfortable... so it now seems a little silly I'd waited soooo long to do it!
Bottom line.. as the first reply mentioned... if you love it DO it.....NOW.
Ps. I agree with the others..... it's amazing what lack of confidence can do to your singing quality.
Cheers
Jen from Oz
(Ps.. I feel you have something to work with and will not require knitting needles :lol:

.... I didn't want to get to 80yrs old and say "what if"...

:!: Amen sister! Amen! :!:

It's really hard to lay down a good vocal track when you singing to someone elses vocal track. Even if you only have the vocal track running through you headphones and we can hear it on the final cut. It's just really hard to get an idea as to how you sing because your forcing yourself to sing to someone else's style. Get yourself some music without the vocal track, run through it several times to rehearse and record it. You'll be mucho happier. I think you voice sounds nice. You sound like your struggling to stay on key - you waver alot - but, once again, this could be due to singing over the top of someone elses vocals.