Many people think that they can sing without music notes. Well, technically, it is possible. You can just follow a song and sing it until you memorize it by heart. You can also expand your repertoire by memorizing more songs, but are these enough for you be able to sing properly? If you ask the experts, the answer is no.
This is because like any other skill, you need to get to know the theoretic aspect of singing in order to fully master it. Sure, you can sing songs, but the farthest you can go is by imitating their original singers, as you don’t have enough proper understanding on making them your own.
But what exactly can you do in order to learn singing properly? Here are some tips:
- Start by studying the notes on a music scale.
For sure you are familiar with “Do-Re-Mi,” otherwise known as notes on the solfege system. These notes indicate the sound of the tone in which a song is played, and it is a fundamental step in performing music. Trained singers undergo a phase in which they learn the ins and outs of the solfege system, and if you aim to be one of them, you should do the same as well.
Knowing the notes by heart allows you to become more versatile in singing. This is because you are able to read a song by ear and sing it at first sight, without requiring more time to memorize its tune.
- Practice with musical accompaniment.
Another way to sing properly is by familiarizing yourself with singing properly without continuously going through the notes is by practicing with accompaniment. You not only hear yourself sing the notes, but hear the notes of the musical instrument being played as well. This is a highly recommended practice because you get a grasp of timing, beat, and tempo when singing, as you’re not always going perform a cappella in front of an audience.
- Learn to find the “tonic note”.
The tonic note is the main note that links the song’s parts together. By being able to identify the tonic note, it would be easier for you to get the succeeding flow of the song and memorize its entirety within a shorter period of time.
The tonic note is often found at the concluding part of the song, or when a tune suddenly takes a sharp change in the middle of the melody. You may want to ask your vocal teacher more about this during practice.
- Listen to different renditions of the song you want to master.
It is also important that you are familiar of how a song sounds when performed using different styles and renditions. This is for you to get a grasp on a style in which you can best express yourself during performance. Sure, many singers who can belt the high notes sing songs of their favorite singers but they often end up imitating them instead; you however, with a good grasp of genres and styles, would be able to come up with a more original version of the song you like.
You may learn singing with a professional coach would be ideal if you want to be a great singer, as through their guidance you get to know how to master the craft and eventually sing songs perfectly without going thoroughly through the notes.
