So I Want to Start Singing

[blacksurge]

Well my dream is to be a singer-guitarist and i've pretty much gotten the guitar part down, almost able to sweep, so I decided i'd start the singing now.

I know that eventually I will work up to practicing with Muse songs and then finally Fall of Troy, but the problem is I don't know where to start. I'm 15 and i've had no formal vocal training and i've never really trained it personally. And in my opinion my voice sucks horribly but I think I could make it bearable with some practice.

So my question is what would you guys suggest I use to start practicing? Also, would it be possible to turn a sucky voice into an amazing one, or is it one of those things you have to be gifted with?

[Haggis McSpud]

Join a choir or something, or get a professional to teach you.

[Greger]

Start sucking massive amount of dick, it wont help you becoming a better singer but im sure the dudes you're blowing will enjoy it.

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[Zackariah]

Get a voice coach, They will be able to tell you if its really worth your time trying to sing.

[InTransit]

Holy fuck no don't start with Muse. If you're a bad singer that's only going to make you worse because unless you have a natural talent and the right vocal chords there's no way you're going to be able to hit that kind of range.

Yes a voice coach is SOMETIMES a good idea if you're terrible. Do you have like a clip of you singing or anything so we can guage where you're at and what kind of singing might help you out?

[Pelican Man]

Everyone has the ability to sing, it just takes more training for some than others. Get lessons; if the teacher tells you there's no hope, get a new teacher.

[blacksurge]

Nah I don't have a clip of me singing. And I just picked muse because they have easy guitar parts, never really took into account how hard it would be to sing :P

I guess it looks like i'll have to get a voice coach though. Pretty funny, that's exactly what I was hoping to not have to do.

[Greger]

So my question is what would you guys suggest I use to start practicing? Also, would it be possible to turn a sucky voice into an amazing one, or is it one of those things you have to be gifted with?

I would suggest finding your vocal range at first, you can do that with a piano, you should check out This link (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070531082504AALpxby) and also this one which provides a similar and more professional answer (http://www.vocalist.org.uk/vocal_range_key.html)

Then I would suggest to start doing breathing excersises, I believe you can read some more about that matter here. (http://www.vocalist.org.uk/singing_exercises.html)

Just remember to never overdo yourself, if you cant hold a note then you shouldnt try to do it again because such things will only damage your vocal cords, and lowering your vocal range.

Try humming notes, if you can hum it for an extended amount of time, you can probably sing that note out loud (trying to hum something you cant hold wont damage your cords and is a pretty ok way to find out what you can do and not can do).

There is some general information that you can find at this link (http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-to-Sing)

Hope this helped you! :)

[Derelict]

I sing along to every song I hear, and over the past ten years I've become a quite competent singer. My parents can attest, my voice was terrible (mind you, this was before puberty), but now I receive no complaints. Just practice every time you can. Any opportunity, just sing.

[Inseln]

If you want formal training, try once a week with a classical teacher. Trust me, if you can master classical than you can sing anything!

I've been singing in choirs since I was in year 3. I'm in year 10 now. 7 years and I have what has been called a 'very powerful voice'.

Alot of things to help with this are simple vocal exercises, breathing exercises too. Sit ups are very good for your diaphragm. Do a couple a day just to get you used to it. Also, go on long walks and sing along to simple songs that suit your range while walking fast. It really helps with breathing.

Also, try learning a couple of different harmony parts or melody parts to songs that you know and sing them in time with that song. It sounds easy but if you know the song very well then it will be hard on account of your brain wanting you to revert back to the notes that you're used to.

Also, if you're singign with a guitar you don't have to leanr how to have a stage presence. But if you ever want to perform and for some reason you don't have your guitar with you you'll be stuck standing there awkwardly. Trust me, it really sucks.

Atleast try and learn it, not the awkward move about the stage from side to side only dance. But something real where people think "wow he can really get into a performance".

[Britney Spears]

If anything I'd start at Fall of Troy and move to Muse. Fall of Troy has very simple singing melodies in a moderately high range, excepting a few falsetto moments and a lot of screaming. Screaming isn't good for your vocal chords, so I think you need to pick two entirely different bands to work off of.

[blacksurge]

If anything I'd start at Fall of Troy and move to Muse. Fall of Troy has very simple singing melodies in a moderately high range, excepting a few falsetto moments and a lot of screaming. Screaming isn't good for your vocal chords, so I think you need to pick two entirely different bands to work off of.

I probably won't do any of the screaming parts from the fall of troy. Mainly the easier songs, like FCPREMIX or Oh the Casino! or Caught Up.

And thanks for all the advice, i'll look into some of the things you guys mentioned.

[Britney Spears]

What you really should try is just singing any melody outloud. Anything. Find what your comfortable range is. And find a song in that same range. You don't want to learn singing by trying too sing like Cedric Bixler Zavara. It comes naturally to him, but you need to find your norm. Singer songwriters like Damien Rice and Sam Beam (Iron and Wine) have very moderate voices and sing with great melodies that'd be good to work on.