# How can I improve my singing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2019, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839 "2019-09-26T07:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/21 "2019-10-02T07:25:02Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Good luck today, **Pookah**. Let us know how it goes. Oh thanks so much! It went okay. Acoustics were terrible, so voice sounded rather thin and forced, but the audience loved it! It was kind like performing for your grandparents, except there were like 50 of them. ������ I think most cheery efforts by (relatively) young people would have gone over well, but it was still encouraging. Edit: And we got to taste the entries for the cake baking competition. ������ ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/22 "2019-10-02T09:44:43Z")
Try putting an earplug in one ear when you practice. It helps you hear your own voice over the sound of the instrument/band/other singers. I find it much better than even using a personal stage monitor (plus I can stick the plug in the drum-facing ear when with the worship band). I wish I had discovered that trick when I was in a choir - I won’t practice without a plug in, now. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/23 "2019-10-02T12:12:54Z")
Yeah - breath support is my biggest issue. Also, try to emphasize the vowels, rather than the consonants. But I’m a pretty lousy singer who has never had a lesson. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/24 "2019-10-02T12:58:31Z")
My biggest problem is memorizing the melody. I spend a lot of time at the piano playing the melody and using La to sing it. It’s often frustrating. It does help looking at the sheet music while I sing. My next note goes up a third. Then it goes down by a 1st. etc. The cues from the music do help me remember what I tried memorizing. Most music goes up and down by small intervals, 1st,2nd,3rd, or 4th. The big jumps like a 5th,6th,7th or octave are my guideposts. The big jumps are the first thing to memorize ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/25 "2019-10-02T13:17:40Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > It was kind like performing for your grandparents, except there were like 50 of them. Oh nice. My grandma thinks I’m a star! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/26 "2019-10-02T15:58:02Z")
Look into Estill voice training. It focuses on the anatomy of the singer, identifying the muscles you can control, and how manipulating these muscles can give you control over the sounds you make. So much of vocal instruction is metaphorical and/or physically impossible (e.g., "aim your voice to your philtrum! Lift your palate!) that for me it was such a relief to come across teachers and resources based on fact and evidence. Jo Estill was a speech pathologist as well as a singer, and used laryngoscopy to really see what was going on, then developed “figures” (like skating) to help singers isolate and train the muscles to achieve their aims. > **[Welcome to Estill Voice Training](https://www.estillvoice.com/)** > > For Your Speaking > For Your Singing > For Your Health > Comprehensive Business Coaching ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/27 "2019-10-02T17:01:55Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > Look into Estill voice training. It focuses on the anatomy of the singer, identifying the muscles you can control, and how manipulating these muscles can give you control over the sounds you make. So much of vocal instruction is metaphorical and/or physically impossible (e.g., "aim your voice to your philtrum! That’s interesting, as this metaphorical thing is exactly what I get so frustrated with. Like, they keep telling me to “project my voice in front of me”. And I really do believe this is a great thing for me to be doing, but, concretely, I don’t get _how_ I’m to go about this. And it’s just one example. I’m used to teaching/being thought an instrument where you can show what shape the hands are supposed to be making, which obviously people can’t do with larynxes and the like. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/28 "2019-10-02T17:03:04Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Oh nice. My grandma thinks I’m a star! 😃 Exactly. They were all just lovely. And I don’t have any living grandparents, so I lapped it up. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/29 "2019-10-02T17:22:49Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > That’s interesting, as this metaphorical thing is exactly what I get so frustrated with. Like, they keep telling me to “project my voice in front of me”. And I really do believe this is a great thing for me to be doing, but, concretely, I don’t get _how_ I’m to go about this. And it’s just one example. I’m used to teaching/being thought an instrument where you can show what shape the hands are supposed to be making, which obviously people can’t do with larynxes and the like. Yes, same. My choir director is a wonderful conductor but as soon as he tries to give ANY instruction on how he wants us to shape our voices, I switch off. You said you felt your voice was “thin and forced”? Maybe as a result of your nervousness? Lessons with an Estill-qualified teacher gave me a great deal of confidence that I could make my voice do what I wanted. And so often, lack of confidence has a huge effect on vocal performance. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/30 "2019-10-03T07:30:24Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > You said you felt your voice was “thin and forced”? Maybe as a result of your nervousness? That was definitely a factor and I did settle into it after while. But also that the acoustics were nasty, the room big and I didn’t have a mike - something I wouldn’t allow to happen for something less informal - so I kind of had to force volume which made some of the more delicate stuff harder. Anyway, through the website I saw that I have some Estill instructors in my region, so I will look into that. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/31 "2019-10-05T04:03:44Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > An idea: If you despair of finding singing coaches, try a community choir. This. A good choir director really taught me a lot about my voice and gave me confidence. And yes, elderly people make such an appreciative audience. I remember when our choir performed in a nursing home and an old lady grabbed me by the arm and hugged me. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/32 "2019-10-28T12:45:20Z")
If anyone’s interested, [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlNcGkFXvqU)’s a tiny snippet of me singing. I’m the one doing slightly wobbly harmony vocals here (and harp). And in case you’re wondering, the language is Welsh. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/33 "2019-10-28T12:54:31Z")
I think you sound wonderful! And I love the Celtic music ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/34 "2019-10-28T12:58:46Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I think you sound wonderful! And I love the Celtic music Thank you! The lead singer helped me a lot! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/35 "2019-10-28T13:09:17Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > Thank you! The lead singer helped me a lot! She was good, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/36 "2019-10-28T13:29:24Z")
Hehehehee, it sounds like you didn’t need our advice very much. You do harmonies better than I do. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839/37 "2019-10-28T13:33:51Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Hehehehee, it sounds like you didn’t need our advice very much. You do harmonies better than I do. Thanks! It’s so hard, though. I was meant to harmonize throughout on the choruses, but I couldn’t manage that and play the harp at the same time. Will keep working on it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-singing/840839.md?page=1)