“The quality of the voice is dependent on many factors; however, barring a physical vocal disability, everyone can learn to sing well enough to sing basic songs.” While some factors are genetic, Rutkowski says growing up in a musical environment strongly influences whether someone sings well and confidently.
Some people are born with a natural ability due to genetics and seem to find a perfect pitch easily. But broadly speaking, singing is more of a learned skill than a natural one. Most people who can sing well learn how to do so at some point in their lives.
Singing is partly innate, and partly a learnt skill. You can be born with vocal tracts that are physiologically sized and shaped to give your voice a more pleasing sound, naturally pathing the way to becoming a singer. But controlling and configuring your vocal muscles in order to sing well is a learnt skill.
In the same way as any other artistic domain, singing lends itself perfectly to self-teaching. You can learn to listen to your own voice and correct the notes that are out of key, adjust your vocal cords and your vocal timbre, master breathing, then, bit by bit, you can start calling yourself a singer.
To be sure, some aspects of singing are influenced by genetics. "There are certainly people who are more natural singers, and the physiological shape of their vocal tracts can give a more or less pleasing natural sound to the voice," Hutchins points out.
“Everyone who can speak can learn to use a singing voice,” says Joanne Rutkowski, professor of music education. “The quality of the voice is dependent on many factors; however, barring a physical vocal disability, everyone can learn to sing well enough to sing basic songs.”
Your sinus cavities make your voice sound different in your head than it sounds to others. This means that to get an idea of how well you sing, the best way to hear yourself is through a recording. Use a voice recorder or the recorder app on your smartphone and sing at least 30 seconds of a tune.
It's never too late to start singing! In fact, the human voice continues to mature throughout life, so students of any age can benefit from singing lessons. Plus, singing can be an effective way to keep your mind and body sharp.
Your singing voice is an actual instrument, and it can be considered the hardest instrument to master because of how intricate and individual each voice is. Unlike an acoustic guitar that can be tuned and then played, the voice has many elements that need to be aligned to create beautiful music.
It should take between 3 and 4 months to get comfortable with your voice. To learn a variety of vocal techniques, you'll need at least a year. To sing like a professional, you'll need at least a couple of years. Just never stop singing as it'll be your determination that will help you achieve your goals.
Vocal ability largely comes down to largely comes down to being able to control the pitch of the sound and the main reason why some people appear to be poor singers comes down to lacking the right motor control. “You can think of music production and singing in particular as a physical skill,” Hutchins explains.
Good singers are born with an amazing “instrument” that includes lungs with excellent vital capacity, exceptional breathing control, and a larynx that allows them to stretch and squeeze their vocal cords to achieve the desired vocal range.
Singing takes both talent and skill.
A person is said to be talented when they can use physical intelligence to imitate something they see or hear others do. For instance, you hear someone else sing. Your mind and body and soul process it. And then you use your mouth and your body to repeat it back.
It's important to consider all these factors as this can make the performance that little bit more exciting for the audience! So there you have it – the theory of being “born with it” has been debunked! Amazing singers aren't necessarily born but can be created over time with hours of dedication and practice.
You and about 98.5% of the population absolutely can be taught how to sing. And the rest? Well, according to a recent Canadian study, about 1.5% of the population suffer from a condition called “congenital amusia.” They have real difficulty discriminating between different pitches, tone, and sometimes rhythm.
Even if you have a “bad” singing voice in the beginning, the truth is your voice is perfectly fine, and that once you understand the basics and learn good techniques, once you get out of your own head, and once you establish good practice routines, you'll become a much better singer, and you'll appreciate the ...
97% of people can learn to sing
You might even be one of these people yourself – and you're certainly not alone! So how is it possible that just 3% of people are truly incapable of singing? The answer is that society tends to abandon those who can't immediately and naturally sing in tune.
No matter how good you are when you start singing, there are parts of your voice that don't yet work as well as you'd like them to. For many people, it's the high notes and developing your chest voice.
I'm very happy to tell you that the answer is that you are never too old to learn to sing! Think about it: you'd never tell someone that they were too old to learn a language, or that it's too late to get in better shape.
While children with an interest and talent for singing can start as early as 3 or 4 years, the ideal age for formal vocal training is 8 years to 9 years.
As you enter your 60s and 70s, your voice starts to change. Your vocal folds weaken, cartilage in the larynx begins to ossify, and your respiratory system (which helps power your voice) begins to work less efficiently. The result? Men's voices go up, and women's go down.
Here's a very quick tip to tell if you're singing through your nose: Hold your nose closed with your fingers, and then sing. If you sound mostly the same (except for consonants D, N, and M), then you are fine. If you sound radically different, then you are singing through your nose rather than using nasal resonance.
Genuinely tone deaf people have a condition called congenital amusia, which makes it difficult for them to sing with the correct pitch. These people cannot tell when they are out of tune, which can lead to some embarrassing situations.