Singing Thoughts?

[Zachariah Atteberry]

I just started singing again, and I don't know if I am any good, and what practice I need. Singing and music has motivated my life ever since I was young. Please let me know what you think as I have considered doing some training with a singing instructor so I can become really good. This is just two pieces from Clarity by Zedd. 

 

If it is not good please let me know where I should improve. I have been scared to sing and want to build up confidence slowly, that is why this first piece is small, I will work up to longer pieces. 

 

This is the song below: 

[KillerKu]

Well, when you say you're going to start small, you're totally right. That's some super quiet singing man, even the background noise is louder than your voice. So the first thing to know, is it is safe to sing louder. Second thing, overcoming the fear of singing and starting this journey is one of the biggest steps you're going to take, but it can be a long road.

 

Those of us who were afraid of shamed from singing, when we were young have a lot less years of practice compared to those who were singing since very early childhood.

 

Singing a bit more loudly and confidently would help you most. Second most helpful thing would be getting a teacher and/or a program or whatnot. My honest opinion though, is if you are completely new to singing, a lot of the singing programs might be a bit advanced. I don't have them all, but have look into some of them.

 

So for the beginning stages you'd be working on sustaining pitch, breath control (airiness of timbre), support, confidence, keeping a relaxed posture, finding a nice posture for your tongue (tip of tongue approximately at bottom row of teeth is a nice) one. letting your jaw drop, and hang freely. Opening your mouth. Lots of like really just square one stuff.

 

Rob's program is the most comprehensive of what I've researched, but basically you're going to have to build a connection to your singing voice. You could end up more proficient than I am with the right focused training.

 

Right now, I'd sing a bit louder. Learn some diaphragmic breathing. If you have an instrument nearby singing along to pitches is very useful. Even if it is just in your comfortable range. Thanks for coming her and posting and I'm glad you've overcome your fear of singing. You'll be able to make some kind progress on your own, but a pro teacher could speed things up way faster and make the destination more of a guarantee. 

[Zachariah Atteberry]

Hello Killer, thank you for your reply. I really appreciate your input. I thought about taking the Singing Success Program if you have heard of it? The price tag is like $200 which seems like quite a bit, but may be worth it. The thing is I used to sing since I was a child and my music teacher really thought so too but I am really scared to sing for some reason, at least singing loud. I have thought about singing while I am at my job which is pretty lax, it is at the animal shelter while cleaning the animals. Singing at a place I am most comfortable might help? 

 

Also could you tell me a little more about Rob's program?

[KillerKu]

Hello Killer, thank you for your reply. I really appreciate your input. I thought about taking the Singing Success Program if you have heard of it? The price tag is like $200 which seems like quite a bit, but may be worth it. The thing is I used to sing since I was a child and my music teacher really thought so too but I am really scared to sing for some reason, at least singing loud. I have thought about singing while I am at my job which is pretty lax, it is at the animal shelter while cleaning the animals. Singing at a place I am most comfortable might help? 

 

Also could you tell me a little more about Rob's program?

 

I'm not an expert on Rob's program, hahaha. it's pretty steep too and not within my price bracket at the moment.

 

The singing success program from what I've heard is a bit more focused on bridging into a 'mix' he calls it. Personally I feel like people should have a bit of mastery with some kind of chest voice, and some kind of head voice (even a non breathy falsetto) before bridging and I've personally never heard much discussion of just the basics from when people describe this program. If other people have this program they might be able to chime in and describe it better.

 

Think of it this way... How ould you build a bridge, if you didn't know like which sides yuou were bridging to? We X side is New York, and the other is in..... mystery Y?...... So if you were to jump on the bridge train too soon, it would likely cause more problems than it would help. Unfortunately Brett Manning isn't here to tell you what is in his program, but I do know Rob has mentioned both beginning concepts, and advanced concepts (bridging, vocal modes) as being part of his program. Ideally, you would need to kind of go through a good process, that doesn't put the cart before the horse.

 

I'm not a salesman puppet dude, but if you reserach different programs from people who own each, you'd have your best education rather than second hand information from random internet guy. I'm potentially biased towards Rob because he is here and I hear him actually talking sense to beginners. That's a big plus, where as with Brett, you may never be in contact with him at all.

 

Yeah, definitely singing in a comfortable place is helpful. Fear is one of the bigger barriers to singing, both mechanically cause it can cause in some of the musculature, but it can also make you psychologically want to hold back more than is necessary. So just keep singing, and getting more and more comfortable about it.

 

The thing is, you're already singing, however softly and faint. So you're singing, you can sing. It's not Pavarotti, it's not Celine Dion, but in my book you're already a singer, it's just where you go from here, right?

[incessantmace]

Getting someone to coach you in person would be more benificial to you than buying yourself a program, I think. Maybe Skype lessons would work too. This is just my opinion so just take it with a grain of salt as I'm no expert, not in singing nor in coaching people. 

 

I've got Robert's program which gives you all the tools you need to train to become a great singer. It provides you with exercises that build your voice gradually if you keep at it. I've been making great progress with it myself. 

For a beginner like yourself it would be wise to also buy a couple of lessons with Rob or a different TVS coach, if you decide to buy the program. The exercises work like a charm but you have to be doing them right for them to work and as a beginner you could easily be performing them in the wrong way. (Speaking from experience here)

 

You could also try to find someone in your area that'll coach you, if that's what you prefer. This would probably work too, and a couple of lessons shouldn't be more expensive than buying a singing program. 

[m.i.r.]

Suppose if you really wanted to make the most progress at the best cost to progress level. I would say buy a course like Roberts....MAYBE cvt or tamplins. However, I know the people behind roberts course and pretty sure it would be hard to beat. Then get a personal lesson once a month, twice a month if it could be swung while working with the program.

I never took a course such as that. All my training came from one on one,group, ect. Then as time passed, my training came from trial and error from performance to performance and show to show. After the show figure out what went wrong lol. Why my voice hurt, why it was more difficult to control the last 20 minutes, why the high end lost some of its sharpness...ect ect ect. Try to make adjustments, rinse and repeat.

Though I would say the real time learning is irreplaceable. But if I had to do it all over again, I would do it as I said above. Mixing that with getting out and just doing earlier. I spent too much time and money early on just training, especially in opera.

I will say this, and please dont blast me too much teachers as this is not an insult. I can say for a fact I learned more from two lives shows than 20 lessons. In my opinion, the most effective a teacher can be is teach the basics, then telling the student go use it. Then being there for the student to help with whatever issues. Least that is what I would have loved.

"Hey coach, i sung these 8 songs, these three I got tight and worn out"...or something along those lines. That would have been great instead of having to struggle through it alone and trial error.

Wow this got way too long...sorry

[KillerKu]

Wow this got way too long...sorry

 

Nah, that's great perspective. You should be posting more here. You got a lot of good insight. Weekly lessons with a pro, you gotta be rich. So a checkup in conjunction with a program sounds ace.