Killing The Myths About Learning How To Become A Singer…

Chances are you’ve landed on this page because you want to know how to become a singer. Whether it’s your dream to become a famous recording artist or to just sing for fun… you’ll find the end goal is the same: to become a great singer.

As a vocal coach, one thing that really makes me laugh are the myths associated with becoming a good singer. Most people will find ‘reasons’ for why YOU could never become a great singer. Ironically, it’s the same people who have no desire to become singers.

Go figure.

I’m going to list these ‘so called’ reasons here and then explain why they simply aren’t true.

Are you ready?

You Need To Have A Musical Background

Wrong. You don’t need to have a musical background to become a great singer. Half of today’s commercial singers didn’t start out playing ANY kind of instrument nor did they have musical parents or family.

Through doing a series of vocal exercises, using correct singing technique and singing on a daily basis, they managed to learn a skill which allowed them to then show off their vocal abilities.

You need to be gifted from an early age

No you don’t. This is false. No doubt, it does help you in your ability to pick up good vocal technique in your childhood (providing you have a good guidelines or teachers to follow) …but there are plenty of great singers who didn’t have the advantage of singing in their childhood or in their teens.

This is simply yet another myth to try and talk you out of learning. It’s actually more of an excuse for not doing it.

You Need A Big Vocal Range

Ah, this one always makes me cringe. For some reason, ever since Mariah Carey exploded onto the music scene in 1990, folks from all over the world considered a ‘good singer’ to be one with a huge vocal range. Perhaps this is because Mariah’s vocal range is around 5 -6 octaves and all aspiring singers now thought that they had to have the same, otherwise they were doomed from the very start.

Well, of course this is a fallacy. It’s not true at all. Most (and I do mean MOST) singers have around 3 octaves to their name. Some even have 2 and a half.

But vocal range isn’t the point. It really isn’t.

It’s the least thing that anybody should be worried about. There are far more important things to improve …like breathing, your diaphragm and so on.

You Have To Have A Beautiful Sounding Voice

Again, this is something that’s proved to be wrong time and time again. Just listen to Bob Dylan …he doesn’t exactly have the best sounding voice in the world, does he? Sure, he has written some great songs, but as for the TONE of his voice, it’s pretty average.

So why is it that he’s had such a brilliant carer in music? For one, he has great songs – no doubt about it. But second, his vocal delivery is excellent. The way he translates his feelings with his voice is a huge part of what is so magical about him.

Think about that for a second. Somebody with an average sounding vocal tone can sing a song so beautifully, that it makes people from all over the world reach into their wallets and swap their hard earned cash for a ‘slice’ of that artist.

Amazing.

So you see, anybody who has the right training and who does their practicing can learn how to become a singer.

Shamir

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10 Responses to Killing The Myths About Learning How To Become A Singer…

  1. Judy Rodman says:

    I actually agree with every point you made. I am a vocal coach in Nashville, Tn, and I enjoy watching people find voices they never knew they had after learning new vocal techniques they’ve never employed before.

    Sometimes a lesser singer has more impact than a vocalist with more natural talent and with a better natural instrument. I find that it matters very much WHY a person chooses to make a vocal sound. If you sing to make yourself sound great, it’s not nearly effective if you sing to make someone feel something.

    I bet you’re a great teacher, Shamir.

  2. Shamir says:

    Judy, thank you :-) I appreciate your comment.

    And yes, I agree. I think too many people get hung up over what technically ‘sounds right’ without perhaps realizing their own remarkable vocal tone.

    But even more important, I think there are far too many vocal coaches out there who don’t understand this concept. Which is why I appreciate your comment even more.

    I’m not trying to substitute style over substance… I’m merely saying that sounding great and making a person ‘feel something’ can often be very different.

    Shamir

  3. Dom says:

    Hi Shamir!

    Too right! I love your style. Most teachers tend to make things look extremely complicated to their students – as if their income would be proportional to how confused they become… Sorry if I am sarcastic on this subject but I have been teaching drums for many years with an approach similar to yours, and have had to ‘clean up’ the mind of students who had already received tuition somewhere else too many times… until they were able to realize that it was not such a big deal after all.

    I wanted to bring to your attention some new material written by a friend of mine who is an exceptional singer in UK. This is an ebook which address beginers (and returners) who want to be singers but do not know where to begin., It is NOT a vocal course but a career guide course. The book gives all the hints and tricks of the trade that they should know, from word ‘go!’.

    The purpose is to put the person in control of her singing career. Whether it is just for fun, or for making a few bucks during week ends doing so… or to attract interest from the music industry. It is a very professional product extremely pleasant to read and I thought that I should mention it in your forum.

    Let me kow what you think

    Regards
    Dom

  4. Dom says:

    Oops…. I omitted to give you the link.

    here it is: http://www.kickstartme.com

    Dom

  5. jameswillisisthebest says:

    This is my first post
    just saying HI

  6. Valeria says:

    Hi..
    i know this may sound insane to you… it does to me too at times… that’s also the reason why i’m asking for some advice via internet…but the point is:
    i’m a 23 year old girl who is going to graduate this year and who dares dream to be a singer… and now that i’m almost finished with my studies i have to choose between signinig up for a stage or a master and entering the conventional working world, which is what my parents wish, or leaving it all, moving to NY (i have saved more than a thousand euros for this purpose) and trying to pursue my dream seriously…i’m not asking what i should do for only God knows that… but if anybody knows of some academy, vocal coach, or singing school in NY who offers scholarships that would help me a lot! What i’m looking for in NY is for learning as much as i can about black music, especially r’n'b. I listen to all kinds of music, however, have many flaws but they say i’ve got potential and the way i feel when i sing is undescribeable.
    If you have any suggestion write me at: lilyflower85@yahoo.com

    THANK YOU!

    Valeria

  7. Shah says:

    I’m a Singaporean..I can sing very well..i need a coach..please help me..amacam@hotmail.com

  8. lakyn says:

    wow! that’s really good lessons……im gonna try my hardest to get reconized as a singer!!

  9. Marcel says:

    I TOTALLY AGREE, YOU’RE SOOOOOOO RIGHT.

    AGAIN. YOU’re THE BEST!

    Greetings, Marcel (from The Netherlands)

  10. Autumn says:

    Great Article! My dream is to become famous in singing, I took choir in high school. But I can’t sing very well, so I don’t think I’ll ever make it. Oh well, I enjoy singing in my room. My mom says I have a beautiful voice, but I think that’s because she’s my mom.XD

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