Have you ever been called upon to sing, perhaps at a party, a wedding or some other formal occasion? Maybe you've been asked to sing in the church choir. But you can't because 'you don't have a singing voice', you explain in an embarrassed fashion. Well together we can put a stop to that. In this article I am going to share some super tips for learning to sing. Read the article carefully and your voice should improve by leaps and bounds.
1. Open your mouth
My mother used to tell me to stop muttering and to open my voice and speak out. Therein lies one of the biggest mistakes people make, I can sum it up in seven words: 'they do not open their mouths wide enough'.
Stop for a moment and think about it. If you do not open your mouth, if you keep your lips together then where can the sound get out? Next time you see the likes of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa or Luciano Pavarotti just watch how wide they open their mouths. OK maybe you do not want to open your mouth as big as theirs, but you do need to open it up a lot. There is no call to be self-conscious about looking silly if people enjoy your singing.
2. Timing
The second problem most non-professional singers have is with timing, and you really should have no difficulty following this one. It is quite simple - tap your foot in time with the music, it will help you keep the beat and next time you are at a concert watch and see how many professionals use this technique. One final tip on timing, and it is another mistake many non-professionals make: follow your accompanist, it is not a race, don't rush them.
3. Sing songs that are right for you
Finally, and it was an old priest friend taught me this when we were at a wedding together, not every song in the world is going to be right for you. Find the songs that are right for you. Put it this way: you are not going to find Judy Collins trying to cut a disk-like "Born To Run". How do you know if a song fits you? Easy" try singing it. If you sing it and it does not sound right then ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it's not the song for you.
Kevin Hart lives in Armagh City, Ireland. He is an author, researcher and former member of the Open University Senate. To learn more about How Anyone Can Sing visit my Blog.