Can anyone learn to sing or is it a natural talent?

This is one of THE most searched for questions on the internet: CAN anyone learn to sing or is it a natural talent reserved for the lucky few?

Such a topic has many factors that we could explore, but let’s start with three simple things we need to understand about the voice:

1) Some people start off with better instruments than others

The voice is an instrument like any other. I’ve talked about this in detail in this specific article — How do your genetics affect your voice.

Genetics play a HUGE role in shaping your vocal anatomy — such as the size of your vocal cords, vocal tract, physiology, etc. These physical traits are responsible for making up your voice as an instrument.

Some singers are very fortunate to have well-built instruments without tonnes of training. It’s a bit like those kids at school who had a six-pack and defined muscles without ever working out. Genetics are like a lottery.

However, the voice is not a purely muscular endeavour. Finesse and control matter far more in the long run. Co-ordination, training, and technique far outweigh natural attributes when it comes to singing ability. Most so-called “natural singers” are simply those who’ve unknowingly been blessed with favourable instruments early on.

Despite this, it’s like the kids at school with their fortunate physiques. When time catches up to them, they struggle to maintain what they were given. Why? Because they never worked for and earned what they had. Hence, when it starts to slip, they don’t know how to maintain it.

In reality, EVERYONE can significantly improve their singing voice through structured technical improvement and deliberate practice, regardless of their starting point.

2) Musicality plays a huge role too

When someone cannot hit the notes they want to hit, they cannot possibly express themselves or be musical.

However, just because someone can hit notes, doesn’t automatically mean they can do expressive things with their voice.

Musicality involves training the brain to be able to communicate in the language of music. This is a life-long pursuit, and more than just a voice training exercise. It’s about learning how to converse in “music-speak”. To be able to hear music, interpret what you are hearing, and then maybe even participate in a musically meaningful and personal way.

3) All of these attributes are trainable until they feel natural

Ultimately, when it comes to learning anything, we are trying to develop ourselves from point A to get to point B. Some people’s point A is further ahead than others, whereas some people’s destination — their point B — sits further in the distance.

What matters is their rate of acceleration from point A to point B. It doesn’t matter where you start from, and it doesn’t really matter how distant your goals seem. With the proper technical and musical training, anyone can learn to develop a voice to be proud of.

Side story

I am eternally astounded by the number of people who think that your starting point is all that matters. A friend of mine has a daughter who loves ballet. The father trained in dance in their youth, and reportedly said their assessment is that their daughter’s potential is capped and there is only so far the daughter can go with their dancing.

The reality is, that everyone has to start somewhere. No one can truly make such an assessment from such a young age, as it ignores the power of hard work and perseverance.

I’ve already acknowledged that some people get to start off in a fortuitously advanced starting point. But most of us have to work for it. Per my other article about “being average for an above average length of time“, most people simply don’t persevere at a given skill for long enough to transcend the “gravitational pull” of their starting point… but those that do end up going far, making a career where others would otherwise fail.

Am I claiming that this daughter could go on to become a premier ballerina? I can’t make such a claim. But I am certain that she can go further than 99% of her peers simply by working consistently on the thing that she loves. She can outwork her peers through sheer love of the art. Please, reject the idea that you can determine your future capacity based on your starting point. This is a colossal and damning fallacy.

Conclusion: Everyone can be trained to sound like a natural

Yes, some people start off in a better position than others. But many of these singers disappear very early on in life, because they relied on youthful vigour rather than doing things with a long-term view.

What we ultimately seek to do through voice training sessions is build your instrument, train you how to express music through that instrument, and make this feel as natural as speaking.

If you’d like to learn more about the technique we use in sessions, you can read more about this right here. If you’re ready to experience this first-hand in your own voice, you can book in via the booking button below.