Learning to sing books recommendations por favor

VimFuego

after some recs for a learning to sing book/DVD/online lessons please. I'm aware a good tutor is the best way forwards, but they're not cheap and round here you have to go a long way to find one so I want to find out if I have a singing voice before stumping the cash.

Grunfeld

I am no Pavarotti but I can hold a note now, whereas I used to sound like a washing machine.  Pretty much did it with this book to get started.  It's got the essential exercises that you need to be able to manage -- like singing up and down scales in different keys, vibrato, note jumps, and so on.  It's got a CD and iirc I chopped the 20 min workout audio track into separate tracks so I could play it in the car and do a few exercises and pick up from where I left off. 

In fairness, I had a couple of singing lessons too, but that came later.  (Mostly to get a bit of confidence about singing in front of people; the singing exercises were much the same as it happens.)  The book was enough for what I wanted to do -- which was basically to be able to manage a few backing vocals, or sing a song if I had to.

VimFuego

cheers grun, will check that out.

Grunfeld

Just noticed that it looks like it's out of print but the author has got another one which is basically the same book but different package by the looks of it, and with the added advantage that the vocal exercises (identical) are already chopped into individual tracks if audio editing is not an easy thing to do.

thomasross20

I took a couple lessons and also got the Roger Love book "Set Your Voice Free" which largely focuses on head voice. I'm no great singer. Lessons were good but 50 minutes exercises and 10 minutes song got me bored - plus living in a flat there was no place to belt it out... I also tried the Ken Tamplin course (expensive and could have condensed it into one section I thought).

VimFuego

nother vote for the roger love book then, coolio.

thomasross20

Just don't get sucked into buying some online course like I did (but google Ken Tamplin on youtube as the free vids are cool - he's one of the only singers who actually sings unlike the rest who talk the talk). 

VimFuego

noted, thx tiggs.