Whether it’s Adele, Whitney, or Justin (Beiber or Timberlake, take your pick!), a beautiful singing voice is one of the most awe-inspiring things that we can experience. Ancient mythology & modern fantasy are both full of people and creatures blessed magical voices and the power that comes with them. It's no wonder we believe singing is a unique talent that is innate in a select few.

So, can anyone learn to sing? With very few exceptions, the answer is YES!

Talent VS. Skill

The main reason we think singing is about talent vs. skill comes from the way we perceive singing in our surroundings.

If you are a person who tries to sing well but can’t hit the right notes, hearing someone with no professional training do it effortlessly is frustrating and confusing. But while talent can help someone pick up singing quickly, it requires a tremendous amount of hard work and practice to become a great singer no matter who you are.

Practice Makes Perfect

Sure, a combination of talent and hard work is necessary to become the next Pavarotti or Adele, but anyone can improve their singing voice with hard work and practice. As long as you are willing to put in work and have realistic goals, you will surprise yourself with what you can achieve. And if you are passionate about singing as something that you want to do well, there is absolutely no biological reason why you shouldn’t pursue it.

It’s impossible to become amazingly good at anything without putting in a significant amount to work, and people who put in the same amount of work and time often get significantly different results. In this way, singing is no different than any other specialty. Employing the right course or coach for you can make a tremendous difference in your results, and having someone who can motivate and encourage you, help you improve, and become constructively critical in your process will give you a huge headstart.

Form & Technique

Your vocal cords are a musical instrument! And just like any other instrument, proper form and technique is essential to getting the maximum out of your instrument without damaging your voice. Breathing exercises will help you increase your lung capacity and get you to utilize your diaphragm when singing, which helps you sing more accurately for longer periods.

The standard form for singing is as follows:

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms resting on your sides.
Do not clench your hands or fidget with your fingers; it will only distract you and affect your overall relaxed state.
Make sure that you are not looking up or down. Balance the bottom of your skull on your atlanto-occipital joint, which is the joint between your top vertebrae and your skull.

If you want to develop a powerful singing voice, you’ll need to strengthen your diaphragm. One of the most common exercises for this is the pacing inhale/exhale exercise:

Breathe in for 4 whole seconds, filling your diaphragm as much as you can.
Exhale the air over 4 seconds and repeat.
When you are comfortable with this, try inhaling and exhaling for 5 or more seconds instead.
Extend the exercise for longer and longer periods as your diaphragm strength and lung capacity improve.

This exercise will help you improve your breathing capacity and teach you how to ration the air in your diaphragm – a must for singing phrases of varying lengths.

(Basic!) Music Theory

It might seem like a lot to take in, but learning music theory will help you improve your understanding of how music works and make you a better singer. By investing time into learning and understanding music concepts, you will learn to sing better and faster.

What’s more, once you’ve mastered the beginner singing exercises you will likely encounter more advanced concepts and materials which will be much easier to understand.

Articulate!

Articulation and diction is especially crucial if you are interested in singing contemporary music (i.e. modern genres like Pop, Rock, R&B etc.). The pronunciation and accenting of particular words can make a tremendous difference when it comes to sharing the message of the song with an audience.

It’s crucial to start recording yourself when you sing right out of the gate. These recordings will enable you to track your progress, identify problem areas, and quickly solve any issues you might have with articulation, pitch, or tone.

You Can Do It NOW!

With the number of resources, online singing improvement courses, and videos available on the topic of learning to sing, it is a perfect time to pick up your microphone and get started. By dedicating time and effort to developing your voice, you will witness steady, stunning improvement. It’s important to understand that the amount of time you put into practicing is crucial, but it’s equally vital to employ the methods and techniques that will help you improve. In short, practice smart and work on continually improving your singing.

Arm yourself with determination and patience and choose the right singing method for you. If you always dreamed of being able to sing well at a wedding or family event or you are planning on starting your band or solo singing career, now is the time to do something about it!

Can Anyone Learn to Sing?