Can Anyone Sing? 4 areas to explore if you want to become a singer

One question I get asked a lot is "Can anyone sing?". My answer is always YES, OF COURSE everyone can. I guess this question stems from the fact that some people seem to be natural born singers. However, most singers need instruction to shape their voice.

In this article we're going to look at four fundamental areas that singers need to work on as part of their training. You'll see that learning singing technique is only one among other important skills for singers.

1. Musicality

This usually refers to your sense of rhythm and the ability to sing in key. Both can be improved through instruction. If you find either of them challenging, it's a good idea to record yourself as often as possible so you can track your progress. You might also want to consider taking music theory lessons: by pairing your intuition with the ability to read and write music your performance is likely to improve considerably.

2. Lifestyle

We singers carry our instrument inside our body, or rather, our body IS our instrument. That's why it's of utmost importance to keep a healthy lifestyle. Above all, relaxation and hydration have a huge impact on your ability to sing.

Hydration

Vocal cords need to be well hydrated to work properly. Smoking, drinking alcohol or caffeine will dehydrate your vocal cords so you should keep them to a minimum - if you can't do away with them all together. Smoking is a particularly damaging habit: not only does it dehydrate your vocal cords, but it also takes a toll on your breathing capacity, which is essential for singing.

Relaxation

The more relaxed you are, the less stress your larynx will experience (and therefore the less fatigue and strain you'll feel). So, you should try to sleep well and do exercise as often as possible to reduce stress levels. This in turn will prevent other unwelcome conditions, such as acid reflux.

As a rule, whatever's good for your body will be good for you as a singer, so stay healthy!

3. Singing technique

This refers to a set of "gestures" that once acquired will take your singing to the next level. It involves the repetition of a series of exercises that gradually help you adjust your posture, breathing, articulation and register bridging, to name but a few. The result of this training will make singing a truly effortless endeavor. It's important to remember that even though you might make some progress on your own, you will most likely need a teacher to guide you through this process.

4. Personality traits: perseverance and self-confidence

"It's a marathon, not a sprint."

This popular saying fits like a glove when talking about learning how to sing - and any discipline you want to excel at, actually. While exactly how long learning to sing takes will vary from singer to singer, it truly is a long-term commitment. One way of avoiding impatience is paying attention to each milestone you reach along the way - the fact that you haven't yet become a fluent singer doesn't mean you haven't been improving all along. Here, having a voice teacher will be most helpful, since they will be able to see the bigger picture and assess how much you've progressed. Also, consider recording yourself so you can look back from time to time and see how far you've come.

Building self-confidence

Confidence is something you build over time, not something you are necessarily born with. Quite frankly, I still haven't met anyone who doesn't experience anxiety before getting on stage, not even after years of practice. The only way of overcoming your insecurities is by proving yourself over and over again that you can actually do it. In time, you will gradually begin to feel more comfortable. The sooner you begin to face your fears and the more you do it, the less anxiety you'll begin to experience.

I hope you've found this article useful! While you might feel you score higher in some areas than others, the good news is that all of them can be improved if you put your mind to it. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter if you're interested in receiving singing-related content delivered straight to your mailbox.