Beginners

Who?

I’m talking to 2 groups of people:

Definite Beginner - 

You know, and most other people know, that you are a beginner.  Music (or at least singing) has not typically played a large role in your life except as a consumer.

Possible Beginner - 

You have not had any lessons, however you’ve got a hunch that you may be able to do it, you're just not sure as to what level.

…………..the 3rd person - a typically self-deprecating individual who is clearly not a beginner.

Why sing?

This is the most important question and could take a life time to answer.  For some people, singing makes them happy.  I am not in this category myself, however I do it for a different reason - it makes other people happy.  For some people it makes them millions of dollars per year, and for others it helps them to more effectively express themselves.  There are literally 100’s of reasons why you might want or need to sing, and getting to the bottom of that question is an important one. 

Personally, as someone who believes in God, I believe that it is in our design and that there are many discoveries to be made in regards to the most effective purpose of singing.  This is part of my life long goal, not just for myself but for my family, friends and the rest of the world too.

How? 

How long does it take? is a very popular question.  I believe this is a question that is prototypical of a beginner, or someone with a beginner’s mindset.  I don’t mean that as a putdown, it’s just that learning to sing requires a little bit of thought, such as:  Why do I want to sing?; Where do I want to sing?; What level of musicianship or spoken proficiency (actors/public speakers) do I want to achieve?

These are questions that need to be asked at every level as a singer.  Certainly I can be prone to just going with the flow, and some of my students can also be of this mindset.

If you feel like you're ready to talk singing, click on the text.

Where do I begin? can be a daunting question and the best thing to do is start.  You can only ask so many questions and I find that action sometimes needs to come before planning.  

Ready. Fire. Aim can be a great phrase for a beginner.  Coming from Australia I was an avidwindsurfer and enjoyed surfing too.  Quite often I would rock up to a beach and see the car park jam-packed full of cars.  Then I’d take one glance at the sea and notice the seemingly thousands of bodies all clamouring for the same wave.  It wasn’t until I put my wetsuit on and paddled out that I could get a true indication of how crowded the surf felt - and more often than not there were enough waves to go around.

How does the voice Work?  In fact, I’d say there is a preceding question to this one which is commonlyCan anyone learn to sing?  - or more specifically - Are you saying that you can actually teach me to sing?

The answer 99% of the time is yes.  In my personal experience -  99.9% of the time. 

We all have vocal cords, which is how we’re able to speak.  Singing is an extension of the spoken voice. Sound resonates in the space between our vocal cords (which are inside our voice box….where the Adam’s Apple is) and the lips.  In laymen's terms - anywhere there is space in your neck, mouth or skull.

As we all have the same basic anatomy, the same tools are used to develop the voice.  It is that simple, however it is not that easy.  Each person has varying degrees of natural talent, and every individual has a different set of problems as they relate to how they currently use their voice.

Note : some of my best students have less natural talent than most, however they have an even more important asset - discipline.

What?

Perhaps you are uncertain as to what you could sing.  Without fail, there is usually a pretty good match between what someone has done before, and what your voice is able to do.  There may be a song that you love which is not quite right for your voice in it’s original key, however by moving the song higher or lower, the song is more suitable to your voice type. 

Where?

I believe that the answers to Where do I sing? -  i.e. in a church, on Broadway, in a recordingstudio, with a choir at a football ground…. the list will go on, so I’ll stop - will come from askingWhy do I need to sing? or Why do I want to sing? 

And I’ll say it again but in a slightly different order    FIRE - AIM - READY… 

I recommend giving it a go………. it may be the most significant decision of your life. 

Don’t be like the surfer who almost missed the best waves of his life because from the carpark it seemed too crowded.  Be the person who becomes a singer, and enriches their lives beyond   measure!