How Long Will it Take to Learn How to Sing?
Answer these 6 questions to help get the answer.
3 Ways to Define Your Singing Goals
To answer this question you must know your singing goals and aspirations.
Here are the first 3 questions to help you define the your singing goals and aspirations.
Look at these three diagrams and answer the question below it. The answers will help you know how long it will take.
Each of these pyramids have 5 categories. The bottom of the pyramid is level 1 and the top is level 5.
How long will it take to learn to sing?
Your answers to the next 3 questions will help you know how long.
First, which level above are you wanting to achieve?
Second, what is your current level of singing?
Third, are you willing to pay the time demands as well as the mental, physical, emotional and financial price to achieve your goal?
Which Level is Best?
There’s no right, wrong or best level. Our motivations and desires are different for all of us and that’s OK! Most singers have no interest in being Beyonce. There’s just as much joy and satisfaction in singing at level 1 as at 2-5.
There’s a huge amount of enjoyment singing karaoke with your family and friends. It’s equally fulfilling to give your senior recital for your Masters in vocal performance at the university.
It’s totally OK if you do or don’t want a high level of singing.
Your goal is to achieve YOUR singing dreams and aspirations not someone else’s.
And within each level there’s an infinite number of sub-levels and intensities.
Virtually Anything is Possible within each Level
Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues, 5′ 3” and Manute Bol, 7’7” both played in the NBA
This is an example of limitations and possibilities. Who could imagine someone 5’3” playing in the NBA. However there are limitations. It’s unlikely Bogues would play center and Bol play guard.
Each level requires a “must have” combination of skills and ability. But there’s no set of rules within reason.
For example, if you want to sing at a level 4 as a professional recording artist, you must be able to hear and speak. If you are hearing impaired and you cannot speak it’s likely you won’t achieve level 4. Not impossible, but unlikely.
3 X National Champions
If you wanted to play in the NBA, you must have two legs and likely, two arms and hands. If you were missing your legs you could still play in wheelchair basketball league if you had arms and hands and be very challenged and fulfilled in that level. But most likely the NBA would be out of reach as a player.
The Good News is Singing and Performing are Different
Bob Dylan
There are numerous examples of level 5 performers who are not (in my opinion) level 5 singers. For example, I don’t think Bob Dylan’s a great singer. Yet he’s credited by Rolling Stone Magazine as having the greatest rock song ever, “Like a Rolling Stone“.
This is great news for all of us singers. You don’t have to be a great singer to be a great song-writer or performer and entertainer.
Tom Waits
You can have millions of people completely in love with your voice and your performing with an average to below-average voice. Listen to Tom Waits’ vocal performance. Yet he’s legendary with a huge following.
The same with the late Janice Joplin.
Janice Joplin
You don’t have to be a great singer to inspire the planet with your performance. This is not a criticism. This is the good news! It means there’s room for all of us to reach others with our voices, talent and passion.
The Bad News is Singing and Performing are Different
Why is this bad news? Because if you’re an amazing singer at a level 2 but you’re unable to get over your introverted shyness, your soft spoken reserve or whatever is preventing you from opening your heart and exposing it to the world…giving everything you have, first in practice and then in performance, it may not matter what level of singer you are, you may struggle to achieve the highest levels.
There’s a total commitment to laying aside your inhibitions to take chances before you can begin to push beyond your limitations and break through to what you really want.
Can you see it’s a very difficult question to answer: “How long will it take to learn how to sing?”.
The Natural Born Talent Factor
Part of the equation is your natural aptitude for singing and performing. Here’s the best way to describe what I see.
Two Moms bring their 5-year-old to learn to sing because “they sing all day long”. One can’t sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on pitch and the other sings “Let it Go” perfectly on pitch and with confidence.
Neither had lessons before. But it will take one of these kids longer to learn to sing than the other.
However, perhaps the one with pitch problem has a consuming desire to sing…and in time conquers all the limitations and begins to excel.
What if the more “gifted” student loses interest and does nothing with singing?
Occasionally you see a natural talent that also has the inborn passion. This may be a future Beyonce or Timberlake.
Shirley Temple became a star at age 3
Michael Jackson performed with the Jackson 5 at age 10
How Long will it take to learn how to Sing?
Uhhhhh……..well how about: depending on your inborn talent, physical limitations, current skill level, personality, desire, goals and work ethic…
Level 1: 1-12+ months.
Level 2: 1-4+ years.
Level 3: 1-8+ years.
Level 4: 1-10+ years.
Level 5: Years. Decades. You could hit Level 5 like 3-year-old phenomenon, Shirley Temple, or 10-year-old Michael Jackson. Without question it will take a lifetime of work and commitment.
And there are exceptions to everything I’ve said.
But, for now, it’s the best answer I can give.
Vocal Type
If you don’t know your vocal type, you’re at a disadvantage. Your vocal type is not whether you are soprano, alto, tenor or bass. Your vocal type is determined by what you tend to do when you sing though the first bridge of your voice from chest into head voice.
To discover your vocal type, go to PowerToSing.com and take the vocal test which I call the PowerTest. Take the quiz and discover your vocal type. Visit the Knowledge Center and watch the videos about your vocal type. Download the free exercises for your vocal type and start improving your voice today.
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I’m Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing. You can sing higher with beauty, confidence and power.
I’ll see you inside the next video.
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