There is a song that reaches into your soul and all you can do is belt it at the top of your lungs. We all have one. It is an amazing feeling to be able to sing along with your favorite song. Singing is such a common response to happiness, sometimes you can’t help but break out into song to express something. But did you know that your voice is actually an instrument? Just like the piano or guitar! Many people think they cannot sing, and that is just simply not true. The voice, like any instrument, can be learned. Most everyone has what it takes to sing, so with practice and patience you can find your singing voice and sing your favorite song from every rooftop!
Voice lessons are typically just singing lessons, but there’s so much more to singing. When you take a voice lesson, not only are you learning how to sing, but you also learn about notes, octaves, fifths, and major and minor scales. You can learn how to properly read music so your voice can fit into it. Different types of music call for different types of voice so you will end up learning so many styles of music and how to read them! How cool is that? Voice lessons help you find the right voice for you and what songs work best with that kind of voice. Voice lessons also help with public speaking. Can you believe?! It helps develop the sense of confidence that is needed to perform in front of people. We all know how vulnerable it feels standing in front of people and speaking or singing, so voice lessons really hone in on the performance aspect of singing, as well!
Voice lessons will also teach you music theory, songwriting, composers, and singing solos vs. singing in groups. You will have to be able to read music to follow along with it, just like learning how to read words and sentences. Some people feel more comfortable singing in groups because it is easier for them to blend, but they might have dreams of stepping out of the crowd and basking in the spotlight. Voice lessons are perfect for that! Solo singing is much different than group singing in the fact that it is all about you. There is no one there to harmonize or back you up, so you will need to practice the confidence it takes to sing as a soloist. You also might be super good at singing by yourself but find it hard to blend into a group. Voice lessons can totally help with learning how to blend your voice to make it fit into a choir or small ensemble.
Like we said earlier, almost every single person can sing. Regardless of if you think you can or not, you can! If you think you cannot sing well, maybe you just have yet to find the right style for your voice. It’s really easy to tell if you can sing or not. It is as simple as recording your voice and evaluating it. Pick a song that you feel most comfortable singing, and think about how you sing it. Find a song in your range (soprano, alto, tenor, bass, etc) and sing it a cappella. Play around with the key of the song, too! Fun fact about singing: your sinus cavities make your voice sound different to you. So recording it really gives you a feel for what other people are hearing. Listen to it on different speakers. Maybe in your car, as well as a Bluetooth, or something like that so that you know how you sound on different frequencies. There is something called timbre which is the voice’s characteristics. Is your voice hard or soft, hoarse or smooth? Listen for that as well!
The more knowledge you have of your voice, the easier it will be to connect and communicate with your voice teacher. Thankfully, here at the Omaha School of Music and Dance, we have such amazing voice teachers that can help you achieve any singing dream you have! Contact us of give us a call to set up a schedule for voice lessons! We would love to hear your beautiful voice ring through our studio!
