Members fanuvbrak Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 Just like it says. With proper training can anyone learn to sing? Are vocal cords just an instrument like everything else, or do you need to start with some natural talent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members baimun Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 I'd say it's a little of both. Your vocal chords can be exercised like muscles to expand range and flexibility, but it takes the same kind of "ear education" to know when you're singing out of key or not. It would be the guitar-equivalent of someone who can learn the fingerings, but often can't tell when their guitar is out of tune or their bends are always flat. With proper training or simply a good ear, I believe anyone can sing. That doesn't automatically give everyone a 4 octave range, but whatever natural range they have, I believe that they can learn to use that range and timbre musically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SevenString Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 I agree with baimun. Re. the "good ear" part, I do know vocal teachers/coaches who refuse to take on a student who doesn't already have good pitch control within their range. Basically, if you can't hear a piano note (within your range of course), then hit and hold that note with your voice, then your road to vocal prowess is going to be a lot harder than someone who can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members micwalt Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members weebz Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 Listen, you either got it or you ain't got it, the only way you can get what you got is if you already got it, or if you plan to get it soon. got it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tiltsta Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 I think almost anyone can be trained to hit the proper notes....like one could train a dog to fetch...but the TONE of the voice is something you must be born with. All the pro singers I hang with know TONE is in the Larynx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wein Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I think almost anyone can be trained to hit the proper notes....like one could train a dog to fetch...but the TONE of the voice is something you must be born with. All the pro singers I hang with know TONE is in the Larynx. I thought tone was in the microphone....you mean I bought this Beta 58 for nothing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cheese Grits Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 Listen, you either got it or you ain't got it, the only way you can get what you got is if you already got it, or if you plan to get it soon. got it? Clips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Taylor Davis Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 Just like it says. With proper training can anyone learn to sing? Are vocal cords just an instrument like everything else, or do you need to start with some natural talent? I have no artistic abilities . but I can sing note perfect and play piano and guitars and keyboards and drums and and write little stories in verse and rhyme and paragraphs and sculpt little iron aminals with blue fire but i cannot draw or sketch or paint. begin with note matching from a piano or something. see if you can match and then hold a note. take it from there. Thanks for lettin me share. :wave: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Al Koehn Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 If your goal is to be a professional singer of opera or classical music the physical and creative requirements are very high, and most of us won't be able to reach them. Musical theatre offers more opportunities, but it's still very demanding of special physical and creative abilities. These can often be developed with a good teacher and a lot of time. Concerning pop, rock and country singers, there's a different set of criteria. Singing on pitch is essential, but only a tiny percentage of all people totally lack that ability. (In 30 years of teaching I've never had a student who couldn't learn to sing on pitch.) It's simply a matter of coordination between the creative mind and the physical equipment (vocal cords, diaphragm, etc). In other words, for most people, singing on pitch can be learned, and it doesn't take years. For those of you who have occasional pitch problems, there are usually just two reasons for this: First: You're not singing correctly (breath control, support, straining into the higher notes, etc.). In this case find a good teacher. You probably won't solve those problems by yourself. And the second reason is you are not thinking ahead. Too many singers rely on their physical ear to gage their pitch, quality and interpretation as they are singing. The great singers have learned to "hear" what they are singing before they sing it. Notice how a fine tennis player, golfer or diver stands silently for a few seconds before they act. What are they doing? They're mentally serving, hitting the ball, or going through the complete dive before they actually do it. Think ahead (it only takes a millionth of a second) and then follow through with what you've just created. As you become more aware of doing this your pitch will improve. It has to. To sum up: if you have healthy vocal equipment, lungs muscles and diaphragm and normal coordination you can develop a good singing voice. But, what you do with it is another matter. Al Koehn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cheese Grits Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 Learning to sing on pitch and with proper dynamics is one thing. It seems to be difficult for people to change the tone of their voice, however. Some people just have ugly sounding tone. Can pleasing tone be learned? Also, Al, I made you this avatar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members weebz Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 I once sang at a family reunion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sonic Jedi Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 "Pleasing tone" can be learned to some extent. You can learn to sing in different ways to get different tones (more vowls, more "breath", more from the diaphram, etc) But just because you can change the tone of your voice doesn't mean you can train any voice to sound just like their favorite American Idol. It will still sound like you, perhaps just a better version of you. Singing in pitch is something some do naturally, others can learn through practice, and yet others (very few) can never learn. There are some people that are truly "tone deaf". Singing is not for them. And then there is the question about what is good "Singing". There are some people that are terrible singers who record great songs that people like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pankot Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 Two points: 1) A series last year on UK tv called "can't sing, won't sing" showed how much almost anyone could improve if they practice under the proper guidance. Certainly not everyone can have star quality, but almost anyone can get to a level where they can chip in backing vocals without being dire. 2) Actual tone deafness is rarer than you might think. Some years back I knew a guy who apparently had no ear at all - he would sing along to the radio, or in the shower, and people would beg him to stop. For some reason he joined a choral society - and the regular practice, coupled with being surrounded by singers, culminated in his being able to take part in a performance of Faure's Requiem and acquit himself perfectly well as part of the chorus. Ok, three points 3) The best front man I ever worked with had a vocal range of about 1/3 of an octave. But he had such magnetism on stage no-one cared! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bajazz Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 Just like it says. With proper training can anyone learn to sing? YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BLACKWINGEDBEING Posted September 11, 2008 Members Share Posted September 11, 2008 Learning to sing on pitch and with proper dynamics is one thing. It seems to be difficult for people to change the tone of their voice, however. Some people just have ugly sounding tone. Can pleasing tone be learned? Also, Al, I made you this avatar. Learned? Nah..... All voices are good. I think it is more about intent. From what I've witnessed it's all subjective. Now I love to hear Rush I know that many consider Geddys tone on par with killing cats slowing in a crushing machine, I don't. He's actually a wailing God in my mind becasue that's where most of his lyrics take me. They creat a vision as to where he is playing a part. The same could be said for Neil Young. For whom, while I love his lyrics, nobody make me change the station faster than when I hear his voice on a song of his I don't particularly like. Isn't singing in Pop and Rock bands like acting anyway, well I think it's lends itself to theater alot ya know. The part playing and getting accross lyrics as if you were living the moment. Owning the song as it were. Playing the role of singer, the entertainer and the actor all in one. Man we're almost perfect people now aren't we Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr.Innovation Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 Just like it says. With proper training can anyone learn to sing? Are vocal cords just an instrument like everything else, or do you need to start with some natural talent? Anyone can learn to sing, anyone. I did without any vocal training. Learned by ear... However singing on tune is one thing, sounding good while doing it is completely another. Having great vibrato control is hard, then knowing when to sing with a head tone versus a louder stronger tone takes only practice. Have you noticed some singers can't hold the proper vibrato relative to the tempo of the song, or to the measure/bar? Example: Many "great" singers don't even use a vibrato very often-take Peter Gabriel for example. His presence is so strong he can just talk and it sounds great... -If you have a piano, or not get a cheap synthesizer for about 100 bucks. and start doing the sound of music do re mi jive....If you can at least hit the correct notes, this is a nice beginning. From there your mind will do the rest provided you are determined to learn and push yourself. If not, pay to have vocal lessons. The teacher will usually be forthcoming and tell you if you should pursue singing or not:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr.Innovation Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 Listen, you either got it or you ain't got it, the only way you can get what you got is if you already got it, or if you plan to get it soon. got it? Nein. Nicht. If you don't got it and you wanna have it you go and get it, got it? If you don't think you'll get it you'll never get it and then you'll be regretting not having the opportunity to get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rhythm Junky Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 It took me a good 25 years to get to the point where I can say that I can sing pretty good. I just developed vibrato in the past 10 years. I never had a vocal lesson, and if I did it might have sped things up a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eeglug Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 Vibrato is a technique that you can choose to use or not use. Personally I can usually do without it in most rock-related contexts - I consider it a "showy" over-the-top technique best left to the Celine Dion set. I'll make exceptions for truly great singers like Aretha Franklin or Mavis Staples. I can't even think of a performance I've heard where I've said to myself "wow, great vibrato". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dughaze Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 Just like it says. With proper training can anyone learn to sing? Are vocal cords just an instrument like everything else, or do you need to start with some natural talent? Anyone can learn to sing unless you were born without a throat or vocals chords or something....anybody. But the ignorance that only people with some sort of natural talent can really sing or sound good can be ego inflating at times. Get some decent lessons by a decent teacher and you will blow past the rookies pretty quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members troyacus Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 I think its a natural thing, I know a lot of my friends who have absolutely no singing voice what so ever, and when try I just want to shut my ears off so I dont have to hear them anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr.Innovation Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 Vibrato is a technique that you can choose to use or not use. Personally I can usually do without it in most rock-related contexts - I consider it a "showy" over-the-top technique best left to the Celine Dion set. I'll make exceptions for truly great singers like Aretha Franklin or Mavis Staples. I can't even think of a performance I've heard where I've said to myself "wow, great vibrato". Really? Every "diva HAS a vibrato and it's usually well controlled, except for Celine-she tends to do it too fast when she hits the high notes. I dig the Mariah Carey days of old when she first came out. I think vibrato is essential because it carries the voice to the next verse, chord change. Not overly done vibrato but subtle and effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr.Innovation Posted September 12, 2008 Members Share Posted September 12, 2008 It took me a good 25 years to get to the point where I can say that I can sing pretty good. I just developed vibrato in the past 10 years. I never had a vocal lesson, and if I did it might have sped things up a bit. That's a good point to bring up. To the OP I wanted add that voices change with time, and age, so this will affect the tonal quality as well. I know Madonna was more marketable than talented but her vibrato used to annoy the hell out of me. Then there's the whole "Kermit" voice I hear quite often that makes me lol sometimes. Or singing through the nose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nick* Posted September 13, 2008 Members Share Posted September 13, 2008 Singing is something that can definitely be learned. You may not be the greatest singer ever, but you can get away with singing. It's the character of your voice that is probably the 'natural' aspect. That's crucial to a singer....however, anyone can work with whatever they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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