Learning to sing requires dedication, consistency and in most cases, a willingness to go into some vulnerable places within yourself.
So it would only make sense that you’d want to know the most common mistakes new singers make and what to avoid as you go down this path.
While that may sound daunting, 100% of the students I’ve taught over my years as a vocal coach have confirmed that it was all worth it, every time!
After all, learning to sing has benefits that extend much further than just the skill of singing.
These 5 Useful Singing Tips for Beginners are the key to success for new singers wanting to make the most out of their practice sessions.
Our TOP 5 Useful Singing Tips for Beginners:
Anyone can learn to sing, we’ve seen it time and time again!
It’s not your voice that’s the main key to your success… it’s the way you approach your training that makes all the difference.
Singing Tip #1:
Believe You Can Improve
We’ve all had that little voice in our head tell us that we don’t have what it takes to be good at something.
The little voice that doubts whether you can actually be a great singer.
I know the voice well and I’m certain you know the one I’m talking about too. It’s the same one that tells you that you’re either born to sing or you aren’t.
The one that’s further proven in your mind by the “singers that have never had a singing lesson” on talent shows like ‘The Voice’ and ‘X Factor’.
Just in case I didn’t get the sarcasm across, these so-called “talent shows” are the result of a large production team that’s sole job is to get people to watch the seemingly unbelievable singers that grace the stages of these shows.
Believe me when I say that if you want it bad enough you can be a phenomenal singer like countless singers before you, who are now top of the charts.
Just like Ed Sheeran on the Jonathan Ross show playing a recording from his phone displaying his lack of “natural talent” when he was younger.
I believe that singing is a birthright for every single person on this planet, believe you can at least learn to sing and you’ll go far.
Convince yourself that you can’t and you do yourself a disservice. As far as singing tips for beginners go, please make sure you take note of this one.
Singing Tip #2:
Don’t Neglect Ear Training
“Sing Without Tension”, “How To Sing High Notes.” I’m sure you’ve seen these popular video titles on youtube before.
These kinds of videos are among the first ones that new singers look for when trying to improve their singing. When in reality, what will give you the best results is, Aural or Ear Training.
Aural training will improve your pitch and rhythm and will also allow you to hear aspects of your voice that you may not like and wish to train out.
Improving your pitch and rhythm will enhance your vocal quality due to the fact that you’re singing more accurately than before.
Training out undesirable tones in your voice will allow you to focus more attention on the parts of your voice that you love and want to improve more.
If I could offer you one singing tip over anything else, it would be, to start with ear training when learning to sing. We have a whole bunch of free ear trainings for singers to practice with on Soundcloud here.
It makes the most logical sense to improve your ears first, as they allow you to hear differences in your sound when you move on to learning vocal technique.
Think of ear training as the shorter-term game and vocal technique as the longer-term game, in terms of improvement.
Singing Tip #3:
Stop Trying So Hard
This is my favourite singing tip on the list as it’s so common and was the biggest mistake I made when I first started to learn how to sing.
If you’re like me when I started, it feels like the only way to sing along to your favourite songs and hit the notes is to belt it out at the top of your lungs.
The alternative to this is singing the song an octave lower, which you won’t like much. Especially when you start singing the song with an instrumental track instead of with the singer.
This makes it appear as if your voice fits into two different boxes, high and low with nothing in between.
This comes from a lack of understanding of your voice and can be frustrating when you begin learning to sing.
Once you gain some control over your voice, you’ll start to notice a bridge form between the two boxes of your voice and your confidence will improve.
Surely not trying so hard is easy, right?
Surprisingly, it’s not. First, you need to consciously pull back on your volume, inch by inch until you’re singing at a more natural volume while still maintaining the correct pitch.
The problem with trying too hard and pushing too much is that fatigue sets in quicker.
The more power you give to your voice, the harder the muscles of your larynx have to work, and the faster you fatigue.
Pushing for volume is an extremely common habit in singing and takes some time to un-train.
Observe your voice and take note of whether you’re trying too hard… by doing this you may be hindering your progress as a singer.
Singing Tip #4:
Sing Songs At Your Current Skill Level
We’re all guilty of trying to sing songs that we know are well beyond our reach at this point in time.
I’m sure you’ve squeezed out some awful notes from time to time, I know I have.
But it’s important to remember that while you may not be able to sing the song right now, with enough practice, you could.
The challenge is, there are certain steps you need to take to get to that point.
When you start singing, you want to start with songs that are within your reach as they’re going to be the easiest to apply good technique to.
Imagine going to a gym and trying to bench press 100kg when you’ve never lifted a weight in your life, you’re going to have a rough time.
Singing is exactly the same. Singing is different to lifting weights, but the gradual progression of your skill and using the correct technique make the learning process a satisfying experience.
People often neglect the growth that comes from the simplicity of working on something consistently for an extended period of time.
If you’re looking to improve as a singer and you want the experience to be an enjoyable one, pick something within your reach and work on refining that before moving on to something harder.
Singing Tip #5:
Take The Time To Hone The Skill
Patience is a highly underrated trait and is just as important in singing as any other skill.
Singing can be frustrating, I’ll be the first one to say it.
A large factor of this is that you can’t physically see what’s happening with your voice when you produce certain sounds.
If I go back to the gym example, when you’re lifting weights, you’re usually doing it in front of a mirror which gives you constant feedback on whether you’re doing it correctly.
While you do get feedback from your body and ears when singing, there are other factors that affect your voice.
The biggest factor is that your emotions play a substantial part in the coordination of your muscles and the execution of your singing.
Because of these aspects, it takes time to not only hone the skill of singing but also get on top of your emotions, your fears and that little inner voice.
Singing is one of the most vulnerable things you can ever do in your life and to be able to express yourself so authentically is a true honour.
Besides, it’s all worth it in the end.
Learning to sing is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and you should take great pride in your commitment to learning.
I strongly believe that doing simple things consistently and refining them will lead to great results in any area of life.
Knowing what to avoid and what to focus on will help redirect your energy to areas that’ll provide maximum benefit to you along your journey, so I hope that I’ve provided you with some useful singing tips for beginners and guidance in this article.
If you enjoyed this article, we’d love to offer you a FREE value-packed resource that’ll help power-up your singing…
Comment below to join the conversation and let us know your top singing tips for beginners too!
Until next time,
