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This is my dream and I'm not sure what to do.

Quora Q: Hi, not gonna say my name. I'm a minor, and I write music. I wanna post my songs and signing be my career. My voice could be better, but I can't go to a recording studio or a vocal coach. Any ideas, tips, help. This is my dream and I'm not sure what to do.


First of all, if it’s your dream you need to be resourceful. “Can’t go to a recording studio or vocal coach” doesn’t explain why you can’t, so my first suggestion is that you explain to YOURSELF why you “can’t,” and then really think hard about whether that statement is true or not.

Second, if you’re really not able to get to a coach (always get a coach before spending money on studio time), look into joining a choir. A school or church choir is a great place to start. You’ll get the skills and training you need for the basics. Singing isn’t like playing an instrument. On an instrument, you touch a thing or pluck a string and the sound comes out. With singing, you have to use your ear to direct your voice, and you have to use your voice the right way. Choir instructors will help you get that coordination.

Third, record yourself. Use your phone — you don’t need studio gear for this. Just use your phone and do videos of yourself singing. Don’t post them or send them anywhere. Use your ears and analyze your own performance. Does it sound on pitch (that’s the most important thing; everything else will suck if your pitch is off)? How is your timing? Are the words clear?

Now, what YOU can do:

  1. Learn to breathe. This is your most important physical element in singing. Correct breathing will solve 99% of your tone and sustain problems. 
  2. Learn basics of tone production. Open throat, open sinuses. Humming is an excellent warm up. 
  3. Speaking of which, always warm up. You can find dozens of beginner warm up exercises on YouTube. This will relax you voice so you can work on technique. 
  4. Work on technique. That means holding a note on pitch (use your diaphragm and abdominal muscles for this). It means fluidly changing notes ON PITCH. Use an app to train yourself to match pitches perfectly. 
  5. Work on clear pronunciation. You can change this later to your own style, but first you need to make words with your mouth. Remember: we sing vowels, but we make sense with consonants. Theater classes will help with this as well. 
  6. Work slowly. Singing is like playing an instrument, learning to write, playing a sport…it’s a physical activity that your body needs to learn. You’re much better off learning to do it right early on, rather than skimming over the basics and having to correct mistakes later.

I don’t know what you sound like or what you’ve learned so far, but you said a singing career is your dream. You’ll find it challenging to have a career if you don’t have training, but it can be done. Just remember: hard work and careful study trumps raw talent every time. Sing songs for enjoyment all the time, but also work on technique carefully and patiently. As your technique improves, you’ll enjoy the results of your singing even more.

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