I find this to be pretty important, especially if what you are singing is not right in the middle of your range. I get bored with scale-like warm ups, though. I usually just sing a comfortable song, and gradually move a capo up the neck as I continue to warm up my voice.
Also worth noting that some days singing doesn’t seem to work, and other days hitting the same notes just feels effortless. I haven’t been able to narrow down why that’s the case. I have “off days” on guitar, too, but it happens more often with vocals. If you’re having an “off day” like that don’t sweat it, and don’t strain; just come back to it another time.
I agree with what you said here. Sometimes the voice doesn’t respond. Perhaps outside factors, weather, allergies, maybe even nerves…whatever it is, the warm up is good idea, and however it is done has to help. I wish my voice was better than it is, but I imagine most of us feel that way anyway, and still fun to sing along with favorite tunes.
I think it is OK to post this here as it is about singing apps and Justin does say he is not a singing teacher.
I am taking singing lessons and use karaoke versions to practice, my teacher can correct me during the lesson. But I have been looking around for something to help outside the lessons and let me know if my pitching is anything like correct or even close.
I have come across a couple of Apps, Simply Sing and Ultimate Guitar Sing, the later would seem to have become available, very recently.
I have taken an initial subscription on each to see how they work out. First impression is that Simply Sing is probably the best App but for me the available songs are extremely limited, and not a lot of songs that I would be interested in. UG Sing says it has more than 20K which seem to be based on the “Official” version of the chords/tabs.
They both can give you a rolling screen which shows how your pitch matches the song, and give you a score at the end, based on the firsts few tries at this, I have a long way to go!
Just wondered if anybody else has tried them and what their views are, also any other similar apps.
Will spend a bit more time trying them out and pass on my further observations in due course.
Michael
PS on UG sing, there is a text box which I clicked and that says as I am one of the first to use it, tell “Alex” your experience which was positive, so I did so. but not sure if I will get a response.
The point about recording yourself is well taken, but one thing you didn’t mention is how much different your voice sounds when you hear it played back than when you just hear yourself singing. I always thought I had a fairly deep voice, but I cringed the first time I heard myself on a recording! My voice sounded much weaker and nasally. So really, it’s the recorded voice that you want to work on, because that is the voice other people are going to hear.
Also, being the engineer geek that I am, I wondered if I could check my pitch by clipping my Snark guitar tuner to the end of a long thick emery board that I use for filing my nails for classical guitar and holding it against my larynx. Voila! It works pretty darn well!
This lesson is eye-opening! Until I watched it, I swore that I would be one of those guitar players that never sings. Thanks to Justin sharing the ups and downs of his singing journey, I’m encouraged to allocate a portion of my guitar journey to finding my voice. I know that it will require a lot of hard work, however, I also know that’s the price you need to pay if you want to succeed at anything. I also believe that this will make me a better guitar player which is one of my goals.
Here’s something relevant to the topic, not mentioned by Justin, that took me a long time to discover.
Do you find it difficult to keep pitch / stay in tune singing while playing? Does it seem to you like your guitar and your voice are competing with each other? Are you using an acoustic guitar?
If so: try more fundamental sounding strings.
I have a Taylor GS Mini. It came with phosphor bronze strings. It sounds great with phosphor bronze strings. But if you’re trying to sing, and you’re not an amazing singer - the guitar playing is the company, not the star; you are (or are aiming to be!). Phosphor bronze strings have tons of overtones especially with a more modern sounding guitar like a Taylor. “Lush”, but way too complex IMO unless you’re a great singer. And if you were, you wouldn’t be here
Here’s the cheap experiment: get some 80/20 strings in whatever gauge is best for your guitar. In the US D’Addarios are about $6 a pack. Don’t care about them being called “bright”. Don’t care that they “don’t last long.” I didn’t try them for the longest time for these reasons. Put them on your guitar and try singing over them! These are the strings used in a lot of 60s and esrly 70s songs before phosphor bronze took over.
I find it a lot easier to sing on pitch with 80/20s. Another good one to try are D’Addario Nickel Bronze. Those are even more fundamental to my ear, they make my guitar sound almost like a clean electric. They last longer, but they’re a bit more expensive. And if you end up liking 80/20s, there are coated versions.
I had a few years of voice lessons many years ago when I was younger and singing in university choirs or choruses. If anyone is interested I put a video in my learning log with a small number of tips for singing. I also made and posted a video of a short major scale exercise on the guitar along with my singing on a vocal exercise that I remembered from my private lessons. Learning log - singing tips - SteveL
This is amazing, I always wanted to sing, ever since I was a child and heard Micheal Jackson, Freddie Mercury And Elvis.
After my family telling me I shouldnt’ and can’t sing and later my friends and most recently my Daughter (her mother said it) I have never sung in public though want to as enjoy “talk singing” when I play Guitar.
I’ve been told I have a voice for country…
This lesson is amazing as its your Guitar lessons that have given me the confidnce and knoladge to play guitar and now I believe I can learn to sing well enough to do campfire songs with friends and family
Aaron @AaronAddams
You sound like a lot of us, me included, being told by others that you can’t really sing. Don’t believe them give it a go, ok you may not be a Michael Jackson or a Freddie Mercury standard but I would be surprised if you can’t at least get by.
Michael
PS welcome to the community
These are apps you can download to your cell phone from Google Play or Apple’s App store.
There is a great variety of different tuner apps, free ones, paid ones, you name it.
A popular free tuner app is “GuitarTuna” (Yousician). I used to really like ProGuitar’s free “Pro Guitar Tuner”, but currently there are too many ads even for me. At the moment I’m testing Stonekick’s “Tuner -Pitched!” because I really like their metronome.
In the end it surely boils down to trial and error. As said above, there are very many options available, even Fender offers a tuner app for example.
Agreed! I’ve been married to my other half since 1980 and we know each other quite well but have never sung in front of her as not sure how she would react. At this point I am actually scared to try the singing exercises that Justin is suggesting as she would probably laugh, which, as you say, is not very helpful. We have very little time apart so difficult to find time when she is not around!
When I started playing, there was one thing I knew: I never would sing! Then, after a few months, I gave it a try, out of the necessity to have a melody and to make those four chord songs recognizeable to me.
I‘m no good singer at all, but found out, it could be worse. Like everything, it improved the more I did it. I‘m aware, I have to stay within my (limited) vocal range and that has an impact on my song choice.
First, I was quite unsure about my family‘s reactions, they smiled a bit about me giving it a try. My husband even said a bit amused, oh, when things are going bad, you can at least go busking… ha,ha… . Now, I don‘t even care about, if anyone in the house hears me singing.
I invited them to join me and to try, if they can do it better…… .
Stuart @Stuartw , since you are unsure how your wife would react I would suggest to have an open conversation with her about your desire to try singing along to playing guitar. You could explain that this is recommended in a next module of the course, and that her support would mean a lot to you, and then see how she reacts.
I had a similar experience to what Andrea @Helen0609 just pointed out. I myself hadn’t sung for decades. I think the last time was when I was still in school.
I wanted to start singing after some time when I started learning guitar, so I gave it a try a couple of months ago. Even though I wouldn’t say that I sing well (and I sing rather quietly), it brought the whole enjoyment of “making music” (if I can call it that) to a new level. Surprisingly for me, I get a positive comment from my partner once in a while. I can definitely recommend giving it a try!
@franzek This is exactely what I felt too. It feels so much more “musical”. I never thought, singing is so much fun and on top, very relaxing and enjoyable .
That’s unfortunate, but so what if she laughs? Not gonna kill you.
Can she sing? If so, maybe she can give you some tips.
Some other suggestions:
Chris Liepe has a … free … course on how to practice quietly, linked in the description for this video…
(BTW, I’m in the middle of his…paid…course “Discover Your Voice” - it’s excellent!)
Other possibilities - leave your home to practice until you develop some confidence. For example, there’s a wooded area near me where I used to practice. Plus, making music in nature is inspirational!
Or, maybe you could rent some hourly practice space. Local music stores, schools, and recording studios often do this.
Certainly more difficult than singing at home, but it might get you started.
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