Fun update: I’ve begun singing lessons!

I’ve always loved to sing (to the annoyance of my friends and family members), but I’ve never been really good at it. I did chorus and some instruments when I was younger, so I sort of have a sense for sheet music, and I can hold a tune. But I’ve always been too shy to do voice lessons – until now!

The most important thing I’ve learned is that anyone can learn to sing. It’s a skill, not a natural talent – of course, some people are naturally better at it than others, but you can sing just like you can learn to play the flute or swim! It takes a lot of work and time, and it could take away some of the fun of singing if you’re normally just a shower-singer; but if you really want to learn, it’s worth it.

Now, the best option is to get a voice coach, especially to learn the basics. In Los Angeles this can run you a few hundred a month – it’s not cheap! If you can’t afford it, see if you can swap services with a friend who sings or plays piano – they should be able to help check in to see where you’re at each week! But learning to sing is a lot more work than just doing a couple warmups and songs for an hour a week. It’s something you have to practice every day, for at least 10 minutes, but preferably 30 to an hour!

This is a great vocal warmup I was told to use daily!

Jacobs Vocal Academy’s youtube page also has some great options – like this warmup. You can choose any vowel you wanted to work on – it was helpful to do it a few different times with different sounds – but “ooo” and “ahh” were obviously good places to start!

They also have great videos for head and chest voice (aka, high and low – defined by where you feel like your voice is coming from):

Breathing is also incredibly important in singing, and will help you sound better and sing longer without gasping for breath. There’s a ton of exercises below!

There are also apps like Vanido (see a list of more apps here!), but you often have to pay for the full version. Still, it might be worth it!

I’ll write another post with more resources as I learn more! So far, I’m having a lot of fun; you should be able to pick your songs, and you can sing whatever you want with no one making fun of you! (Take THAT, Dad!)