Whether you sing in the shower or love to belt out tunes at church, singing is a part of your life, and it is never too late to refine your skills. Even if you think you couldn't hold a tune in a bucket, you can learn to sing and improve on your current singing ability. First, you need to dispel some common myths about the human singing voice.



Myths About Singing

Many people fail to learn to sing because they think that they can't. Some think that they were born "tone-deaf," and others think that only a select few have singing "ability." While some individuals do have an inborn ability to control pitch or volume better than others, most people can learn these skills. It is very rare for someone to have absolutely no ability to detect tones, which would be true tone-deafness. Statistics show that only around two percent of all people in the world have this problem. Most people who have trouble singing to a particular pitch simply need to have their ears trained to hear these pitches.

Learn Your Range

Are you a soprano or alto, bass or tenor? Learning your range will help you select songs to sing that fit your voice. Just as a trombone cannot play the same notes that a piccolo does, an alto cannot try to sing the same high notes that a soprano can easily hit. If you choose to take voice lessons, have your teacher help you explore your full range, and then choose songs that fall within the boundaries created by your natural voice.

Breathing Correctly

Correct breathing is the key to good singing. Learn to take deep breaths using your diaphragm muscle, not your lungs. To find your diaphragm, take a long, slow breath, and try to push out your abdomen, keeping your shoulders still. If you can do this, you have learned how to breathe with your diaphragm. Then, project your voice out through your head, not your mouth. Visualize yourself sending your breath and voice out through your forehead. This will train you to use your "head voice," which is far more pleasing to the ear than the standard voice used by most amateur singers.

Sing with Emotion

Once you have learned some basic skill and know what your range is, choose some songs and start singing. When you sing, enjoy yourself. Allow your emotional side to show through your song. If you sing with emotion, people will respond and appreciate what you are singing, even if your voice is not on par with the professionals.

Are You Too Old?

Many adults wonder if it is too late to learn to sing. It is never too late to learn. In fact, many singing teachers will not training children to sing, because their voices are not yet developed. However, as an adult, you will benefit from professional training. You have spent a lifetime learning poor singing habits, so learning to sing as an adult will require the help of a qualified singing teacher. However, with the right training and plenty of practice, you can develop a singing voice that you will be proud of!