How To Find Your Own Singing Voice
May 15, 2013
Everybody can sing, can learn to improve their sound, and everybody has a distinctive voiceprint – like a fingerprint. It can be scary starting to sing for the first time, and in order to find your own voice, people need to firstly shed their fear of exploring their voices. Here are a few tips about how to find your own voice in singing.
Don’t compare.
Don’t compare your voice with the voice of singers that you love. Often people are disappointed by what they hear when they sing songs that they love to a backing track or with a musician for the first time. You may have been singing along to a CD for years to music that you find really enjoyable to sing, and when the singer is taken away, you may be shocked or disappointed that your voice does not sound like you thought it did. It is not reasonable to compare yourself as a new singer to a professional vocalist or industry artist. Reflect on the learning curve for other skills and musical instruments. You have probably clapped your hands and tapped your toes along to those same songs – but would you expect to be able to play the drums for that band if you had never had any training? In order to become accomplished at any skill in life – not just music – most of us mere mortals need to be taught, and need a lot of practice. There are those amongst us who take to new skills like a duck to water, who are ‘gifted’, or have more natural aptitude than others. Singing is no different. If you are not happy with the sound of your voice the very first time you try, give yourself a break, and understand that there is a lot to learn, which you can do with reasonable expectations of yourself. If you are trying to find your own singing voice, don’t compare yourself with other singers – especially professionals.
Relax
With the appropriate frame of mind as mentioned above, you may find it easier to relax when you are singing. Try to free yourself from tension when you start singing so you can find the most natural tones your voice can create. Start by producing a free and natural sound – this keeps your voice in good health. Once you are comfortable with this, there are other skills you can learn to develop expression, power, contrast and character in a healthy way.
Exercise
Sing as much as you can – try a little coaching or join a singing club or choir. Experiment with different styles, genres and ensembles to see what you enjoy the most – some styles may come more naturally to you which may enhance your natural singing voice. The more you get used to singing, the more relaxed and freer your voice will become as your confidence grows. Once you have got used to yourself as a singer, you will hear your own natural singing voice begin to grow.