Can Anyone Learn to Sing?
When I tell anyone new I meet that I’m a singing teacher this is inevitably the first question they ask, followed closely by “can you sing us a song?” It’s an interesting and broad question so let’s break it down into the three questions people ask next:
a) Do you need to be able to sing before you start singing lessons?
Many people are drawn to vocal lessons because they have a sense that they have a “good” singing voice, or have been told as such. This is a great reason to start singing lessons as your teacher can help you build upon the skills you already have and discover what your voice can really do. However, pre-existing ability or talent is not necessary to begin singing lessons. Singing lessons can help students learn to:
Strengthen their vocal stamina and projection
Sing in time and in tune
Improve their vocal range (how high or low you can sing)
Sing, memorise and perform songs
b) Can anyone learn to sing well?
I think this is usually the underlying question: “Sure, anyone can learn to sing, but can they learn to sound good?”
Firstly, let’s break down what sounding “good” means. There are a few elements that make someone sound “good” when they sing:
Singing in tune
This means the notes you sing are in tune with the music - the melody is being sung correctly. When we sing out of tune it means everything sounds a bit “off”.
Singing in time
This is less about the way the voice sounds but singing with good rhythm and pulse is essential if we want to sound “good”.
Having vocal control
When we watch Whitney Houston or Ariana Grande or Ella Fitzgerald one thing they all have in common is excellent vocal control. They can sustain long notes, sing effortlessly across their range and use this control to inform their musical choices.
Pleasant vocal tone
The most subjective of all! But generally, a pleasant vocal tone means singing with a good balance of volume, breath, resonance and clarity and without strain.
c)Can I learn to sing if I’m tone deaf?
This is a very common question I get asked. In my fifteen years of teaching singing to adults and children of all ages, I am yet to encounter someone who is truly tone deaf.True tone deafness, known as congenital amusia, affects only around 1.5% of the population (Peretz & Vuvan, 2017). It is a neurological condition that makes it difficult to perceive musical pitch accurately.
What most people actually mean is that they have difficulty matching pitch or recognising when they're singing out of tune. These are learned skills, and with the right training most people improve dramatically. Here are my top four techniques to help students who have this issue:
Reduce unnecessary tension in the body and voice that stops the voice moving or operating properly
Develop efficient breathing so the voice has enough support
Explore different vocal registers (such as chest voice and head voice) and learn how to coordinate them.
Work on the ‘feeling’ of singing in tune - usually much more helpful than the ‘sound’ of singing in tune
In fifteen years of teaching, I have yet to meet a student who was unable to improve their pitch accuracy once we addressed these underlying skills
So, can anyone learn to sing?
For the overwhelming majority of people, yes. In my experience, almost everyone can learn to sing more confidently, more accurately and with greater vocal freedom. You don't need natural talent, previous musical experience or the confidence to sing in front of anyone. You just need the willingness to give it a go
If you’ve always been curious about whether you can learn to sing, I’d love to help you find out! You can click HERE to get in touch or click HERE to learn more about what your first lesson will look like.
