Tone-deaf? You can learn to sing!

Certain artists are born with stronger muscles and so achieving musical strength is easier and faster. While we may never attain the greatness of naturals like Aretha Franklin, Freddie Mercury, or Michael Jackson the good news is that with a bit of practice, those of us who are less naturally gifted (or branded "tone-deaf") can bulk up our singing muscles too.

Just like a muscle, your voice (made up of lots of muscles) can be trained, strengthened and rendered better.

Train yourself

Being a classically trained singer doesn’t necessarily mean that you can sing arias or will appear onstage for Carmen. It refers to understanding music technique and how it works (rhythm, melody and form). Once you grasp the principles of music composition, the benefits are endless: sight reading, discovery of different techniques, learning the rules, etc.

Understand your body

Singing in tune and with intensity requires the use of a variety of muscles. Your diaphragm, the muscle that allows you to breathe in and out, is a core muscle that controls how much air you expel when you sing. There are several muscles in your larynx, more often referred to as your voice box, that affect the tone of your singing. Learning to raise or lower your larynx will help you to create different sounds. Strengthening these muscles will allow you to better manipulate what you sing.

Find a good coach

If you are really serious about becoming a better singer, a good coach can make the difference. Practicing vocally is different from practicing an instrument. Faults like playing a wrong note or being off-beat are easily identifiable and can be quickly corrected, but singing errors are more difficult to pinpoint. A good coach can quickly spot what is wrong and advise how to fix it. Shop around for your perfect coach to find one that fits your needs and that you feel comfortable with. You’ll quickly recognize progress under the right conditions. In the meantime, don't hesitate to get advice from our online vocal coach here: Liberating your lips, The Tongue and Pitch Control.

Published on: 1 September 2016