From Tone Deaf to Talented

Like any instrument or muscle, singing requires practice, repetition, and an understanding of what it means to “sing well”. Here are some tips and ideas that have helped me improve my singing over the years and ways you can find your unique voice.

Two and a half years ago, I was completely tone deaf. I couldn't match pitch on a single note. When I sang, a painful smile would shoot across my friends' faces. They'd beg for me to stop. Usually, I was singing Ed Sheeran.

Then I came across an interview of Ed that inspired me (all videos are sourced in the footnotes). He shared an absolutely awful song he had written and sung. Ed Sheeran sounded like me: absolutely tone deaf.

Another interview, Ed talked about the 10,000 hours rule and how it can be applied to singing. This was the stroke of inspiration I needed. I had the essential ingredient to gaining the skill: time. Luckily, you have it too!

It may seem obvious, but to sing well, you need to know when you're singing poorly. Knowing if you're singing on pitch or off pitch is key (pun intended) to this. But if you can't tell when you're singing the right note or the wrong note, how can you learn?

People say you're either born tone deaf or you're born with good ears. This is simply not true. With time, you can train your tone deaf ears and learn to identify when you're singing the right notes or the wrong ones.

I did this with the Alain Benbassat Method Functional Ear Trainer, which was a couple bucks in the iOS app store. On my train to work, I'd use it to quiz myself on pitches. It took about 6 months, but after consistent 10 minute practices each day, I could identify pitches in a scale. I could tell when I was singing a sour note. At this time, I was usually singing sour notes.

This was a small victory: my ears could identify pitch. I was progressing towards being a decent singer.

6 months into my journey, my ears could identify good and bad notes. I now needed to train my vocal chords to hit the good notes. To practice, I began singing along with my favorite songs as I walked to work. I wasn't shy about it either. I'd belt as I walked along the sidewalk, and I'm sure drivers would chuckle at me as they passed by. Occasionally, I'd match pitch with Ed Sheeran or Liam Gallagher of Oasis. More small victories.

I discovered the Vandido app, which tracked my pitch on singing scales and scored me on it. Comboing that with singing Wonderwall for 15 minutes a day, I slowly progressed. After a year of focusing on matching pitches, I could sing along with songs. It was around this time, when my Mom told me I "wasn't bad" at singing. Small victories.

One of the joys of learning to sing is learning to perform your own songs. So, going off of Ed's advice, each day I'd write a song. I wasn't hard on myself. I didn't have to be a good song. I only asked myself to complete the task. Writing and singing my own melody while playing guitar was difficult, but it challenged me to make music that was not only on pitch - it challenged me to make music that I liked.

By developing this songwriting muscle, composing chords and melodies became easier and easier. So did singing in key. It was a fun daily motion that I still roughly adhere to, which can take the place of your journaling habit if you already have one.

After a year of composition practice, I learned to love the intimacy of singing and playing an instrument. Whether it is piano or guitar, singing along gives you something physical to harmonize and create complementary vocal tones with. At the same time, this exercise unveiled singing gaps that were caused by my flawed singing mechanics. This drew me to my next area of focus: technique.

The tone, power, depth, and range of your voice is governed by your technique. Your body is a living instrument that you need to properly shape and flex to gain the tones and sounds you seek.

For example, warming up your instrument is essential to singing well. I tend to practice buzzing Z scales and lip trills to prepare myself to sing. Superior Singing Method on YouTube explains using Zs to warm up your voice quite well, and Cari Cole has a good video detailing how to do lip trills. Do these exercises before you record yourself singing and you will see great improvements.

Breathing is incredibly important as well because breath supports your voice. I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend that is a fantastic singer. A great tip she gave me was to breathe like you're sucking air through a straw. This puts the air into the bottom of your belly, which gives you ample support to hit and hold your notes without running out of breath. Angie Arsenault has a great video on demonstrating this idea.

The shaping of your mouth can also drastically impact what your voice sounds like. Smiling, opening up your mouth as wide as possible, opening the gaps between your cheeks and upper gums, or making your mouth into a small 'o' shape can all give extra color to the notes you sing.

The truth is, if you're tone deaf today, you're likely never going to learn how to sing unless you enjoy the process. Make it a point to notice your small improvements and pat yourself on the back for them. Don't get down when you can't hit a note or lip trill well. View it as a fun learning experience. That attitude will carry you along on your journey.

Copy your favorite vocalists. Dress up like Liam Gallagher from Oasis and sing 'Don't Look Back in Anger' at a karaoke bar. Write a song about how much you love peanut butter, or how much you hate ketchup. Enjoy being eager to learn and you will do it effortlessly.

And when you sing terribly, channel your inner SpongeBob Squarepants. "We all got to laugh at ourselves once in a while". Laugh at yourself.

This post isn't intended to be an all encompassing guide to make you an amazing singer. Only you and thousands of hours of enjoyable dedication to the craft can create that outcome. I am only here to show you my personal method of improving, and to provide inspiration for your singing journey. Best of luck on your singing journey!

If you'd like to learn to sing, you're likely interested in learning the art of production and the ins and outs of the music business. Check out Channel Zero's other content to learn more.


Sources:
Ed Sheeran's Terrible Singing Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YWOCYSoTu0
Ed Sheeran Discussing the 10,000 Hour Rule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDyg_41QF1w
Alain Benbassat Method Functional Ear Trainer: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926
Vandido App: https://vanido.io/
Superior Singing Method Warmups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNBPYZZDJKU
Cari Cole Lip Trill Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyFdwHrMV6o
Angie Aresenault Straw Breathing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4WLX_pvo38
Spongebob's Infinite Wisdom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8xkgyYgCGc