Q&A for How to Sing

Anyone who can speak can sing, so almost everyone can sing. If a person's vocal cords are paralyzed or don't work, they won't be able to sing. A very few people have amusia (tone deafness), and can't sing correct pitches.

This will take time. As you continue working on the techniques this article teaches, your vocal cords will build strength and agility, like a dancer rehearsing, and with time your voice will sound better.

If you want to improve your singing voice, you must train consistently. Just as an athlete trains their body every day and cares for it, if you work on your singing voice wisely every day it will improve. And, just like an athlete, resting when needed is important.

The vocal cords are the last muscles in the human body to finish growing. Give it time. If you love it, keep singing.

This may be because you're you're shy or you are not used in singing in public. Build confidence by singing to friends. Also try closing your eyes and feeling like nobody's watching.

No. If you are getting headaches, you are probably not breathing enough. Remember to breathe, stay hydrated, and sing from your diaphragm.

The "three Ps": Patience, Practice, and Passion. Get a private teacher and don't ever give up.

Stay away from foods that are very spicy to protect your vocal chords. Avoid milk and soda since those drinks build up mucus in the back of your throat. Drink a lot of water and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet to keep your voice healthy and strong.

Yes, coughing can damage your vocal folds. Instead, take a sip of water and swallow hard to push the obstruction down. If you're sick, drink plenty of hot liquids.

Make sure you drink plenty of water. Inhaling vapor rub or eating mint gum may help to clear your throat and help your breathing.

Even people who have been singing from a young age still get nervous. A tried and tested way to overcome this is to find someone in the audience you trust and look at them. If you don't know anyone, find a friendly face, someone who is smiling and stay focused on them. Look for the positives!

Most people have never tried singing with the correct techniques. Anyone can learn to hit the right notes, sing clearly and steadily, and produce a pleasant sound for simple songs. Even one lesson with a voice coach can get you on the right track.

No, it just means that your voice is more comfortable in a higher/ lower pitch. It doesn't affect your voice.

There are many techniques you can learn to create specific emotional sounds, such as the creak, vocal compression, and note runs. Once you've got these in your toolbox, the challenge is to communicate authentic emotions. Start with songs that genuinely move you. Figure out what a song represents or what the artist is trying to say. You can relate this to a personal experience or just try to feel empathetic toward the artist. Try to connect with the lyrics and sing them as though you're experiencing them yourself.

You are probably singing too high or too low. Find the vocal range that fits you best!

You can imitate a rasp by pushing more air through your throat, tensing your neck to narrow the airflow, or trying screamer techniques like false chord singing. This can damage your voice permanently, so stay hydrated and stop if you feel dry or tired.

Singing while having a cough is not recommended. Doing so can damage your vocal chords. You should wait until the coughing ceases before singing again.

Warm up and then sing a scale as high and then as low as is comfortable. The lowest comfortable note is the bottom of your range while the highest comfortable note is the top of your range.

No, you should actually avoid milk. This is because milk causes mucus buildup in the back of the throat. Try drinking warm tea with honey or room-temperature water instead.

Be confident that you won't mess up. However, if you do mess up, try to look like it's supposed to be like that. If not, just laugh it off and start over.

Singing with a choir is much different than singing as a soloist. Choral music is all about blending with the people around you and trying not to make your voice stick out. You may just not be matching the vocal quality and vocal color of the others in your choir, which causes you to sound "awful" in that group.

Yes, you can, though it takes serious control and training.

Yes, clearing your congestion will make it easier to sing and to care for your voice. When you have to sing through congestion, clear your throat with plenty of water and non-drying lozenges (no sugar or menthol). A stuffy nose will make you a little nasal, but you should be able to sing through it.

No. Look for more convenient options on the internet if necessary. Normally, it's just about practice. If you want a singing coach, but can't afford one, look for group singing lessons or see if you have a friend who would like to go in on lessons with you.

One study found that the parent didn't need to be good at singing, as long as they focused on the lullaby and connecting with the baby. Distracted singing or the same song every night can make lullabies less effective.

There is no set time to learn how to sing. Some people have the talent to learn in a few months and others will never be able to. As for the confidence, start with small crowds or videos and slowly do bigger crowds.

You can improve your range by simply singing scales daily and trying to go lower each week. You can set a goal: Every month I will try to sing a semitone lower. This can take time. By singing in the section of your range you find comfortable, you can actually improve your overall range.

Listen to the melody on an instrument initially, then practice singing yourself to familiarize yourself with the music. If you have trouble with a particular note or section, practice that part with an instrument until you feel more comfortable with the tune.

Most men have to rely on falsetto to sing the really high notes, but you can extend your full-voice range upwards with practice. Resist the urge to increase pressure or breathiness as you sing higher notes. Start with a quiet, natural tone instead, and keep practicing until it gets stronger.

Yes. You have to be cooperate with any instrumentation while singing to make the two parts work together.