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, 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, so 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.
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.