Karaoke Machines -- A Way to Train?

In the process of learning how to improve singing, one common issue is figuring out a good training regiment.  There is the conventional wisdom--do your assigned singing lessons 3 to 5 days a week, go through vocal warm-ups on other days, try some free singing--but this can become monotonous over time.  Fortunately, there's a less painful way to go about it.

Put some of that will to sing into karaoke night instead.  By going out with your friends and having fun, you're going to be looser automatically, and then you can see the benefits of your practice while hanging out.  If you've been training for a while, you're almost definitely going to surprise your friends--which is fun in its own right--and you just might get some great reinforcement from the surrounding crowds.  Give it a try next time you need a change in the grind of learning singing.

Enough Talk, Start Singing!

Here's something light-hearted today...a wry post about scene kids who love their music too much but won't pick up a mic and sing themselves.  And as we all know, learning how to improve singing starts with just that!

The main point the blog author made is that many fans of indie/underground/unknown bands will jump from undiscovered band to undiscovered band, never settling into liking any particular ones.  Meanwhile, they'll also never put the pedal to the metal and make their own music.

Now, in of itself it isn't a terrible thing--many people aren't cut out to be professionals at this--but I do find it interesting the common excuses people use:  there's no time, they don't have a teacher, they don't have an education, they don't actually want to make music, etc.

I believe that many people have this idea that in order to be at all good at music, you need to practice four hours a day for a decade.  If you want mastery, then perhaps...but for most people, they can get good enough for their entertainment--and others--just by putting in a handful of hours each week.  If this describes you, don't be shy in trying...if nothing else you will gain fresh appreciation for the world around you.

Can Anyone Learn to Sing?

Here's a simple question that I've seen over and over again:  "I'm tone-deaf/can't sing at all/sound like a dying cat, can I learn to be better or am I stuck?"  I'm not here to give you rah-rah-rah you too can learn how to improve singing, but I do believe that most people can manage to be much better than they are.

Think of it this way:  you can send any kid to basketball camp, and he's not going to magically become the next Michael Jordan.  But he will be a better player than he going forth, and that's what you can do with singing.

If you're one of those people truly struggling with it, then start small.  Just worry about getting on pitch, and forget about the power of your voice, and/or its "quality" until you've got the basics down.

I also recommend considering the variety of options out there...best-case is working with a coach, but you can accomplish plenty with a good audio or book-based course.  Shop around, and find the best options for you and your situation...which is almost certainly not as bad as you think it is!

Your newest competition: Japanese pop robots

Let's start with something light-hearted before getting into the nitty-gritty of how to improve singing:  Japanese pop star robots.  No, seriously, they're real and performing concerts somewhere in the world.  Some scientists devised this cybernetic creature that learn how to sing a song in about an hour, and with a day's study can learn to mimic a performer's gestures and body language.

The thing is, anyone reading this can do better.  We're all born with the ability to mimic each other's vocalizations and tempo, and not taking advantage of this can greatly cost you in the long run.  The problem is, you're trained to not be free-spirited and loose in singing and expressing yourself, and this holds you back.

The next time you're lingering in stage fright before taking the stage, remember:  a man-made machine can get out there and sing and dance like a human, so you absolutely can to.