Learning to Sing

[Efbe]

Despite playing a lot of music on various instruments up to the age of 15, I have an absolutely terrible singing voice.
My wife, and daughter(10) on the other hand are amazing, so I have set myself the challenge of learning to sing.

Have had three lessons with a local teacher now, a young lad who seems to know what he is doing. I can hear myself improving dramatically already. I still sound rubbish, just less rubbish. Have found notes I didn't know I could hit, so my range seems better than I expected. D2 to A4 on normal range, then E4 to A5 on falsetto, though I think this may improve. I have no idea if that is any good. My tone is still poor, though i think that is just practice, and at least I can when my pitch is off.

My biggest issue so far has been picking songs to sing. In order of what I have been practicing with;

Stand By Me, Ben E King
Save Tonight, Eagle Eye Cherry
Learn to Fly, Foo Fighters

So two questions;
Has anyone else gone through this, from being a terrible singer to half decent?
Any ideas for more songs to sing? All of the tunes I know and listen to are a bit shouty, rocky, talky or just undecipherable.

[GetCarter]

I always tell bass players and singers that there is one tune they should learn. Alfie.

It's a bh mind.

Good luck.

[Tom_C76]

I had some lessons and now sing reasonably competent backing vocals, harmonies and occasional lead. I still struggle to pitch a lead melody, and find singing harmony far easier.

In terms of tunes you need to pick stuff that suits the range you can sing as well as stuff you like. I started on Handbags and Gladrags as I was very croaky, moved via Dead Flowers (Rolling Stones) and some Billy Bragg, and then onto some of the later Who stuff. Don't try any early 60s stuff, I'm sure none of them had their voices broken back then...

[Efbe]

Cheers guys, some good tunes there, though Alfie looks way too hard for me yet!

I naturally have quite a deep voice, though my teacher is pushing me to sing right up high to extend my range, so whilst I may not be able to hit the bee gees or darkness, I think I should be ok with most male stuff.

To get to a backing singer level would be more than I would expect. How long did it take you?

Edited by Efbe on Friday 7th October 09:51

[gert biggens]

I have been rowing a similar boat to the OP. I have had several bouts of singing lessons, and my voice has improved, though hardly dramatically. I have tentatively reached the conclusion - and I may be fooling myself here - that much of it is down to the innate architecture of your vocal cords, mouth, sinusoidal cavities and so forth. Now, in PH terms, much of this kit can be upgraded by means of exercises and practice. But you can only mod a Corsa so far, and it will never be a McLaren.

[Tom_C76]

Efbe said:

Cheers guys, some good tunes there, though Alfie looks way too hard for me yet!

I naturally have quite a deep voice, though my teacher is pushing me to sing right up high to extend my range, so whilst I may not be able to hit the bee gees or darkness, I think I should be ok with most male stuff.

To get to a backing singer level would be more than I would expect. How long did it take you?

Edited by Efbe on Friday 7th October 09:51

Not long to be honest once she'd convinced me I could sing, unlike the head of music at school who told me I was tone deaf... But I can't do the whole head voice or falsetto bit, which does limit my choices somewhat. Helps that we downtune our guitars a semitone, which seems to make much more difference that you'd think. Probably just psychological.

[Efbe]

again, good info. Stereophonics is a good shout, may have a go at one of these.

I have no expectations from these lessons, if I can one day turn at a bearable karaoke track I will be more than happy