Is Singing a Gift Or Can Anyone Sing?

 Singing, it's a gift, you either have it or you haven't. True or not? Well up to a point.

There is no denying that certain people seem gifted, they just seem to be able to open their mouths and out come these sweet melodic sounds. More and more though people are beginning to realize that singing is a skill that can be learned. You might not end up the next Sinatra or Whitney Houston but you'll certainly be called upon for a song at formal and informal get-togethers. Singing, quite rightly, is now regarded as a skill that can be learned.

But how does a 'non-singer' become a 'singer.' A great deal of it is down to technique and practice.

Here is a very simple breathing technique to show what I mean.

Lay flat on your back. I like to choose a hard surface like a floor. Now put your hands on your waist with your middle finger pointing towards your belly button.

Now start to take a long deep breath. You're not trying to fill your stomach at this point all you're doing is seeing the difference between shallow breathing, they way most of us breath, the lazy way.

Let your breath out, gently, say to a count of 5, At this point you should feel your stomach begin to rise and your hands with them, notice also how your hands begin to stretch outwards. Rinse and repeat this exercise ten times.

This is an exercise you should repeat a number of time each day. Don't worry about the lying down aspect that was only to show you how your diaphragm works. Practice daily before you rise in the morning and prior to sleeping at night for 5 - 10 minutes; I do the exercise just after cleaning my teeth.

A good tip is to practise in front of a mirror in the mornings and evenings and watch closely as you breathe in. If it appears that you are gasping for air then you'll have to refine your technique until it looks more natural.

Gradually increase this exercise so you are doing it four or five times each day. It is the sort of an exercise you can do almost anywhere without drawing attention to yourself. Like any exercise it will be difficult at first but the more you do it the easier it will become.

As you are breathing out whisper a silent 'ah.' At first the 'ah' will not last much beyond five seconds but as you practise you should be able to hold it for anything up to half a minute. Those who really practise can hit the minute mark!

That's just a few simple breathing techniques that you can do at anytime throughout the day. They illustrate, I hope, how simple techniques when put together in a program can give you the encouragement to believe that you can indeed sing. If you are a 'naturally gifted,' singer proper techniques will increase that gift beyond recognition. Feel free to visit my blog for more information on how to become a better singer.

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