Q&A for How to Teach Children to Sing

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  • Question
    My friends think I sound good and my parents say I'm not bad, but I have a deep voice and I'm a girl -- can I still be a good singer?
    Annabeth Novitzki
    Music Teacher
    Annabeth Novitzki is a Private Music Teacher in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004 and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Memphis in 2012. She has been teaching music lessons since 2004.
    Music Teacher
    Expert Answer
    Absolutely! Lorde has a very low female voice, and at 17 she was the youngest solo artist to achieve a number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 since 1987.
  • Question
    What can happen if you started singing without any problems or training, and it sounds good?
    Community Answer
    That means you have talent. You should take your voice further by getting lessons to expand your range.
  • Question
    Is it dangerous if you are a child and you sing a lot without having vocal lessons?
    Lucy
    Community Answer
    If you are screaming or going out of your physical vocal range, it can be dangerous. Otherwise, it is not at all dangerous. If it is painful to sing, you know you are out of your vocal range.
  • Question
    Why will beginning with simple stretches help me with my voice?
    Community Answer
    Just like with stretching before working out, stretching before singing gets your body warmed up to prepare for the posture it needs to perform.
  • Question
    How can I find out if my singing voice is good or bad?
    Community Answer
    Sing in front of people and ask them for their honest feedback. If you don't think you can trust your friends and family to tell the truth, sign up for a vocal lesson and ask the coach.
  • Question
    I need a few hints on singing. I'm a kid and I'm teaching a passion project on singing. What songs should I sing and teach?
    Community Answer
    Sing relevant songs, such as hit songs on the radio (that are kid-friendly of course). If the kids hear it a lot, they will have a better chance of remembering the song. Also, if you want to teach them posture and all that, try to come up with catchy tunes that incorporate what you want to teach.
  • Question
    How do I warm my voice up"
    Community Answer
    You can warm your voice up by practicing scales. Scales are a set of musical notes that differ from singing voice to singing voice. For example, people who can sing higher will practice higher scales, and people who sing lower will practice lower scales. The notes themselves are the same, however. "Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti" is very popular.
  • Question
    What can I do to make my voice sound more productive and powerful, like Adele's?
    Community Answer
    Everyone's voice is unique. Healthy production will result in a larger, more resonant sound. Training with techniques, like those suggested by the article, can help you achieve healthy production. Trying to force your voice to produce a certain sound, like Adele's, can create physical tension and harm your voice.
  • Question
    Can I print these teaching tips for vocal lessons?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can. This can help the students to memorize and look at it daily to know what to do when they are starting to sing. Make sure you cite the source of it.
  • Question
    How can I sing like Brendon Urie if my voice is changing?
    Community Answer
    Training a changing voice poses certain difficulties, so be cautious. Instead of trying to sound like someone else, aim to sing in a healthy way so that your own sound develops -- working against your voice's natural tendencies can actually harm it.
  • Question
    My voice is squeaky, what do I do?
    Community Answer
    I think talking to a voice coach in person and learning what voice type you are will be the most helpful. There are two possible reasons for the squeak. 1. You're trying to sing higher than your natural range 2. You have a high range, but don't know how to use it properly. Again, getting an assessment from a professional will get you on track to develop your voice.
  • Question
    How can I focus on teaching a child who struggles matching pitch?
    Community Answer
    Take it little by little. Make your child hold a series of notes for a long time and slowly speed it up.
  • Question
    What is the difference between breathing through just my stomach and breathing with my entire chest? Why is it instructed to not raise my chest and only "bulge" out my stomach to breathe?
    Community Answer
    Inside your stomach is the diaphragm, which is better for singers than your lungs and can help you get more air. To try and breathe through your diaphragm (which is actually an involuntary muscle there are ones above it that help) try not to raise your shoulders too much when you breathe.
  • Question
    How do I stop my voice from squeaking?
    Community Answer
    Try and get your voice a bit lower -- if you're singing too high for your range, your voice is more likely to squeak.
  • Question
    How will I know if my stomach is moving?
    Isabella Swenson
    Community Answer
    Try focusing on your stomach; you should see it rise as it fills with air. If your stomach doesn't expand when you take a deep breath, you aren't breathing correctly. You can place your hand on your stomach to make it easier to see the rise and fall as well.
  • Question
    How do I sing on pitch?
    Community Answer
    First you determine if you're singing too sharp (high) or flat (low). You can record yourself singing a note and then listen to it, or you can just use a piano if you have one. After that when you're ready to practice you'd want to sing a cappella and make sure you're on the right key. Practicing scales is also a good idea to improve your pitch. Just be careful that between the 3rd and 4th note, as well as the 7th and 8th note, there is a half step instead of a whole step, meaning that those notes are closer to each other than the rest of the notes in the scale.
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