They already complain to me about my guitar playing, which IS better than my singing…
That being said on Friday when I was home alone I was practicing with the Singer’s Studio app, singing “La-La-La” up two semitones and back down again. I think I’m getting better already! It’s almost like a video game trying to keep the line charting the note you’re singing in the right place!
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Absolutely!
playing standing up is so much better for your playing posture - your shoulders don’t get all hunched up, and your neck stays straighter, and it is a million times better for singing and getting some air through your pipes.
Plus the guitar feels completely different - in a good way - because it’s not sitting on your leg, - especially for players of dreadnoughts, or GA sized instruments
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I have new found respect for anyone that can sing and play guitar at the same time
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Good advice thanks!!! 
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It’s kind of ironic for me. About 75% of people are afraid to speak in front of a crowd, which is something I got over about 35 years ago. At least as long as I knew my subject, and had enough time to organize my speech. Remember, those people are there to hear you because they want to, so you typically have a friendly audience to start. Still, I get so nervous playing and singing guitar in public, it’s something I’m working on, by playing for people, with my wife first. The problem I find with getting nervous, is I forget to relax and breathe and my playing turns to a train wreck. So I’m working on breathing and relaxing, trying to play like I do when practicing. I look to Derek Trucks as someone I’m trying emulate (I wish I could emulate his slide skills, but this is about being calm) when he plays because he looks totally focused and related. I also find getting emotional about a song while playing it, often makes for a better song, but then that emotion interferes with my playing.
I keep practicing, thankfully because I enjoy playing, and I try to remember if I make mistakes it’s OK because everyone does, I try to accept and laugh at them, and continue.
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Lately, I’ve been told I can sing. But I’m still not satisfied with it, so I intend to take lessons once I get the guitar playing up a few notches.
Drinking water, standing up, all great advice.
Here’s what I do:
I quit smoking a year ago this coming Sunday, July 10th. Instant improvement in clarity and keeping notes longer. Good cardio exercises will help also.
And a lot of listening and singing. I sing on a daily basis, biking, walking, working. For those who don’t want to sing when others are around, I sing while driving my car, sometimes with the song playing, but most of the time acapella.
The vocal chords are an instrument to be treated with care, but it can be tuned. I believe everyone can improve. I’ve witnessed it here on this site. DavidP is the first name that comes to mind.
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This will help you in a dozen+ things…Well done
Greetings,
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All solid advice and a great lifestyle!
Congratultations on quitting smoking! If you managed a year, the hardest part is behind you for sure!
Singing in the car is where I laid my foundations for my Johnny Cash songs 
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Cool… the car is great for that especially if you wanna try to find your upper range.
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Nobody to judge you there
Be mindful though, sitting in your car will give you less range than standing upright!
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Hi Folks,
Still, I don’t think it’s a good idea to stand in your car behind your steering wheel and then sing 
…
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Now standing on the pegs on your bike and singing is a different matter. 
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Surely that’s another matter…I’m going to do it in a moment, will you call my insurance company?..
Oh wait I can’t now, I have to get ready for a hard task tonight…practice clapping to the computer 
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I think there’s loads of good stuff in this thread, even though I’m not really a singer. The right key was the light bulb bit for me a few years ago.
I didn’t think I was a singer at all, until someone asked me to sing bass in a scratch choir. I found that my range tops out at about middle C and I have the 2 octaves below it, maybe down to the B on a good day. Once I realised that, it was a short step to realising that I needed to find the keys I can sing songs in. The piano is usually my tool of choice rather than a capo, but it’s the same idea.
My (possibly educated) guess is that most people can sing, they just need to find the key that fits their range for the song they are singing.
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Simon @simon_plays_bass
I said in a post the other day this is guitar community not a singing community however as Justin does cover singing in general terms and Lieven @LievenDV has dealt with in various Club sessions it is valid.
You are completely correct you need to find the right key for your voice. A trap that I fell into and I expect others have as well is that Justin will teach a song in the original key (to be fair he does often mentions changing it)and you try to sing it that key which might be totally unsuitable. Take an example, I am working on a John Denver song in the key of D. I am a baritone, but his upper range is well above what I can do and even trying it sounded terrible. So I got an official copy of the song and used various free apps that allow you to alter the pitch and by adjusting down by two semitones I can manage that so D became C. However you then need to transpose the chords, perhaps not something a beginner guitar players knows how to do, it took me a while to understand how to do it and perhaps the confidence to do.
So yes you definitely need find the right key for voice.
Michael
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I feel encouraged. I can only sing relaxed and get in tune easier when no one is around.
Whenever I open my mouth in public I feel I have a lump in my throat and a rope around my neck. My voice gets high and tight in pitch.
One thing is stress the other is the voice of my dad in my head I remember from childhood when he just once ridiculed me singing a kindergarten song…
It’s this very difficult for me to get out of this vicious circle and open up. When I speak it’s so much easier because I can’t talk myself into the mindset of being at least a decent speaker, like I know how to make people laugh or sound competent.
With singing it’s like neither good nor confident though.
Those 2 go hand in hand.
it won’t get good if it isn’t confident enough.
Being nervous to sing in the presence of other people can indeed hold you back, cause tensions you don’t need etc.
The actual act of singing can be a bit paradoxal when you think of it:
You have to stand there (please stand up) and open up, be vurneable showing yourself, expressing yourself BUT you have to do it with confidence. That’s 2 things at once that both require some courage.
What you experience is normal and a stage most of us had to go through.
So did I.
I felt so akward singing in the presence of my family, trying to practice my singing while playing.
At a certain point, you’ll have to feel proud enough in order to not mind mind them being there
Don’t forget these tips:
-
Find the best key to sing in, as mentioned before. You’ll feel most comfortable if you are in your optimal range for a song. Here’s a Live Club about transposing
https://www.youtube.com/live/yVrT3XJgr7A
Slide deck: M&I #16 | Change The Key of a Song by Transposing - Google Slides -
You sing with your whole body. Standing up is always better to get vocal support. relax your shoulders and let your arms hang down
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Stage fright is a physical thing; it is our nature to associate a lot of the properties of a public performance with being hunted. There are actual physical things you can do to counter this by playing the game along with the hormones who put you in those states. A short physical effort will makes your body chill and cool down, just as it would after being hunted on and escaping to somewhere safe. Using that “post chill” after a brief run around the block, doing some push up/sit up reps or whatever could mellow you down a couple of minutes later, after your heart rate dropped again and hormones were introduced to calm your body.
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Wish I found this thread earlier. I wonder how many can relate to my little story.
When I began playing guitar about 3 years ago now, I took to it fairly well because I was so focused. I practiced all the time. The one thing I did not think about much at the beginning stage of this journey was that rhythm acoustic guitar is meant to be accompanied by singing. I never thought much of this, possibly because my voice sounded so good echoing off the shower walls or from the front seat of my car.
Then as time passed and I was getting either no response on my singing or wise-crack little comments I quickly learned that 50% or more of my performance was destined for failure I began to feel as though I wasted,at this point, hundreds of hours practicing guitar. I didn’t think, and still don’t, that there is a solution to this problem. I’m not really one for taking lessons on voice. I just can’t see myself humming do re me fa … and learning my “head” voice and my other voice (what ever it’s called). My attitude towards singing is more of a you got it or you don’t kind of thing. It can certainly be tweaked but if your 5’2” taking up basketball is probably not a good idea.
I still love guitar but have kinda realize that my playing is probably limited to a life in my little recording studio in my basement by myself. After nearly 3 years of not a single compliment on my vocals has me finally admitting to myself I just don’t have what it takes. I still love to play but it’s not the social activity I hoped it would be. More of a lone pursuit for me now.
I agree with the advice that putting some emotion into your singing is a good idea. It can help even the most challenged of us.
Mike
Don’t give up on singing or guitar playing or letting some of your work escape the studio.
Your rendition of ‘As Tears Go By’ shows potential.
How can you perhaps improve and boost your confidence? I don’t know the studio set up you have however there are a couple of things you could try even on a fairly simple set up.
Practise the guitar accompaniment, not singing, and perhaps drop the speed to c. 80%. When you’re satisfied with the play-through, record the guitar part. Use that guitar track as the backing track over which you practise singing the lyric: when you’re confident with the singing record your vocal over the guitar part. Listen and re-listen to the finished recording. When you feel a little more confident try playing and singing at the same time, again starting slowly, until you can deliver a version you’re happy with.
Good luck and keep playing and singing.
Brian