Training
Just like any athlete, you're going to have to train, and train hard before being ready to face your public. You'll have to start training those muscles (in your case, vocal chords) in order to help you sing like a bird with perfect-pitch accuracy. But with this one, there is an easy solution; karaoke!
Keep your (and your entourage's) ears open
When false notes and a less than lovely pitch is sung, it's often because we aren't able to identify the issue at hand on our own. Hence, the importance of leaning on your loved ones for some heartfelt feedback. Their sincere critique can push you to obtain your goals and spare you embrassement and heartache down the line. In the worst of cases, when the feedback is full of love but not as positive as hoped, nothing beats a little brushing up with a professional vocal coach.
No stress
Don't give up just yet if you can't hit the high notes! Even the most inharmonious of voices can be moulded and manned into something great. Think about it: Bob Dylan would have never had the career he had, had he stopped there...
Find your voice
Your tone of voice and your musical tastes should be consistent and set around a limited repertoire. This is not to say that you should sing heavy metal in the same way you do jazz. Au contraire! Your singing style is defined for you, but you must account for your capabilities and your physical breathing limitations: unless for example, you are six feet tall and weigh 200 pounds, it's highly unlikely you will be a countertenor or a soprano.
Train under comfortable conditions
A couple of things to keep in mind:
- When you're first starting out, sing in your natural language as it doesn't require perfect pronunciation that may cause you to stray from your objective.
- Don't try to imitate the original artist exactly as there is little chance that you will be 100% successful. Be yourself and find your voice!
Keep it simple
Re-lax! Any nervousness or tenseness will keep you from good sound projection.
- Focus on your breathing. Short abdominal breaths are ideal when practicing a song. Make sure that you feel it in your abs as you inhale and exhale. Your shoulders on the other hand should be relaxed.
- Think of the verticality of the sound. Your body should be as straight as a column without anything getting in its way.
- Think about a ping-pong ball or a hot potato in your mouth: the mobile part of your palate should open just enough to create a resonant cavity.
Record yourself
Record yourself as often as possible. No need to invest in a super high tech studio as a simple micro and sequencing software will do (we like Audacity; and it's free!) or why not just use your smartphone. After recording, listen to yourself again and again as you'll be more likely to pick up on where you need improving.
