Singing question???

Question

I want to/wish I could sing. No matter how hard I try, I just can't sing. I was wondering, with practice will people be able to hit higher notes? I can't, it only comes out as a whisper. Are people just born with the ability to sing high and low notes or does it take practice? I wish I could sing like....for lack of a better example...Jodi Benson and Celine Dion. Their voices are amazingly sweet and they have an excellent range....can I be like that too or not? I feel like I was born without a singing voice, but I'd really like to have one....also what is it with this "sing from your stomach" thing? I don't get it....I tried singing with my diaphragm but I didn't sound any different.... any advice for my extremely puzzled question?

Answer 1

Let's tackle the "sing from the stomach" thing first because that's the whole key to hitting high notes, sustaining notes, etc.

I'm presuming you know which note to hit because you seem to know that you're not hitting the right notes. That saves a LOT of grief, believe me. It means that you will instinctively know when you have hit the right note so we don't have to mess around with cultivating the ear.

Try this exercise: Stand with your feet slightly apart. Beginning with a hum, "hmmmmm", slowly open your mouth and stick out your tongue (like your doc asks) to get an open-throated "aaaah" sound. Keep up the "aaah" sound as long as you can on the single breath you took before you began to hum.

As you reach the end of the breath you will feel your tummy tighten. As you continue to push your breath out to keep up the "aaah" sound you may even feel your thighs, calves and feet tighten.

This tightness is what you should aim for in "singing from the stomach."

In other words, the next time you sing, try to duplicate the feeling of the tight tummy, thighs, etc., BEFORE you sing a single note.

This takes the strain away from your throat so that you can sing higher notes. The whisper you experience currently is because you are straining your throat to sing and that can cause physical problems too.

And don't be afraid to go LOUD while singing higher notes. Professional singers prefer hand-held or stand-held microphones because such microphones give them the freedom to increase the distance from the mouth when they sing higher notes, permitting them to go high without splitting the eardrums of the audience.

Above all, let yourself go. Enjoy the music. Sing like there's no one listening or judging.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

singing from your diaphram doesn't necessarily help you sound better, but it's so much incredibly better for your voice.

People are born with a range that naturally suits their voice, but with some professional help, you will be able to expand your range. Before I took voice lessons, my range was about a G below middle C to the second D above middle C. Now, after two years of voice lessons, I've expanded that to the E below middle C and two octaves above middle C!!!! You can definetly do it, it will just take time,practice, and lots of patience.

Keep this in mind too: Some people are just born without the ability to sing, just like I can't play sports very well, but I'd really like to be able to. You can try all you want, but there's a point for everyone (including Jodi Benson and Celine Dion) where you can't get any better.

Good luck!!!

Answer 3

i was in chorus for 8 years. i dont really understand what you are saying.... is it your range you want to improve? or is it the quality you want to improve? your range cannot be improved no matter how much you practice. although if you are still young (younger than 20's) then you still have time... your voice will still change. the quality can be improved by using your diaphram. this means that you take a breath and your stomach will go out and you push out when you sing. singing from you throat means that when you take a breath your shoulders will rise and most of the time it hurts your throat and eventually it will damage your vocal chords. i doubt you will sound anything like celine dion (not trying to be mean or anything but she is absolutely amazing and one of a kind) but you can improve with practice. practice your scales everyday do you have a piano, or a guitar? if so then use that to make sure you are on key. if you really want to you can attend a performing arts school (if you are a teen) or you can get a vocal coach at a music lesson place. i hope you find the help you want with whomever. good luck and dont give up!

Answer 4

Well yes people are born with a special ability to sing...just like some people are born to dance or to be artists...that being said if you want to sing then you need to take some classes, preferably private lessons...here they will show you the proper way to breathe which is THE most important thing when it comes to range...believe me I was in a specialized singing class where in the beginning of the semester they couldn't sing at all and couldn't reach notes....but after training their voices their voice was much better....they could hit higher noted then before....so if you really do want to sing it's going to take time, money and practice...I'm not saying you're going to sound like Celine but you will be able to sound good....

Answer 5

Yes, with practice and training your range can increase. Very few people just naturally have a huge range.

Find a voice instructor and take some singing lessons. He or she will help you learn to improve your voice, increase your range, breathe better to maximize output and control volume (it does make a difference)

I wanted to sing for a living when I was in junior high and high school, but that's not the college or career path I ended up taking. Do what makes you happy, even if you ever only sing for yourself. ☺

Answer 6

You could try taking lessons though this may not help. I sing for a band and I often try to get the other guys to sing back up but one of them can't sing at all. He really sucks. I think he may be tone deaf to his own voice because he never misses a note on bass. Anyway, if you can't sing and want to do music you can learn to play an instrument!
Dr. Cain

Answer 7

Listen... I was an alto in 7th grade and now I am a saprano!! All of my friends were sapranos and little old me was an alto. I practiced and relized why my high notes became a whisper and it was because i thought i couldnt hit the high notes. If you know you can you will.