Hey, my vocal teacher is one of the best vocal coaches I've ever seen and I asked her for a singing method book and she took a few weeks researching and at the end she said, well the only person I found out there that seems to know what she's talking about was singwisevocals! Congrats for your content, you should write a book or create an online course. Keep the good work
Wow! You've just made my day. I appreciate the encouragement. (I have been writing a book for a few years now. Well, once I started my channel a couple years ago, I found I couldn't keep up with both the writing and UA-cam, so I've barely touched it since. I keep trying to get back to my writing, though. The cover art is done, a certified medical illustrator has already completed all the illustrations, 1/3 of the chapters have already been professionally edited, and another 1/3 of the chapters are just about ready for editing. I just need to find more time in my week!)
Agreed. I taught myself how to play the guitar by just using a book of chords. This was well before UA-cam. I got myself only so far and was stuck in the same discouraging plateau for years. I later learned, when I started receiving some instruction from a teacher, that I had picked up some bad habits, including applying way too much pressure on the strings as I pressed them into the fret board. This excess pressure made my fingers and wrists inflexible and made it so that I couldn't learn certain skills until that was all corrected. It's absolutely true that many autodidactic singers adopt bad habits along the way that prevent them from moving forward and that become more and more difficult to unlearn the longer they've had them. If those singers had found a good teacher - and I emphasize GOOD - to start out with, those habits would never have been picked up to begin with. They would have saved themselves a lot of time and frustration.
+singwisevocals There's the rub! I would say if they understand and have adopted the Richard Miller work and understand the classics and how these 2 resources compliment each other: That would be a fair indication of a good teacher. Not too long ago, it was much more a guessing game!
Yes, you can teach yourself to sing. But I am here to say if the intention is to do this professionally, where consistency, longevity, and sheer stamina come into play, you will get to a point where you cannot go to the next level without some kind of assistance, be it more study, research, a teacher(s), a mentor, some additional guidance. You're fooling yourself if you believe otherwise.
Agreed I gave in and got some help a few years ago. She did help me to an extent, but for the most part I still get a lot more help from my research. I don't know teachers seem to need direction from my experience in terms of teaching you something different. Or else they just end up making you exercise and vocalize all the time.
+Rosannasfriend Or worse insult you for a sub-par effort and give you meaningless advice. Watch out for the one voice teachers IMHO. The classics and Richard Miller have really clarified singing instruction if your teacher has credentials and learned since that time. It used to be a lot more hit and miss, but I am still convinced some methods produce an inferior voice. I had a very expensive teacher that was horrible, another that just didn't teach anything, a single session with a teacher that wanted me to yell above the break...
I am an auto didactic singer and I experience improvement, slow but successful. For me the most important thing is communicating with the own body. This video makes really sense to me. Thank you for sharing.
I've been teaching myself to sing accompanied by my guitar since 2005. During my journey, I had many epiphanies where I would claim that I finally figured it out, only to not be able to recreate the way I was singing soon after. Despite how wonderful it's been, it's also been very frustrating at times. I created a mental image in my mind of what's happening inside that's been edited over and over as I've figured more out. I've never really done scales or exercises, I just sing my favorite songs. I did try watching videos on UA-cam at the beginning, but soon ended that. I really went it alone. At one point, I realized I had everything wrong. I had to start over from the beginning. But I knew what was wrong so I had a clear path to my goal. It was like burning the forest down to start fresh and growing something beautiful! Since gaining the ability to actually sing with correct technique...support and resonance... I've noticed that I possess a rather rich and unique voice... it's my own that I crafted over 15 years. Once thing I will say...I am so glad that I kept at it after all this time. Because now I have this ability within me that cannot be taken away from me no matter what. It's such a great feeling! I found your videos because somebody mentioned harmonics to me after I mentioned my tone having 2 voices within it. I was very curious about this whenever it would happen. I can't access this voice all the time, but when it comes out to play I do my best to try and understand what I'm doing to produce this sound. Another thing I've gained from teaching myself how to sing is the understanding of how I learn over time... so with that knowledge, I know for a fact that this 2 on 1 voice I sometimes access will soon-- with more practice-- be my normal voice, and Ill be able to use it every time I open my mouth to sing :D I cant wait for that day!! Thanks for your videos, they helped me understand harmonics :)
Thank you very much. I just started singing lessons but I do work a lot on my own. English is not my first language but you speak so clearly, I was able to learn a lot. Take care :)!
Even with face-to-face lessons, a lot of self-teaching happens in between. One thing that I had to learn was how to practice, and how much, and when to stop. Left to myself, I would continue down the same road, trying to refine a particular skill, instead of moving on. My teacher has a vision of what my voice could be capable of, which I don't have. So she will introduce new challenges that I would never have thought of. She keeps me motivated. Without her, I would probably have given up.
Hey Karyn, You are a God sent. I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you've put out. Specially, the content you put out for the self-learning student. I live in India which makes it tricky to find a teacher who can help me with western CCM vocals. Thank you so much and I am looking forward to your books and courses!
Thank you so much for this GREAT video! I think that having a great teacher, just like you, who understands singing and how the human voice works really well.. is without a doubt the best way to go. Having said that, for anyone who's learning how to sing without a teacher, like myself, this is by far the best advice I ever heard on this.. so again THANK YOU!!
I'm good. Lots of exercise, taking walks, recently started a career training program and got an internship at a theatre company. I have to see my doctor soon with a few concerns, but I think I'll be fine. Thanks for asking!
thanks! Its great, you know I was in ICU with pneumonia after the surgery. We spent two weeks in the hospital wondering what was wrong with me. I'm just glad to be alive!
Since we're talking Karen, I left a question in your Twang 1.5 video about a week ago. Just a little piece I didn't quite understand. I hope you could answer it if you have the time. Thanks in advance!
Great video! All the resources available on the Internet are of great value for sure, although you have to be careful and pick competent and qualified teachers and reliable sources. On a personal note, I still find having one to one lessons essential though because if you teach yourself with the sole help of resources on the Internet, nobody is actually there to point out and correct your mistakes or bad habits, whereas a personal coach does and that is invaluable. I basically combine the two, especially as I love digging deeper into things and finding out all I can about the art of singing!
Exactly! I believe that having one-on-one lessons is the ideal for the very reasons that you've listed here and that I listed near the end of this video. It's just not always possible for everyone, but it is ideal.
Karyn - You're right! I guess it also depends on the kind of singing you want to do. Pop/rock singing might be easier, I don't know, but I don't see how teaching yourself can work in classical singing. There's no way I could not have a personal professional teacher in my case as I only sing classical pieces and it's not an easy task! And isn't it important to know what you can sing and what you can't depending on your voice type? I mean, some people might keep trying to teach themselves certain songs that aren't meant for their voice type, and they damage their voice in the process.
Very good points! Of course, if someone is absolutely serious about being a classical singer at the professional level, he/she MUST get a teacher. There are specific techniques and sounds that are expected within the genre, not to mention the need for self-amplification (precise resonance tuning), foreign language diction, and knowledge of repertoire and styles within the classical genre. I find that singers trying to sing opera without having taken lessons always sound like pseudo-classical singers. There's always something just a bit off with their technique, sound, diction, etc. that would disqualify their timbre from being considered truly professionally viable.
I'm probably going to buck the trend here. I sing strictly classical, my work material being all concert or opera arias. I'll get into other styles if the mood is right once I am near full development, but my voice fits the material I am studying to a tee. Hard for me to envision, actually what a CCM singer with my instrument might do (Karyn or anyone if you have any insight into that, let me know!) Even if you have a "teacher", you still teach yourself. Problem is, it can take a ton of research to get some basic information, such as #1 avoid registration violations, #2 building even resonance in chest #3 stick to as low a break as you can manage. That said, your teacher might not deliver that information for some time, which to me was pretty annoying. I still stuck with the guy, but more as a friend and a sounding board and only once monthly. If you are on a budget: it's a good plan. I suggest you find a classical singer that matches your fach exactly. You can learn tons be emulation. My hero is Samuel Ramey :-) I am 3" taller, but the voice is the same, perhaps a bit bigger? Good luck and godspeed.
It is hard for me to find a vocal instructor that knows my voice type and what I can do with it. I have given up pretty much. I just resort to imitation but I do try to use good technique and I don't ever try to sing crazy either.
Please, I cannot find a video where you have been working with a student on releasing his fourth octave notes. If I remember correctly he was a musical singer. Could you point me to that video of yours, please?
That's precisely when you need to work one-on-one with a good singing teacher who knows how to accurately assess what's going on, instructs in body work (alignment, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, etc.), and can offer you flexible solutions and techniques.
Hey, my vocal teacher is one of the best vocal coaches I've ever seen and I asked her for a singing method book and she took a few weeks researching and at the end she said, well the only person I found out there that seems to know what she's talking about was singwisevocals! Congrats for your content, you should write a book or create an online course. Keep the good work
Wow! You've just made my day. I appreciate the encouragement. (I have been writing a book for a few years now. Well, once I started my channel a couple years ago, I found I couldn't keep up with both the writing and UA-cam, so I've barely touched it since. I keep trying to get back to my writing, though. The cover art is done, a certified medical illustrator has already completed all the illustrations, 1/3 of the chapters have already been professionally edited, and another 1/3 of the chapters are just about ready for editing. I just need to find more time in my week!)
Yesss!!! Please write a book! There are even folks in Africa who will happily buy them
Teaching yourself any skill- (not just singing), while not completely impossible, definitely makes your life a lot bloody harder.
Agreed. I taught myself how to play the guitar by just using a book of chords. This was well before UA-cam. I got myself only so far and was stuck in the same discouraging plateau for years. I later learned, when I started receiving some instruction from a teacher, that I had picked up some bad habits, including applying way too much pressure on the strings as I pressed them into the fret board. This excess pressure made my fingers and wrists inflexible and made it so that I couldn't learn certain skills until that was all corrected. It's absolutely true that many autodidactic singers adopt bad habits along the way that prevent them from moving forward and that become more and more difficult to unlearn the longer they've had them. If those singers had found a good teacher - and I emphasize GOOD - to start out with, those habits would never have been picked up to begin with. They would have saved themselves a lot of time and frustration.
+singwisevocals There's the rub! I would say if they understand and have adopted the Richard Miller work and understand the classics and how these 2 resources compliment each other: That would be a fair indication of a good teacher. Not too long ago, it was much more a guessing game!
I like how you made it like you were going to say “NO” in the beginning, haha.
Yes, you can teach yourself to sing. But I am here to say if the intention is to do this professionally, where consistency, longevity, and sheer stamina come into play, you will get to a point where you cannot go to the next level without some kind of assistance, be it more study, research, a teacher(s), a mentor, some additional guidance. You're fooling yourself if you believe otherwise.
Very good points, Bob!
Agreed I gave in and got some help a few years ago. She did help me to an extent, but for the most part I still get a lot more help from my research. I don't know teachers seem to need direction from my experience in terms of teaching you something different. Or else they just end up making you exercise and vocalize all the time.
+Rosannasfriend Or worse insult you for a sub-par effort and give you meaningless advice. Watch out for the one voice teachers IMHO. The classics and Richard Miller have really clarified singing instruction if your teacher has credentials and learned since that time. It used to be a lot more hit and miss, but I am still convinced some methods produce an inferior voice.
I had a very expensive teacher that was horrible, another that just didn't teach anything, a single session with a teacher that wanted me to yell above the break...
I am an auto didactic singer and I experience improvement, slow but successful. For me the most important thing is communicating with the own body. This video makes really sense to me. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for your comment!
I've been teaching myself to sing accompanied by my guitar since 2005.
During my journey, I had many epiphanies where I would claim that I finally figured it out, only to not be able to recreate the way I was singing soon after. Despite how wonderful it's been, it's also been very frustrating at times.
I created a mental image in my mind of what's happening inside that's been edited over and over as I've figured more out.
I've never really done scales or exercises, I just sing my favorite songs. I did try watching videos on UA-cam at the beginning, but soon ended that. I really went it alone.
At one point, I realized I had everything wrong. I had to start over from the beginning. But I knew what was wrong so I had a clear path to my goal. It was like burning the forest down to start fresh and growing something beautiful!
Since gaining the ability to actually sing with correct technique...support and resonance... I've noticed that I possess a rather rich and unique voice... it's my own that I crafted over 15 years.
Once thing I will say...I am so glad that I kept at it after all this time. Because now I have this ability within me that cannot be taken away from me no matter what. It's such a great feeling!
I found your videos because somebody mentioned harmonics to me after I mentioned my tone having 2 voices within it. I was very curious about this whenever it would happen. I can't access this voice all the time, but when it comes out to play I do my best to try and understand what I'm doing to produce this sound.
Another thing I've gained from teaching myself how to sing is the understanding of how I learn over time... so with that knowledge, I know for a fact that this 2 on 1 voice I sometimes access will soon-- with more practice-- be my normal voice, and Ill be able to use it every time I open my mouth to sing :D
I cant wait for that day!!
Thanks for your videos, they helped me understand harmonics :)
Thank you very much. I just started singing lessons but I do work a lot on my own. English is not my first language but you speak so clearly, I was able to learn a lot. Take care :)!
Even with face-to-face lessons, a lot of self-teaching happens in between. One thing that I had to learn was how to practice, and how much, and when to stop. Left to myself, I would continue down the same road, trying to refine a particular skill, instead of moving on. My teacher has a vision of what my voice could be capable of, which I don't have. So she will introduce new challenges that I would never have thought of. She keeps me motivated. Without her, I would probably have given up.
Thank you for making this video, Karyn.
You're welcome. Thanks for leaving your comments.
Great video💕
I am thankful as a self taught (only on UA-cam)💕
Thanks for watching. Please let me know if you ever need any help or have any suggestions for video topics.
singwisevocals
Sometimes I can't diffenciate between Twang and nasality, how can I ?
Hey Karyn, You are a God sent. I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you've put out. Specially, the content you put out for the self-learning student. I live in India which makes it tricky to find a teacher who can help me with western CCM vocals. Thank you so much and I am looking forward to your books and courses!
Thank you so much for this GREAT video!
I think that having a great teacher, just like you, who understands singing and how the human voice works really well.. is without a doubt the best way to go.
Having said that, for anyone who's learning how to sing without a teacher, like myself, this is by far the best advice I ever heard on this.. so again THANK YOU!!
Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
That's largely what I've been doing for the past decade, and you are truly one of the best that I have found as a resource. Thank you.
You're most welcome. I'm glad to be able to help, at least a little bit. How are you recovering, by the way?
I'm good. Lots of exercise, taking walks, recently started a career training program and got an internship at a theatre company. I have to see my doctor soon with a few concerns, but I think I'll be fine. Thanks for asking!
Glad to hear that you're on the mend. And congratulations on the new internship!
thanks! Its great, you know I was in ICU with pneumonia after the surgery. We spent two weeks in the hospital wondering what was wrong with me. I'm just glad to be alive!
Since we're talking Karen, I left a question in your Twang 1.5 video about a week ago. Just a little piece I didn't quite understand. I hope you could answer it if you have the time. Thanks in advance!
Great video! All the resources available on the Internet are of great value for sure, although you have to be careful and pick competent and qualified teachers and reliable sources. On a personal note, I still find having one to one lessons essential though because if you teach yourself with the sole help of resources on the Internet, nobody is actually there to point out and correct your mistakes or bad habits, whereas a personal coach does and that is invaluable. I basically combine the two, especially as I love digging deeper into things and finding out all I can about the art of singing!
Exactly! I believe that having one-on-one lessons is the ideal for the very reasons that you've listed here and that I listed near the end of this video. It's just not always possible for everyone, but it is ideal.
Karyn - You're right! I guess it also depends on the kind of singing you want to do. Pop/rock singing might be easier, I don't know, but I don't see how teaching yourself can work in classical singing. There's no way I could not have a personal professional teacher in my case as I only sing classical pieces and it's not an easy task! And isn't it important to know what you can sing and what you can't depending on your voice type? I mean, some people might keep trying to teach themselves certain songs that aren't meant for their voice type, and they damage their voice in the process.
Very good points! Of course, if someone is absolutely serious about being a classical singer at the professional level, he/she MUST get a teacher. There are specific techniques and sounds that are expected within the genre, not to mention the need for self-amplification (precise resonance tuning), foreign language diction, and knowledge of repertoire and styles within the classical genre. I find that singers trying to sing opera without having taken lessons always sound like pseudo-classical singers. There's always something just a bit off with their technique, sound, diction, etc. that would disqualify their timbre from being considered truly professionally viable.
I'm probably going to buck the trend here. I sing strictly classical, my work material being all concert or opera arias. I'll get into other styles if the mood is right once I am near full development, but my voice fits the material I am studying to a tee. Hard for me to envision, actually what a CCM singer with my instrument might do (Karyn or anyone if you have any insight into that, let me know!)
Even if you have a "teacher", you still teach yourself. Problem is, it can take a ton of research to get some basic information, such as #1 avoid registration violations, #2 building even resonance in chest #3 stick to as low a break as you can manage. That said, your teacher might not deliver that information for some time, which to me was pretty annoying. I still stuck with the guy, but more as a friend and a sounding board and only once monthly. If you are on a budget: it's a good plan.
I suggest you find a classical singer that matches your fach exactly. You can learn tons be emulation. My hero is Samuel Ramey :-) I am 3" taller, but the voice is the same, perhaps a bit bigger? Good luck and godspeed.
If you're gunna teach yourself to sing, then ya need something that no teacher can teach you anyway: common sense.
It is hard for me to find a vocal instructor that knows my voice type and what I can do with it. I have given up pretty much. I just resort to imitation but I do try to use good technique and I don't ever try to sing crazy either.
I good singing teacher should be able to successfully work with all voice types by understanding their unique training needs.
Please, I cannot find a video where you have been working with a student on releasing his fourth octave notes. If I remember correctly he was a musical singer. Could you point me to that video of yours, please?
Hi, I've followed phil's support technique and I feel no difference in sound and feeling with and without it. Or any other supporting technique.
That's precisely when you need to work one-on-one with a good singing teacher who knows how to accurately assess what's going on, instructs in body work (alignment, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, etc.), and can offer you flexible solutions and techniques.