Anyone got any suggestions on ways of becoming a better singer?

Antique_Guitars

Sorry not 100% sure where to post this but I'd quite like to get better at singing really like acoustic singer songwriter stuff!

Would it be helpful if I recorded something then people could give me the critique?

beed84

Get a few lessons and learn some warm-up exercises.  One of the most important aspects is breathing (in a singing context); improve that and so will your singing.

octatonic

Go and study with a singing teacher.

It is much harder to try to do it yourself because you will reinforce bad habits.

Once you learn to breathe properly and pitch correctly you can go do your own thing.

Look to get a year of weekly lessons.

Antique_Guitars

Okie Dokes, well I better find full time job first then ha ha

LastMantra

IMO the best way to be a better singer is to sing. 

Record it, listen back and see what you like/don't like.

Fazer

Antique_Guitars said:

Would it be helpful if I recorded something then people could give me the critique?

not necessarily, but please do it anyway

Antique_Guitars

Ok ill shall try and record something short like 10 secs or whatever a bit later.

hywelg

Whisky and too many fags.


Worked for Rod Stewart

monquixote

Sing a lot. 

In a band I was in a while back I replaced someone who did the BVs which meant I had to do the BVs. 

At first I could only do basic "Yeah yeah" type stuff, but gradually all the high bits that were out of my range and harmonies that I previously found impossible became possible. 

Now I haven't sung for a year or so my voice is back to being totally shit. It's true about it being a muscle.

Bidley

LastMantra said:

Record it, listen back and see what you like/don't like.

I disagree with this. When you're starting out, you'll think your own voice sounds awful however well you sing, and you'll lose confidence.

Three things you need, really; practice, lessons, and confidence (in no particular order).

matt1973

Use your diaphragm.

monquixote

matt1973 said:

Use your diaphragm.

He's trying to be a better singer not avoid pregnancy. 

LastMantra

Bidley said:

LastMantra said:

Record it, listen back and see what you like/don't like.

I disagree with this. When you're starting out, you'll think your own voice sounds awful however well you sing, and you'll lose confidence.

Three things you need, really; practice, lessons, and confidence (in no particular order).

I suppose it might. I find that it's hard to tell exactly what your singing is like until you hear it played back.

I agree with practice, as I said just sing! People play their guitar all the time and get better at it, but wonder why they can't sing when they never actually do it.

I don't think you need lessons. Depends on what you want to achieve.

octatonic

matt1973 said:

Use your diaphragm.

The problem with that is you need to be shown how to use the diaphragm, or at least it greatly helps.

It is like anything- I could say to you 'use a plane to level a soundboard' but within that it could mean anything.

How do you tune the plane, how do you apply pressure- there are so many ways to do it wrong and doing it right is quite exacting.

Same with singing- plenty of people get by with suboptimal technique but if someone is aspiring to be a technically 'safe' singer and not stress their vocal chords then the right technique has to be taught.

IMHO of course.

Drew_TNBD

Lessons.

I am doing them, and have been for almost two months now, as I told you a few weeks back. I just had my fifth and have my sixth booked for tomorrow. I am still shit, but it's pretty stark how much more confidence I have now to just sit in my little room and practice by myself.

The main thing to focus on is bridging your registers. I find it difficult, and I find the notes I want to hit are often right on the cusp of a register bridge, which is tricky to navigate. But I'm learning... slowly.

And I find it fun as well. It's kinda fun being utterly shit at something and have to learn things that I had no idea about!

Using the diaphragm is a bit of a misnomer. You want to focus on resonance; chest resonance, through to mixed voice, through to head resonance. This guys videos are really useful too...



Plus he looks like DiCaprio, which is pretty sweet.

Warm up exercises are not that useful, because your voice changes from day to day, even hour to hour. Focus on breathing and bridge techniques first, keep your throat open (I know you can do that one Sheldon!!) and work on your front vowel sounds.

Drew_TNBD

LastMantra said:

I don't think you need lessons. Depends on what you want to achieve.

I thought the same.

We've gone through two singers in our band. One of them completely destroyed his voice. The other wasn't cutting it.

You do need lessons imho. It's nothing like teaching yourself guitar (of which I am no slouch) or drums (little bit of a slouch!) ... you can damage your vocal chords with the wrong technique. It's not worth doing the man thing on this!!

Antique_Guitars

What kind of singing are you trying to do uncle drew?

Drew_TNBD

The singy kind!!!

Need to go now. Have a gig in Colchester. Will engage upon this topic more when I am back.

LastMantra

Drew_fx said:

LastMantra said:

I don't think you need lessons. Depends on what you want to achieve.

I thought the same.

We've gone through two singers in our band. One of them completely destroyed his voice. The other wasn't cutting it.

You do need lessons imho. It's nothing like teaching yourself guitar (of which I am no slouch) or drums (little bit of a slouch!) ... you can damage your vocal chords with the wrong technique. It's not worth doing the man thing on this!!

The evidence would suggest otherwise. Plenty of good vocalists that have never had lessons. 

I really think it depends on what you want to achieve.

LastMantra

You can damage tendons n'shit playing geetar.

pmg

Get a good teacher and stick with the lessons