Q&A for How to Be a Rock Singer

The simplest guide is to examine the songs that get stuck in your head when you're just going about your life. If those things add up to a genre or the work of a single artist, that's a good clue that might be a good place for you to explore. That unconscious thinking might be a good way to start exploring what types of genres you might like singing.

Be sure to schedule some time every day where you can practice singing and improve your technique. If you want to strengthen your voice even more, look for a vocal coach in your area.

Not at all. Focus on training your voice and becoming a rock singer first. Once you have that down, you can think of on to wear. You can wear whatever you want, though it might be a good idea to create a unique look to distinguish you from other rock singers.

Smoking is a cheat way to get grit and a rough edge to your voice. While it may work for a while, think about your health, you need your lungs to breathe and conduct air to your diaphragm. You'll also find that in the long run, it will become harder for you to hold notes because the breath amount that you take in is escaping due to poor lung health. So, smoking for rock singing isn't good. Try to quit if you're serious about the career, and attend vocal lessons for extra support.

It is important that you have breath control when singing as holding and using your breath helps you sing. You could see your doctor who may have some tips for you as well. If you still have trouble breathing through your nose while singing, improvise and make your own style that allows you time to breath through your mouth.

No, age does not matter if you're talented and willing to work hard. Ask your friends, neighbors, or co-workers if they play instruments, see if you can get a band together.

No. There have been rock singers who sang in a lower register, the most famous probably being Johnny Cash. As far as your voice being soft, you can learn to sing louder just by practicing. That's mostly a matter of confidence when it comes to singing.

No, your size rarely effects your voice. Your voice comes from your vocal cords. Sometimes you need to hold a note for a long time, so you need the lung capacity to be able to push enough air out to finish the note. Being out of shape can make it difficult to sing because you can run out of breath.

Yes, in so much as all music is interrelated. That's why you get artists whose styles are a mix of multiple styles, like pop/rock, country/rock, or, most notably, rap/rock (such as Linkin Park).

It all depends on the style you are going for. Some great singers have raspy voices.

Gather a bass player, a rhythm guitar player, a lead guitar player, and a drummer (you can place ads in record stores, Craigslist, Facebook, and the like). Start slow with some covers, then try and do your own stuff.

You can become a self-taught singer, it just might not be the same full quality as professionally trained singers. Study the voice and learn the sound of correct and incorrect notes. It's better to learn to sing with a coach, they can offer support and tell you where you're going wrong and where you need help. Otherwise, you're just going by your own belief. However, to begin with you could learn alone, provided you know which bad habits to avoid.

I would try to avoid dairy as it can make you burp a lot, which might affect your singing. I would also avoid anything that's particularly harsh on your throat, like acids (lemon juice) or alcohol.

The best way to do this is to use more air than needed, and to over-relax the vocal folds, like you do in the lowest of your register. When you sing the lowest notes that you have, the sound gets really raspy. This is because there's more air passing through the vocal folds than the folds can make sound with. It's incredibly relaxed, and it's not very loud. It'll dry you out faster than singing with a "clean" sound, so be sure you've got some water on-hand. You'll be able to sing raspier in the morning than in the evening due to mucus buildup on the vocal cords during sleep.

You've got to put your emotions on paper. Write about a specific subject. Then, order the verses so that you like the way it sounds.Think of a tune that works with that song.

Your gender identity does not matter at all when it comes to being a rock star.

No. You cannot be too young or too old to become a singer.

What is happening is a break as you transition from your middle register to your head or high register. This area is called the first bridge/passage, or primo passagio. This is fixable with training, and most singers have a tough time progressing smoothly through the first bridge without the help of a vocal teacher.

Making the notes louder will only be like turning up the volume for a song (this called a crescendo). It won't give you that scream-like sound you're looking for.

Musicians are a pain in in terms of organization, and I speak from experience on that one. You really need to be extremely motivated and organized yourself if you want to start a band, but in terms of just finding the players, that shouldn't be too hard. Try going to local venues and just talking to people in the crowd, ask any friends or relatives who are musical if they know anyone, put up fliers in record and music stores, post an ad on Craigslist, etc. Your area may have a Facebook group dedicated to helping local musicians get together, too.