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Does the image above remind you of yourself the moment your friends ask you to sing a song? Well, this happens to many others! You are NOT alone.
In this article, we hope to help you understand that singing is as simple as speaking.
Before we do so, would you agree that the muscles we use to speak are exactly the same ones that we use when we sing?
Speaking happens at every moment of our lives. With our closed ones or ordering our favourite food from a local deli. To us it is as simple as walking, reading or breathing!
But, somehow, the moment we stop "speaking" and begin to use our voices to "sing", something strange happens. It sounds different! It doesn't seem as straight forward as speaking. Well, the reason could be simply because we perceive the two acts as different. And because of that, we make all kinds of manipulated adjustments: we lock our jaws; we flex our throat muscles. Rather than allowing the sound to flow the way it normally does, we PUSH it out to sing!
Can you remember the time you sang in the bathroom. Did you sound a lot better? Well, it happened because you were relaxed and you felt like it!
Here are what most people perceive:
Singing is completely different to talking
This is one of the killer beliefs. I meant, it's true that singing do sounds a little different, but it's not completely different. In the simplest explanation, we all have 2 voice registers - chest register and head register.
Talking uses chest register; whereas singing uses both chest and head register.
Most amateurs singers have the problem of singing mostly in head register which results in airy and breathy sounds. That's why you couldn't sound stronger, or more powerful as what you've hope so.
Therefore, once you get connected back to chest register, your voice will start to get stronger. It's easy as 1-2-3.
My voice has to sound pretty...
You have formed perceptions of how singing sounds like. You've labelled your own sounds to "Oh, this sounds ugly...." or "This is how it should sounds....".
These form boundaries that stop you to breakthrough! They are creating limiting space to explore more sounds which you can do.
Accept that in midst of getting new learnings, you're bound to make 'ugly' sounds. Never avoid making mistakes.
I can't sing because I don't have a good voice.
You don't need a good voice to sing. You need to know how to use your voice the right way to sing! Knowing how to use it the right way, it subconsciously improves your daily speech too!
You will start to experience less voice fatigue in long hours of talking & shouting.
In fact, after you start to project better in speech, it provides you a more commanding respect in your area of work and social life.
...because when you talk better, you'll naturally feel and look more confident! More opportunities will come your way!
Well, keep this in mind that - Singing is simply an extension of speaking! With just more focus on melody and rhythm plus technique to get the desired sound.
So, don't be afraid to sing more! Singing is a joyful activity which comes with lots of other benefits. Learn with fun, this is where we learn best. A few more benefits that comes along with singing....
- Improves our respiratory and cardiac function - singing is an aerobic exercise.
- Reduces stress, both physically and psychologically.
- Helps release emotions and repressed feelings.
- Helps you be in charge of your voice and be in charge of how you communicate.
This approach works wonder and make it easier to see improvements!
Interested to find out more about Hark Music's THE Vocal Course, click here.