How to start singing for the first time
Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels
How to start singing for the first time
If you’re not in the habit of singing but you want to get more comfortable making music with your voice, try these tips for what, when, and where to start singing.
Lots of people want to sing, but they don’t.
Why? It could be because they are too embarrassed to sing in front of people or be overheard, or even to hear themselves. It could just be because they’re not used to using their voice, and singing feels awkward and unfamiliar.
Are you one of those people?
How do you break the ice and get started singing more often?
First of all, if you want to sing, start by singing along.
Sing along to recordings, or join in with other people and sing in a group. Your eventual goal might be to sing solo in front of an audience, or you may never want to do that! Either way, you don’t need to start out in full diva mode. Lower the stakes by picking the music and the situation that makes you feel most comfortable singing.
What to sing:
Sing songs you know well
Sing music you love
Sing songs that are fairly easy for you
Each thing you sing doesn’t have to have all of these characteristics. You might find that only one of these is the most important factor in whether you feel comfortable singing something. For example, your love of a particular musical might be what spurs you to want to sing along, even when the songs are out of your range or too difficult for you to sing accurately.
When and where to sing:
Sing in the shower
The noise of the water covers up some of your sound and helps you feel less exposed. The echoiness of bathroom walls makes you sound better by adding resonance to your singing. (According to this article, Science proves you actually do sound better when you sing in the shower!)Sing in the car
No one outside the car will hear you! Turn it way up to drown yourself out even more. Driving while you sing can distract you from feeling self-conscious.Sing while you’re doing chores or physical work
You’ll be distracted from your embarrassment, and music can keep up your energy and morale for work.Sing along at a concert
It’s so noisy and everyone’s singing along, so it’s totally fine if you’re bad. The enjoyment comes from participating and being in the moment, not the quality of your voice.Sing when you’re not sober
Adults only please! You’ll most likely sing worse, but you’ll be less timid, and you’ll have an excuse if you do sound bad.Sing with your best friends or close family members
If you’re shy about singing, sing with or for people you can count on not to make fun of you. Encouragement from your loved ones can really help you overcome your reluctance to use your voice. And if you sing together with family or friends, the social connection of singing together is more important than whether you sing well.Sing with children
Kids’ songs are made to be easy for everyone to sing. And they’re usually silly or fun, or they have a purpose, like teaching the alphabet, so the focus is not on your musicianship. If you’re a parent, relative, or caretaker of little ones, you’ll have fun singing together with them, no matter how well or poorly you might sing.Sing in religious worship
I once knew a Presbyterian minister who used to say, “If God gave you a great voice, sing out on the hymns, and if He didn’t give you much of a voice, let Him know!” Like in other group singing situations on this list, the act of singing in worship is more important than whether you sing well.
Please note, these tips aren’t just for bad singers. I’m assuming that, if you’re inexperienced, you might be an awful singer, which is FINE and not permanent - not if you practice! But you might still feel uncomfortable using your voice, even if you sound good - even if you sound great. How well you sing doesn’t have anything to do with whether you feel embarrassed or awkward doing it.
And please let me assure you that you should sing if you want to.
Yes, you!
If anyone has ever told you that you shouldn’t sing, forget them! Singing is not reserved for the “talented.” Everyone has a right to use their voice and enjoy it. Don’t hold yourself back because of what other people might say or think. You deserve to sing and to feel free and joyful when you do it!
By the way, do you identify as a perfectionist? Perfectionism, especially the feeling that you need to do a great job at everything the first time you try, can be a big barrier to using your voice and loving singing.
If that sounds like you, you might want to check out the articles in my Progress for Perfectionists series, in which I explore specific challenges perfectionists face and offer my insights on how we can overcome those challenges.
