How To Become A Singer

In the next 30 seconds you will be convinced that anybody can learn how to sing.

We are all made up of the same parts (we all have arms, legs, lungs, a heart, stomach, etc). We all also have vocal cords that are made of the same parts for everybody. The only difference is the size and thickness which determines if you will have a deep voice or a higher pitched voice, but the point remains the same: we all have the same vocal cords with the same muscles and they operate the same in everybody. That means our vocal cords are an instrument just like a guitar and all you have to do is learn how to play your instrument. Anybody can learn how to play a guitar or piano right? Well anybody can learn how to use their vocal cords just like an instrument. CASE CLOSED!

How can you use this information to become a singer? Now that you know anybody can sing, you must learn how the vocal cords work and learn how to play your vocal cord instrument just like you would learn how to play a guitar. Everybody has a unique voice and it will only be discovered once you have eliminated strain and tension from your voice and begin singing with correct vocal technique.

The Best Way To Discover Your Voice With Correct Vocal Technique. In order to discover your true singing voice you must train your voice with proven and effective exercises that eliminate all of the strain, bad habits, and "clutter" from your vocal technique. I don't want to turn this guide on how to become a singer into an advertisement, however, if you would like to personally learn more about the best singing program that I would recommend for discovering your unique singing voice then visit the Become A Singer website or my own website Can Anybody Sing.

Anybody can learn how to sing, the proof is there!

First of all, as you can see, the vocal trainers in the videos posted above are some of the most qualified vocal trainers I can recommend to you. You can learn more about them at their Singing Success website.

Now, regardless of what your singing history is, there is one thing that everybody should look for in a vocal coach: qualifications. Literally anybody in the world can call themselves a vocal coach due to the lack of any type of official licensing or regulatory organizations that you must become a member of in order to teach voice. Nobody needs to obtain a degree or pass any kind of licensing exam in order to become a vocal coach. All you have to do is simply say, "I am a vocal coach." Its like saying, "I am a dog walker." There is no screening or official means for determining who can and who can't become a vocal coach.

With that being said, you should always look into the qualifications of the person whose hands you are going to put your voice into. Does this person really understand the science behind how the voice works? Does this person have a proven track record with successful singers? Is this person really a vocal coach?! Do not let yourself be fooled into actually paying money to someone who doesn't know what they are doing. There are many unqualified vocal coaches out there that simply produce very little, if any, results.

Your vocal coach should know that anybody can learn how to sing and that singing should be as easy as speaking. They should use proven and effective vocal exercises and be able to completely explain why and how the exercise works! If you walk into your first lesson and your "vocal coach" spends the whole lesson on posture and breathing then do yourself a favor and find a new coach. Sure, breathing is important, but there is no reason to spend that much time on the subject. The goal should be learning vocal coordinations and developing those parts of your voice, not trying to sit perfectly upright like your back is a stiff board... so beware! One good question to ask your vocal trainer is if they are familiar with speech level singing. Speech level singing is the vocal method used by most famous pop and country singers you hear on the radio (along with other very closely related vocal methods).

The BEST Songwriting Secret You Will EVER Learn: This tip alone will transform your songwriting, ready? Give your listeners a new way of looking at something. There are so many songs out there that you must think everything has been written about, so how do famous songwriters keep coming up with new material about the same old stuff? They present the story in a way it has never been heard before!

Example of this best-kept songwriting secret: Professional songwriter Morgan Cryar used this songwriting secret to build his list of #1 radio hits. So how does this secret work in a song? Think of a topic that has been written about a thousand times, such as the topic of missing somebody. Everybody has said it a million times in the same old boring ways: "I miss you" "please come back" "I can't go on without you" or "it's not the same without you." If you write a song using one of those phrases as your chorus then you are bound to bore your audience! So when Morgan Cryar used this best kept songwriting secret in his hit song about missing somebody he gave the audience a new way of seeing the same old thing. How did he do it? When he sang a song about missing a family member who is overseas at war, he did not say "we miss you" in the same boring way. No, instead he did something magical! He sang the "Empty Chair." He sang about sitting down for dinner every night and how the family would stare at the "empty chair" which symbolizes the family member's absence... brilliant!

Morgan Cryar is a genius songwriter and he knows all of the secrets of the trade. Better yet, Morgan Cryar is now sharing the best kept songwriting secrets of all time in his new ebook Strong Songwriting. This is your chance to learn the secrets that the professionals use to get those songs stuck in your head for days. The tables have turned - you now have the power! You will learn how to become a singer that can write songs your fans will never forget. Take advantage of it while you can, your career as a singer depends upon it.

What does playing an instrument have to do with learning how to become a singer?

It is very hard to make your own music if all you can do is sing. Learning how to play an instrument will allow you to actually make your own songs and perform them.

If you have a great voice and you want to write your own songs, then you need to learn how to play an instrument. After you become a singer, or when you are becoming a singer, you will need to start performing your songs and if you can play an instrument then you can get started as a singer songwriter on your own time schedule without having to find someone else who can play an instrument (and your songs) and is willing to perform with you. It is much easier to become a singer when you know how to play an instrument yourself.

An additional benefit of learning how to play an instrument is the fact that you will further develop your pitch and sense of music. So if you don't know how to play any instruments, and you want to become a singer, then you should definitely get started learning how to play one. Most singers choose to play either the piano/keyboard and/or the acoustic guitar. Your choice!

What is an artist image? Your image is how people see you, for example, think about your favorite singers. You may realize that one singer is seen as a hardcore rockstar, or maybe an innocent princess, maybe they are mysterious, etc. Who are you? This is what you need to establish as the next step in this guide on how to become a singer. Choose your genre wisely and write songs that fit the image you wish to give off to your audience. Your image is one of your connections with your fan base.

If you aren't very good at writing songs then you may need to learn how at first (unless you purchase a song from someone else). However, it is a good idea to write your own music so you can create your image. Then further down the road you can have songwriters write songs that suit your image. But as of right now nobody knows who you are, so you must show them who you are by creating your image.

Think of your image as your brand. If you were a product, who would you try to appeal to?

When creating your image, it is important to be original and NOT just copy the image/style of a singer who is already famous. For example, there is already a Celine Dion so don't try to mimic her voice and music. When people hear your music they shouldn't have to stop and think "is that Celine Dion or is that (your name here)." People should recognize you as YOU, not a copycat. It is also very important to note that it is perfectly OK to use your favorite singers as an influence to create your own style. It is acceptable to be a blend of various singers, but don't just try to be a copycat.

Growing your fan base is obviously one of the most important steps of how to become a singer. No matter how much talent you may have, nobody will ever know if you don't take the innitiative to go out and get your voice heard by the people that matter.

At first, nobody will know who you are so you are going to have to start small and build your empire. This means don't expect to perform in front of 10,000 people right off the bat! Instead, start smart by performing at small venues (maybe even just 10-25 people if that is all you are comfortable with) and slowly climb the ladder to bigger and better shows. You will need some experience before bigger venues will let you play your shows at their venue. They don't want to lose their reputation by letting underperforming acts play in their house. So get comfortable with the smaller venues at first in order to establish and build your reputation as you pick up fans along the way. Using your online profile or website is a good way to show potential venues what kind of music you play and allow them to get a feel for you.

Having a fan base is very important if you are trying to become a singer as a career. Music executives don't want to spend a million dollars on the development of an artist with no fans! Music executives want a little reassurance that you will be successful, and having a loyal fan base is the best way to show the music executives that you are in demand. If you can't get any local fans, or any fans at all, then why should a record label dump their funds into your career? They won't! They will be frightened of the possibility that all of the money will go to waste if you aren't a hit. That is why it is VERY important for you to establish and grow your own loyal fan base as proof that you are in demand and will be successful if a record label provides you with funding to promote and advance your career as a singer.

For additional information about acquiring fans and learning how to deliver a show that your audience will never forget, visit the full version of this online guide on how to become a singer (referenced in the introduction at the top of this page).

The next step in your guide on how to become a singer is to establish your internet presence with a website, or at the very minimum, a social networking profile such as Facebook, Myspace, etc. This is your doorway to fans all across the nation, and even across the world. Having a band website will also allow you to direct people to your music if you don't have a demo CD with you at the time you speak with someone.

Your social networking profile will be a great way to interact with your fans and update them about new songs or live shows, etc. However, social networking sites do have limitations which means acquiring a professional band website such as www.YourNameHere.com will give you the power to do whatever you want with your website. So how do you build a band website?

Since this is a guide on how to become a singer, and not a computer programming manual, I am going to give you a VERY basic description of how to build a website. Take this abstract information and Google it to find the more in-depth tutorials available online. Lets get started. You will need to find a webhost such as GoDaddy, 1&1 Web Hosting etc. This is the host that will allow you to upload your site onto their server so it can be viewed online. You will need a free FTP Client which is software that allows you to upload your files onto the server. And of course, to make your files in the first place you need a HTML Editor. You can search online for free website layouts and templates, choose one, and then edit it however you wish. Basic HTML tutorials online will be enough to get you started.

So there is the quick run-down on what you need to build a website and how to get started. Plenty of additional information about each of the previously mentioned steps can be found all over the internet. Now you at least have an outline of what to do. Good luck and have fun!

First of all, if you want a professional quality demo CD then you should look into local recording studios in order to obtain top notch results, but if you are on a budget and want unlimited recording time (instead of paying the producer for each and every hour) then you can setup your own home recording studio and get very good results if done properly with the right equipment.

Things you will need for a home studio:

1) A computer (duh!)
2) A new soundcard (unless you already have a high quality one)
3) A Digital Audio Workshop (recording software)
4) A microphone pre-amp
5) A Microphone
6) High quality headphones
7) Cables to connect everything

What is a soundcard? A soundcard is the piece of computer hardware that processes audio. All computers come with a soundcard, the only question is how high of quality do you have? If you want excellent audio results then you may need to spend about $100 on a nice and new computer soundcard. You might want to go ahead and test out your current soundcard if you are on a budget.

What is a microphone pre-amp? A microphone pre-amp basically boosts the signal received from your microphone to give it a high quality sound. This is essential for excellent home recordings. Of course you will only notice high quality sounds if you have nice headphones, so don't use a pair of $7.99 headphones!

What is a Digital Audio Workshop? This is your recording software (Google "Audacity" for a free version). It is a computer software program that processes sounds and allows you to record audio onto your computer where you can edit it. You can clean up the audio or add effects to it. You can't record music without this!

How do I setup my home recording studio?

In summary: hook up your microphone pre-amp to your computer soundcard, and then plug your microphone into your microphone pre-amp. Now open up your recording software, such as the free Audacity software, and begin recording! You can find all of the specific details of each step by Googling the pieces of equipment mentioned and how they connect to eachother, and with which cables.

Good luck, and have fun recording a demo CD in your own home studio!

The internet has changed the music industry forever. You no longer have to have a major record deal in order to get your music on the shelves in front of millions of customers. You can now sell your music on the digital shelves right next to famous singers. In previous times, you would never be able to get your music on the shelves next to your favorite singer at Target or Best Buy, but that doesn't matter anymore because CD sales are declining as people convert to online music shopping.

This digital shelf space is crucial.

You no longer have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to make a million copies of a CD plus a million CD cases and printed booklets. Instead you make ONE copy of your song, sell it online for download, and that ONE copy can generate millions of sales. You don't need the support of a major record label with a million dollar budget anymore (except for advertising and marketing of course). But the point is that you can successfully sell your music on your own as you become a singer and get your career established.

So how do you sell your music on iTunes?

Tunecore. Go to Tunecore.com and sign up for an account. They are an online music distribution service with connections to iTunes and Amazon Mp3, etc. By using Tunecore as your middleman, you can successfully upload your music into the same online database that major record labels upload their famous artists into. You are now in the same store on the same shelves as famous singers. This is just one of several ways you can make money after you learn how to become a singer.

View the full and free version of this guide at How To Become A Singer.

Moving to an entertainment city such as Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville will definitely provide you with a basket full of opportunities to showcase your talent and develop your career as a singer, however, it will not guarantee success. Although performing around town in New York, LA, or another major entertainment city will definitely increase your chances of being discovered in comparison to performing shows in small towns without music executives hunting the scenes.

There are plenty of hot spot venues around town in entertainment capitals, and sure, moving to one of these cities will definitely give you more opportunities to succeed. For example, country music legend and Hall of Famer Garth Brooks was discovered at a writer's night event at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. Garth Brooks performed well at the right place at the right time when someone important was there in the audience, and boom, a legend was born!

So go out and perform, and if you are serious enough to make the sacrifice of moving to an entertainment city, then by all means do what you feel is best for your goals and dreams. Just remember to always have a Plan B and only go forward with a major change like this if you strongly feel that you truly are ready for this kind of step. Have fun!