Should I give up singing?

[Jameel]

I wanna start off by saying music is one of my biggest passions in life and i've always wanted to be a singer (not professionally; obviously) but i don't like my voice and i'm not really sure what to do to improve or if it's even possible so i would love to hear your opinions on whether i should just give up or push on.

 

Tips on what i need to improve would help a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0r4UmaEPBnT

 

[Elvis]

Im on mobile so i cant hear it but i will say this. IF U LOVE SINGING NEVER NEVER GIVE UP ON IT.

[MDEW]

    No need to give up singing......Never....      Practice voice and train just like you would any instrument......

  I hear you strumming a guitar..... Did you just pick up the guitar and know if it was in tune or not..... and if not did you already know how to tune it or play any chords......No..... you learned that...... and with practice you got better......Same with the voice........

   If you can find a teacher or someone else who sings ask them for guidance ..... Train with a program.......

   Nobody started out with a golden voice.....they trained..... and all of those you see and and hear on the internet, TV or radio are still training and practicing to sing in a healthy manner and keep their voice tuned and in shape.  

[Enander]

First off, I've heard people sing waaay worse than you!
 

Secondly, why would you give up something you enjoy doing just because you're bad? If you like doing something even though you suck at it, you know you've found something you truly like.
 

[Jameel]

Thanks a lot fot the encouraging words, i guess i won't give up singing but as far as progression goes i'm not sure if i even have potential to get better. I guess i'm just looking for feedback and tips on how to improve, i'm very self-conscious about singing and my voice but i'd prefer if you guys would just be honest with me.  

[Gsoul82]

Thanks a lot fot the encouraging words, i guess i won't give up singing but as far as progression goes i'm not sure if i even have potential to get better. I guess i'm just looking for feedback and tips on how to improve, i'm very self-conscious about singing and my voice but i'd prefer if you guys would just be honest with me.

Everyone has potential. I could probably show you recordings from back where I started and I was worse than you. And your tone actually reminds me of babyface. You fix a few things and you'll sound great.

[MDEW]

    I have found that those who really wish to sing and sound good are the ones afraid to let people hear them and they do not practice because they do not want others to hear them sounding bad, so they do not progress.....Those who do not care whether they sound good or not go ahead and sing and get better.......

   Do not hinder your own progression by not singing and practicing. You get better by recording yourself......listen closely.......change things you do not like.....keep things you like......experiment.....If something hurts STOP DOING THAT.

   You make week things stronger by using the week things.......

   Vowels are your friends.....Consonants your barrier......

   I am no teacher just someone else who likes to sing.......find a good teacher or program.... do the work.....progress......

[Jameel]

Everyone has potential. I could probably show you recordings from back where I started and I was worse than you. And your tone actually reminds me of babyface. You fix a few things and you'll sound great.

Wow thank you, that means a lot to me! I don't know what to work on or how to improve but I'll check some tutorials on youtube and figure it out.

 

And thank you MDEW I'll take your words into consideration and practice. 

[Gsoul82]

Wow thank you, that means a lot to me! I don't know what to work on or how to improve but I'll check some tutorials on youtube and figure it out.

And thank you MDEW I'll take your words into consideration and practice.

I'll send you a message in a little bit

[Jarom]

    I have found that those who really wish to sing and sound good are the ones afraid to let people hear them and they do not practice because they do not want others to hear them sounding bad, so they do not progress.....Those who do not care whether they sound good or not go ahead and sing and get better.......

   Do not hinder your own progression by not singing and practicing. You get better by recording yourself......listen closely.......change things you do not like.....keep things you like......experiment.....If something hurts STOP DOING THAT.

   You make week things stronger by using the week things.......

   Vowels are your friends.....Consonants your barrier......

   I am no teacher just someone else who likes to sing.......find a good teacher or program.... do the work.....progress......

This is very true, I didn't sing for a long time because I was afraid, even to sing in my own home.... SING SING AND THEN SING SOME MORE

[HM Darius ( Conrad Noto)]

I have to answer this is parts and I have to be as honest as possible regardless of if people disagree. Your question can be taken in many ways. 1. If you love and enjoy it, makes you feel good? do it regardless of how it sounds or doesn't sound and feel good. 2. If you mean professional singing? Clearly it needs work, however there are many less than average vocalist who have huge careers and many incredible craftsmen that have no luck. In professional singing, timing seems to be more important than actually mastering of vocal ability. If you get lucky and have a hit, believe me the label/managers will be sure you get all the coaching you need.. until then, if that is your goal just keep improving what you've got, baby swans don't look to good, but they sure do blossom.

[Singingnewbie]

Your voice has nice characteristics, everyone who is at a beginer level doesnt like his voice cause isnt used to it and because well... its his! Dont think about it, just practice and over time you will see results. Darius very nice post.

[ronws]

You asked for honest opinion. First off, any one can improve singing. Your question, to me, is like, "should I give up walking?" And my response would be "WTF?"

 

Anyway, so, you are off pitch in a few places and this is because you are trying to sing high with your throat. Stop that. Sing high with your head. Feel the note in your head and quit thinking about the throat. In fact, seriously, just quit thinking. Hear the music, match the pitch. You will get better.

 

So, you feel bad about your voice? Stop that, too. Just stop it. Grow a pair and present your voice. I assume you are male, possibly a young man. Stand up for yourself, good or bad.

[Jameel]

You asked for honest opinion. First off, any one can improve singing. Your question, to me, is like, "should I give up walking?" And my response would be "WTF?"

 

Anyway, so, you are off pitch in a few places and this is because you are trying to sing high with your throat. Stop that. Sing high with your head. Feel the note in your head and quit thinking about the throat. In fact, seriously, just quit thinking. Hear the music, match the pitch. You will get better.

 

So, you feel bad about your voice? Stop that, too. Just stop it. Grow a pair and present your voice. I assume you are male, possibly a young man. Stand up for yourself, good or bad.

 

Weird analogy, walking doesn't come as natural as singing, at least not for me. Although i respect your opinion and will take your words into consideration. We all have insecurities and i'm working on it, guess i just wanted some tips.

[ronws]

Weird analogy, walking doesn't come as natural as singing, at least not for me. Although i respect your opinion and will take your words into consideration. We all have insecurities and i'm working on it, guess i just wanted some tips.

Maybe I can learn something from you. How does walking not come as natural as singing? Granted, maybe my comparison is suspect but I wanted to ask what makes singing easier than walking.

[Jameel]

Maybe I can learn something from you. How does walking not come as natural as singing? Granted, maybe my comparison is suspect but I wanted to ask what makes singing easier than walking.

Ops, I meant singing doesn't come as naturally as walking. My bad.

[MDEW]

Ops, I meant singing doesn't come as naturally as walking. My bad.

    Here I go again.......You had to get strength in your legs.......then you had to learn to crawl......then your legs got more strength and had to learn to stand.....and you fell down....a lot till your legs got stronger.........then you took a   few steps at first.....and fell down.....a lot..........and your legs got stronger........shall I go on?

 

 

   I had to be reminded of all this stuff too.......and not too long ago........Ronws had to tell me to STOP THAT a few times....Thanks Ronws.

[KillerKu]

Here's the thing. When I was maybe 7 years old, I started really loving singing and doing it for the first time. I had a family member tell me my singing was awful beyond belief and I had to stop. It was said very seriously and I took it to heart. They were older, they seemed wiser. So being kid who was used to listening to authority figures, I did.

 

When I was 20, I was a musician who fell in love with the Beatles and realized I had to sing. So what happened, is I basically resumed singing with the skills of a 7 year old beginner. Minus half a decade medical hardships, I have probably at least 4 years of singing training so I sing like an 11 year old now, maybe going on 12.

 

Nobody would even think of not singing if it wasn't for other people. I just sing like I'm 11 years old with the wisdom of an adult who is wiser and doesn't take 'advice' about whether I should sing. By the time I'm 20 something years old in singing years, imagine that? Even the idea of stopping singing for any reason seems unwise unless you hate singing.

 

As for a critique of your voice. It's starting from a really unique position and I like some of the character of it already. It has a vulnerable quality that I can relate to, and a unique identifiable timbre. Pitch is better than expected from someone who is thinking about stopping. But the critique isn't that important compared to the mindset. Wherever you are in your development, sing like that.

 

Michael Jackson started singing at like 3 years old so by the time he was in the Jackson 5 he was already singing for longer than I am. He probably had influence from people in the church or family who sang who could guide him a little. By the time I have 9 years of experience, who knows? I don't care. I just sing. You should too. That's the natural state of mind of our species until other people plant doubts. Singing to me is 'sustained noise that feels meaningful.' Some people relate to the noise, others don't. I'm willing to bet cavemen made sustained noises that felt meaningful too. They might have even sung before they learned speak. Ooooooga booooga!!!!!

[Jameel]

Here's the thing. When I was maybe 7 years old, I started really loving singing and doing it for the first time. I had a family member tell me my singing was awful beyond belief and I had to stop. It was said very seriously and I took it to heart. They were older, they seemed wiser. So I being kid who was used to listening to authority figures, I did.

 

When I was 20, I was a musician who fell in love with the Beatles and realized, I had to sing. So what happened, is I basically resumed singing with the skills of a 7 year old beginner. Minus half a decade medical hardships, I have probably at least 4 years of singing training so I sing like an 11 year old now, maybe going on 12.

 

Nobody would even think of not singing if it wasn't for other people. I just sing like I'm 11 years old with the wisdom of an adult who is wiser and doesn't take 'advice' about whether I should sing. By the time I'm 20 something years old in singing years, imagine that? Even the idea of stopping singing for any reason seems unwise unless you hate singing.

 

As for a critique of your voice. It's starting from an really unique position and I like some of the character of it already. It has a vulnerable quality that I can relate to, and a unique identifiable timbre. Pitch is better than expected from someone who is thinking about stopping. But the critique isn't that important compared to the mindset. Wherever you are in your development, sing like that.

 

Michael Jackson started singing at like 3 year old so by the time he was in the Jackson 5 he was already singing for longer than I am. He probably had influence from people in the church or family who sang who could guide him a little. But the time I have 9 years of experience, who knows? I don't care. I just sing. You should too. That's the natural state of mind of our species, until other people plant doubts. Singing to me is 'sustained noise that feels meaningful.' Some people are relate to the noise, others don't. I'm willing to bet cavemen made sustained noises that felt meaningful too. They might have even sung before they learned speak. Ooooooga booooga!!!!!

 

Thank you so much i'm starting to change my mindset and it's thanks to you guys! I'm thinking of posting some more stuff if anyone is willing to listen and follow my progress. I will definitely not stop. Thank you! 

[Gsoul82]

Here's the thing. When I was maybe 7 years old, I started really loving singing and doing it for the first time. I had a family member tell me my singing was awful beyond belief and I had to stop. It was said very seriously and I took it to heart. They were older, they seemed wiser. So I being kid who was used to listening to authority figures, I did.

When I was 20, I was a musician who fell in love with the Beatles and realized, I had to sing. So what happened, is I basically resumed singing with the skills of a 7 year old beginner. Minus half a decade medical hardships, I have probably at least 4 years of singing training so I sing like an 11 year old now, maybe going on 12.

Nobody would even think of not singing if it wasn't for other people. I just sing like I'm 11 years old with the wisdom of an adult who is wiser and doesn't take 'advice' about whether I should sing. By the time I'm 20 something years old in singing years, imagine that? Even the idea of stopping singing for any reason seems unwise unless you hate singing.

As for a critique of your voice. It's starting from an really unique position and I like some of the character of it already. It has a vulnerable quality that I can relate to, and a unique identifiable timbre. Pitch is better than expected from someone who is thinking about stopping. But the critique isn't that important compared to the mindset. Wherever you are in your development, sing like that.

Michael Jackson started singing at like 3 year old so by the time he was in the Jackson 5 he was already singing for longer than I am. He probably had influence from people in the church or family who sang who could guide him a little. But the time I have 9 years of experience, who knows? I don't care. I just sing. You should too. That's the natural state of mind of our species, until other people plant doubts. Singing to me is 'sustained noise that feels meaningful.' Some people are relate to the noise, others don't. I'm willing to bet cavemen made sustained noises that felt meaningful too. They might have even sung before they learned speak. Ooooooga booooga!!!!!

His family actually really embraced that kind of thing. They would harmonize while doing house chores. Everyone from the kids to the mother (not sure about Joe Jackson). You see what kind of thing that kind of support can give you? You could have one of the greatest voices in popular music!

[KillerKu]

Thank you so much i'm starting to change my mindset and it's thanks to you guys! I'm thinking of posting some more stuff if anyone is willing to listen and follow my progress. I will definitely not stop. Thank you! 

 

Hell yeah. Rock on. That will take you far.

[KillerKu]

His family actually really embraced that kind of thing. They would harmonize while doing house chores. Everyone from the kids to the mother (not sure about Joe Jackson). You see what kind of thing that kind of support can give you? You could have one of the greatest voices in popular music!

 

And we can be like a surrogate family here for some. Not everyone needs to have the epiphany themselves at some random age. We can always spread the truth and support people here.

 

If your family or the people in your life don't get it, it's probably cause they don't understand singing like the people here do. The singers here 'get it.'

[MDEW]

    Michael Jackson is a very good example......Even after all the success he had, he  still had a coach, a teacher. He may be the only big star that we can watch training  thanks to the internet and youtube. You may not find videos of other big singers training maybe because of pride maybe just because they did not want to be recorded sounding bad but believe me they still train and make all those weird noises that you will see and hear people do when you look for videos of vocal techniques and training.

[ronws]

And we can be like a surrogate family here for some. Not everyone needs to have the epiphany themselves at some random age. We can always spread the truth and support people here.

 

If your family or the people in your life don't get it, it's probably cause they don't understand singing like the people here do. The singers here 'get it.'

Yes, a family that does not allow self-pity or self-degradation, although self-deprecating humor is still good.

[Singingnewbie]

Walking is different from singing because it is the way humans are built and unless you have a condition anyone will walk either taught or not. Its not a skill with the meaning of a skill as singing is, driving, drawing etc... I guess nobody was told "Hey your walking is awful please stop walking..." or "Wow your walking is so nice, please walk some more so i can enjoy"!

 

Generally i agree with what you advised him ron but we all have gone through these steps, exept the lucky ones. Jameel just make a program about singing everyday or when you can and be constent to it, no matter what. Everything will come with time.

 

Killer thats such a pity, you didnt start at young age and started later, same i wanted to play piano when i was same age but for family reasons i did when i was near 20... Be happy with what you got and try to make it better! Peace