Learning to sing is not easy. Is not nearly as difficult as most people think, but it is far from simple nonetheless.
The best way to learn is, of course, to get a live vocal coach. Nothing beats one-on-one training with a professional. A real instructor can teach you all the techniques much more quickly than you would learn them otherwise and he or she can correct any mistakes you make immediately, so that they don’t become ingrained. It is much more difficult to fix those mistakes later on, once they become habits.
The big drawback, obviously, is cost. A professional quality vocal coach does not come cheap. They generally charge at least $50 an hour, but the good ones will all charge over $100. Many will charge several hundred an hour. It is money well spent, no doubt, but if you don’t have that money, you can’t spend it, can you?
For those of us that can’t afford a vocal coach, but want to learn how to sing so we can sound like all of our favorite vinyl artists, there are other options. These days, any information you could possibly ever want is available for free online. You just have to search for it.
And when it comes to vocal lessons, there are so many available, that the hardest part will actually be deciding which ones to use. Many of them are not great, so you want to make sure you get good lessons.
Often a better option is to buy a comprehensive course. These generally cost around $100 and give you a structured lesson plan that teaches you all the basics. This is what I would recommend if you want to learn to sing. Start with the course like this and then later on you can add a vocal coach.
So how does karaoke fit into all of this? Well, it is one of the best ways to practice. Karaoke lets you practice your favorite songs and all the new techniques you learn from your how to sing course. And it lets you do this in a fun setting.
Trying out new techniques when you’re having a night out with your friends drinking and eating and just having a great time, is just so much fun. It is the best way to learn anything. The way I like to do it, is to choose a song that I know I can master and practice it a lot at home. Then when I’m ready, I debut it at a karaoke night with my friends. I love to see the looks on their faces when I nail a song they didn’t think I could sing. It just makes me feel so good about myself. It makes karaoke so much more fun.
So I recommend you do the same. Pick a song to start with and master it. Once you’ve got that one down, go with a few more songs. You don’t want to tackle too many, though, because then you’ll be spending all your time learning new songs. It also helps to go to a karaoke place that has an espresso machine. That way you can fuel yourself deep into the night with delicious cups of espresso or regular coffee, if you prefer.
Go with songs that you can sing, but that are just a bit outside your comfort range, so that you’re pushing yourself. And then when you get up on that stage and hold that microphone and start to sing karaoke, make sure you really belt out that song with everything you have. Nothing feels better and nothing really helps you practice your singing more either. It truly is a case of two birds with one stone. Now go karaoke.