How do I work up the courage to sing?

[The Reverend 48]

Great Subject
I can't sing either but with support from this forum I am finding a voice that works for me (its still crap but less than before) as the guys say find a style that you are comfortable with and go for it...........
Read how supportive the guys are here
https://songcrafters.org/community/index.php?topic=4171.0

[Gritter]

Some excellent advice here.

any of the following may help. They all have helped me.

- acting class (I'm sure singing lessons would help to but I found acting and improv class to be less intimidating - you won't neccessarily be singing but It's a great and supportive environment to be creative and get out of your shell so to speak. Foolishness is also encourages and appreciated).
- sing in the shower.
- sing in the car to singers you like while driving to practice.
- sing in the car while parked to record.
- sing to your children or someone else's children. I guarantee they won't judge and will inevitably sing a long.
- your favorite drink, your favorite drink, your favorite drink.
- Mary Jane - if you got 'em smoke 'em.
- be bold and experiment. Iit's taken me a long time but I am starting to feel comfortable with my voice. Find, recognize and get to know your limitations and strengths.

You can do it...have fun,

Gritter.

[OsCKilO]

I'm With Greeny on the Open Mic thing......


But before that, you have to find your own voice....

We all have singing voices that are as different as the voices we speak with...
There is Little point trying to sound like someone else (Like a favourite artist)...
The Passion may be there, but you may not be able to do it because your voice is different....

Listen to Nigel when he says "speak a tune" first if you want....

It will help you find your sound....





Three More things:-

1)

Remember that you WILL sound different to how your voice sounds in your head....... Just Because you don't like how it sounds, it doesn't mean that other people wont.....


2)

Just think "FCUK IT"....

This was the first time I EVER tried to sing....   And I mean Ever!!!!!!


http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7718203

Sing it.. Record it...Post it...

Get some feedback....



Works wonders!


This was recorded two months later......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF8ERe9xS1A

3)

Singing loud isn't about shouting.....

Soundling Like you are singing Loud on stage and recordings is about Mic Volume, levels, and other trickary that I never new about....

Thats why I think Buskers are amazing!!!

I Like to sing in pub gardens on occassion.... The singing voice I use for the songs will be different to the ones I use for the Open mics and recordings...
I often put on a persona which makes it easier...




I'm new to this singing stuff.... So I hope my input isn't completely off the mark...



Peace Bro


Get Singing


T(Osckilo)

[joseph]

Wow!

Just wow.

I was not expecting such an overwhelming response to what felt like a dumb question.

Thanks everybody for the great tips. I'm gonna give this a whirl when my family goes away this weekend on a trip and I'll have the house to myself.

[Oldrottenhead]

so when do we get to hear you sing. i cant add to the advice given its all good.and its not a dumb question. i have friends give em a few beers and they can sing like an angel, but put a pair of headphones on them and get them to record their voice and their bottle crashes.
apparently its the same for prospective male porn stars, but they have viagra now, i wonder if there is a musical equivalent to viagra.
lager works for me.

[danieldesete]

when my family goes away this weekend on a trip and I'll have the house to myself.

Ha ha that's exactly how I started with my own songs - also praying for the neighbours to be away ...
 I suppose "prospective male pornstars" started their carrier that way too.

[joseph]

LOL

I dunno, how noisy does "solo" performance really get when it comes to that?

Anyway, another concern of mine is that I'm no lyricist, I know nothing when it comes to songwriting or poetry or anything, so I think my first attempt will be a cover of an existing song.

[Migs]

Tharek raises a good point about your voice sounding different to what you think it does in your head.

I think a good and important step is to even get used to your speaking voice played back to you.  When I first started lawyering I did a lot of dictating my letters into a dictaphone.  That got me used to hearing my voice without thinking "good lawd, I don't sound like that do I???".  More importantly it made me pronounce words properly and not clip the ends off or mumble.

I would start by grabbing a book or some lyrics and just reading them into your MBR or a dictaphone then work up putting some melody in to it.

Oh, not being able to sing never held Mark Knopfler back either.

[Oldrottenhead]

can mark knopfler sing? lmao

[Tony W]

definitely not a stupid question. We're a bunch of self-conscious introverts here who are looking for good feedback on things we hold dearly to our hearts. Damn near all of my posts started with an apology for posting early on.... go figure.

Now I'm comfortable enough to post pure crap. I can't wait to add vox to some of my work. I know I won't get beat up here!

FYI... I share stuff on here that I don't share with people close to me. I'd hate to see somebody's face while they were listening to some of the things I've posted.