Singing

The path

1. 1
   Level 1Free when it opens

   Breath and Pitch

   One song recorded in tune

   15 Steps, about 30 minutes each. Anyone who wants to sing better, including people who think they're tone-deaf. No experience needed.

   1. Chapter 1: Breath and your first notes. Match pitch, breathe low, warm up gently, find your range and record your first song.
   2. Chapter 2: Ear and registers. Train your ear with scales and intervals, find your chest and head voice, smooth the break, and shape your vowels.
   3. Chapter 3: Your first song. Choose a song in your key, learn it phrase by phrase, mark your breaths and record it.

   1. 1
      Match your first note

      Hear a note, hum it back and sing it on 'ah', matched and recorded.

      Singing in tune is a skill, not a gift. Your voice finds a note by aiming, listening, and sliding until it lands. Most people who think they're tone-deaf have simply never practiced that loop, and nearly all of them can learn it.

      The detail beginners miss is that you don't need to hit the note straight away. Start close and slide. Humming makes this easier than singing words, because there are no vowels or consonants to think about. Speaking volume is easier than loud, because a loud voice is harder to steer.

      Until your ear is trained, a tuner app is your second pair of ears. It shows the note you are singing as a letter, like A3 or C4, and usually a needle that sits in the middle when you're right on it. Here's an example. Speak "hello" in a relaxed voice. The tuner might show something like A3 for a deep voice or E4 for a higher one. That's a note you can already sing comfortably, so it's where you start.

      When you're in tune, the tuner's letter stays still and the needle sits near the middle for a few seconds. If you have a reference note playing, you'll also hear the wobble between the two sounds stop. If the letter keeps jumping, your breath is probably uneven. Take a fresh breath and sing more gently.

      Singeo, 9:53
      Show your group
   2. 2
      Breathe low

      Ten minutes of breathing exercises, and a steady 'sss' for 20 seconds.

      Berklee Online, 7:36NIDCD
   3. 3
      Warm up gently

      Lip trills and sirens across your comfortable range, smooth and steady.

      Singgeek, 2:46

   See all 15 Steps

   1. 4
      Find your range

      Your lowest and highest comfortable notes written down, and your range type estimated.

      Singeo, 8:16Wikipedia
   2. 5
      Build a warm-up and record

      A 10-minute daily warm-up written down, and a recording of 'Happy Birthday' in your key.

      Singeo, 11:17
      Show your group
   3. 6
      Sing a scale in tune

      A major scale sung up and down in tune, checked against the piano.

      Singeo, 8:52
   4. 7
      Hear intervals

      Sing a third, a fifth and an octave from any starting note.

      Rick Beato, 3:43
   5. 8
      Find chest and head voice

      Hear and feel the difference between your chest voice and head voice.

      Singgeek, 11:30
   6. 9
      Smooth the break

      A siren that passes through your break with less of a crack.
   7. 10
      Shape your vowels

      A phrase sung on pure vowels, then with words, with a clearer tone.

      Singeo, 8:01
      Show your group
   8. 11
      Choose your song

      One song chosen that fits your range, with a key that works for you.

      Singeo, 8:16
   9. 12
      Learn it phrase by phrase

      The whole melody sung from memory without the original singer, using your own method.
   10. 13
       Mark your breaths

       A lyric sheet with every breath marked, and the song sung with no gasps.
   11. 14
       Practice recording

       Three practice recordings of your song, each with one specific fix.

       Songs By Spencer, 5:09
   12. 15
       Record your song

       A final recording of your song, in your key and in tune, shared with your group.
       Show your group
2. 2
   Level 2Unlocks after Level 1

   Songs and Style

   A recorded 3-song set

   15 Steps, about 35 minutes each. People who finished Singing 1, or anyone who can match pitch with a tuner and sing one song in tune.

   1. Chapter 1: Expression. Add dynamics, start mixing registers, find vibrato, sing with real emotion, and record a second song.
   2. Chapter 2: Harmony and the mic. Sing a harmony above a melody, study the style of singers you love, learn the mic, and record song three.
   3. Chapter 3: The set. Build a three-song set, run it from memory, handle nerves, and record it or sing it live.

   1. 1
      Sing a phrase three ways

      One phrase sung soft, medium and strong, all in tune, recorded.

      Dynamics means how loud or soft you sing. It's the fastest way to make singing sound musical, because the same notes at different volumes tell different stories. A line sung softly can sound tender or secret. The same line sung strongly can sound defiant or joyful.

      Volume in singing doesn't come from pushing. Soft singing comes from less air, kept just as steady. Strong singing comes from more air and a more open, ringing mouth, not a tighter throat. The detail beginners miss is that soft is harder than loud. Quiet notes tend to drift flat and go breathy, because people relax their support along with their volume.

      Here's an example. Take a line from your Level 1 song. Sing it at a 3 out of 10, then a 5, then an 8. Watch the tuner on the soft version. If it reads a letter low or the needle sags, add a little more steady breath without getting louder.

      Done right, all three versions are in tune, and the loud one feels open rather than shouted. You'll also notice one volume fits the meaning of the line better than the others. That's your first real musical choice. If the loud version makes your throat feel tight, you're pushing. Drop to a 7 and open your mouth wider instead.

      Jacobs Vocal Academy, 2:23
      Show your group
   2. 2
      Start mixing

      A gentle mixed voice exercise done daily, and a note sung across your break more evenly.

      Tina's Vocal Studio, 10:26
   3. 3
      Find your vibrato

      A held note that starts straight and relaxes into a gentle vibrato.

      Singeo, 7:56

   See all 15 Steps

   1. 4
      Sing with meaning

      A lyric sheet marked with what each line means to you, and the song sung with that intent.

      Healthy Vocal Technique, 8:20
   2. 5
      Record song two

      Your second song learned, marked and recorded in your key.
      Show your group
   3. 6
      Hear a harmony

      A third above sung against a held note, then against a simple melody.

      Singeo, 9:34
   4. 7
      Harmonize a real song

      A harmony line for the chorus of a song you know, recorded over the original.
   5. 8
      Study your heroes

      Notes on three choices each of three singers you love, and one choice tried in your own song.
   6. 9
      Learn the mic

      Basic microphone technique practiced with your phone or a hairbrush, ready for a real mic.

      Sweetwater, 12:26
   7. 10
      Record song three

      Your third song learned and recorded, with a harmony or style choice built in.
      Show your group
   8. 11
      Build your set

      A three-song set list with an order, keys and what you'll say between songs.
   9. 12
      Run it from memory

      The full set run daily for three days, without lyrics or videos.
   10. 13
       Handle the nerves

       A pre-performance routine for nerves, practiced twice.

       Vanessa Van Edwards, 10:06
   11. 14
       Sing for one person

       Your full set sung live for one friend or family member.
   12. 15
       Record or perform the set

       Your three-song set recorded in one take, or performed at an open mic.
       Show your group

Where it ends: a recorded 3-song set or an open mic

Free lessons in Breath and Pitch come from Singeo, Berklee Online, NIDCD, Singgeek, Wikipedia, Rick Beato, Arden Kaywin Vocal Studio, Songs By Spencer, musictheory.net, Ramsey Voice Studio. We link to their work and never copy it.