Hello all, and thanks for reading,
Some time ago I bought a ukulele and I’ve been practicing a fair bit. I’ve really come to enjoy playing it and recently decided it would be even more enjoyable if I could sing the songs I play as well. I have no desire or ambition to become a singing star, but I would just like to be able to sing without anyone calling the police about noise complaints.
I know that I have a fairly low-pitched, loud, and far-reaching monotone talking voice and that my singing voice is just as monotone and really awful to listen to. For this reason I decided to look up some tips and exercises to improve my vocal range, of which the Internet is all but devoid. The problem I’m finding is that all these ‘tutorials’, if you will, tell you to do and practice things I simply do not understand. For example, I’ve recorded myself ‘singing’ the do-re-me-etc. thingy, which is supposed to help you determine your vocal range. But it just all sounds the same – there is no variation in pitch when I say or ‘sing’ these things (not as far as I can tell at least). I simply do not know how to do it, and when I do try to sing or say something in a high-pitched voice, it doesn’t even sound human. It just makes me cringe of shame listening to myself talk, even worse listening to myself hopelessly trying to produce different vocal pitches.
By analogy, I feel like online tutorials explain to me how to paint by providing drawing exercises, without first telling me how to handle pencil and paper or paintbrush and canvas. They tell me to exercise my voice, but I do not know how to use it in any other way than to produce monotone speaking vocals.
My question to you, some more experienced people out there, is this: is there any hope for me? And if so, what would you recommend for me to do? I’ve read that practically anyone can learn to sing at least decently, but I’m starting to think that I am not included in this group called ‘anyone’ – which, in this case, is not something I’m very happy about.
Again, thanks for taking the time to read!
Dan.