In the shower or in the car you might feel like a rock star, but how do you know if you are really in tune? If you want to sing for work or for passion, it is important to immediately understand your true skills to realize your bases. Read on for tips on how to learn to listen to yourself properly and get constructive feedback from others.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Listen to yourself
Step 1. Record your voice and then listen to it again
The nasal cavity, in fact, makes the voice sound in one's head in a decidedly different way from how it is perceived by other people. This is the easiest, fastest, and most private way to find out if you can sing naturally.
- You don't need to use weird microphones or advanced recording technologies to find out if you have a good vocal setting. Most computers and smartphones offer built-in microphones and software for digital voice recording. Alternatively, you can use the analog mode of a simple cassette recorder or answering machine.
- If singing in front of others makes you nervous, recording is a great way to get around performance anxiety. You will be able to listen to your voice in complete privacy, without fear of the judgment of others.
Step 2. Unlike what the media would have us believe, singing a cappella, ie unaccompanied, is not the best way to tell if you have a good voice
In fact, it is important to use a musical track, such as a karaoke one, to find out if you can reproduce the notes and follow the melody while singing. There are many karaoke backing tracks available online, especially on YouTube.
You will find free MIDI versions of songs and old songs online that you may like to sing. They may not be famous and current pieces, but they will give you a melody to work on. Also check the pre-installed songs on Casio keyboards or look for the instrumental version of songs extracted from the albums you own
Step 3. After you have chosen the song you are interested in and have obtained the recorder, find a quiet place to rehearse
That way you don't have to worry about someone hearing your voice and judging you. Play the music track and record.
- If you have a basement or garage, try to go and try there, or wait until you find yourself alone. For registration, you could also try locking yourself in the passenger compartment of the car.
- Remember that you are not trying to record a tune that could break through on the radio. You're just trying to gauge how suitable your voice is for singing. Don't worry about the quality of the recording or that everything is perfect.
Step 4. Sing naturally, without worrying about being able to replicate those vocal stunts from Mariah Carey
It is much better to be able to sing in tune. Forget the warbling and vibrato. It is enough to be able to sing the song in its simplest form.
Step 5. It's the moment of truth
After finishing the recording, take a deep breath and press "Play". Evaluate if you can move from one chord to another, if you can follow the melody and reach all the high and low notes required by the song.
Listen to the recording in different ways: with cheap computer speakers, with more sophisticated car speakers, and finally with headphones. Cheap speakers often emit metallic sounds, while high-quality headphones perform better. Try to listen carefully several times
Step 6. Find a song that best fits your vocal range if you don't like what you hear
The voices are not all the same and each covers different extensions. A choir can cover wider vocal intervals precisely because it is made up of several voices. If the recording doesn't suit you, it may be because you've chosen a song you like instead of one that suits your natural abilities.
- Small tip: download an inexpensive app that can analyze your voice and try to sing while respecting your natural range. When you sing alone, what is the one that makes you feel most comfortable? Sing like this and check which extension is detected by the voice tuner.
- Then try to go down to the lowest note and go up to the highest one: write down the results on paper in order to be able to detect your vocal range. At this point, choose a song that fits that range.
Step 7. Perform a test for amusia, or the physical inability to recognize sounds
Some people, in fact, are unable to reproduce a note after hearing it, a skill necessary for singing in tune. In addition to recording your voice and listening to it again, take a quick and free online test to evaluate the presence of this disorder.
Method 2 of 3: Test Your Voice in Front of Others
Step 1. Perform for your family
You have already done everything possible to understand if you can sing: you have chosen a song within the reach of your vocal range, you have learned to sing it with the right technique and you have tried it until you learn it by heart. Now is the time to put your voice to the test in front of your family.
- Choose a room with good acoustics. If it is large in size and with a high ceiling, it will allow you to exhibit your voice better than if you were in a low basement with carpet.
- If you feel nervous or embarrassed, stop singing and start over. You are not at La Scala; worry only about the voice and not the stage fright. You will be able to solve the other problems later.
- When you are done with the performance, ask your family to give you their honest opinion. Regardless of what they say, you will need to evaluate their opinion with common sense; maybe they don't want to hurt your feelings, or they prefer to keep your head from going up. But their reaction should give you an indication of your singing abilities. If you feel confident enough to move forward, now is a good time to take the next step.
Step 2. Perform in public
There are many opportunities to perform in public: you can join an open mic night at a club, sign up for a singing contest or do karaoke. Find the place that suits you best and get ready to sing a song for strangers.
- When you sing, watch the audience's reaction. People who listen to you won't care about your feelings like your family might, so you'll be able to get a better idea of your singing skills.
- Have a friend ask if the audience liked your performance. Strangers don't always like questions, so you shouldn't decide your future based on their opinions. Collect their feedback and keep trying to figure out if you have a good voice.
Step 3. Try performing as a street artist
Another way to get directions from the public is to sing at the train station or in a busy shopping mall. If you can, sing with a microphone and a small amplifier so that people are drawn to your voice. You will be able to sing for free or provide a bidding hat to earn some money during this experiment.
- Choose a popular and current song to attract more people.
- If people avoid the area you are in instead of approaching, your voice is probably not very pleasant. This could simply be the result of acoustic problems - don't be completely discouraged.
- Don't base your conclusions on the money you've earned or how many people have gathered to listen to you. Travelers or shoppers don't always have time to stop and listen to street performers, but that doesn't mean passersby didn't like your voice.
Method 3 of 3: Improving the Singing
Step 1. Learn to accept constructive criticism
If you have a wonderful voice, you know by now. Ditto if you don't have it. But just as the guitarist must necessarily spend some time tinkering with the strings, so too singers have to work hard to improve their voice. It is not a quality with which one is born, but it is obtained with dedication and constant exercise.
If someone tells you you can't sing but are willing to work on your voice, keep practicing to improve. Pay no attention to chatter
Step 2. Take singing lessons
Paying a professional to teach you how to use your voice as an instrument can improve your singing skills. Choose an instructor you trust and who can give you honest opinions about your abilities.
Step 3. If you have realized that you don't have a natural talent for singing, but still love this way of expressing, keep working
Your instructor can help you get the best out of your vocal cords. The joy of singing is available to anyone, not just people born with that talent.
Step 4. Joining a choir is a great way to tell if you have a good voice
You will receive the opinion of the teacher and your colleagues and you will have the opportunity to hear your voice in a professional recording.
- Get the chance to sing solos now. You will receive more personal guidance from the conductor, and when you perform, you will receive more meaningful feedback than you might receive singing in the choir.
- Talk to the teacher for advice on how to improve your singing skills. You could also ask him directly if he thinks you are talented.
Advice
- Always warm your voice or you risk damaging it and you may not be able to sing for days!
- Try to find the music style that suits you best. Also, when writing songs, don't be afraid to use creativity. Remember: the only rule of music is the use of notes.
- Practice with a friend who has the same range as you, so you can understand how he sings and what techniques he uses. Use them in turn and put them to the test with a tape recorder. Some devices are not very accurate and reproduce very badly the voices, so use a quality one.
- Find a song to start with and practice day and night. Then sing in front of a crowd or some people. If you are shy, you can register and post a song on YouTube.
- You can sing with headphones. Don't hold them too tight, but remember to adjust them so you can hear the song in the background.
