About

Singing – we all do it, don’t we? In the shower, the car, when no one is listening, we sing. But take it up a notch and singing can be a fun and rewarding hobby. In essence, singing is using the human voice as a musical instrument, and a very flexible instrument at that. It’s the only form of music where there are words to give specific meaning, augmented by the melodies, tones, and rhythms used by other instruments. Singing ranges from songs around a campfire to High Mass in a cathedral, and everywhere in between. It is often accompanied by other vocalists (singers) or instruments. Pretty much everyone can sing ‘Happy Birthday’ or “Row, Row, Row, your boat’, but singing as a hobby implies performing in public, and without a bit of basic knowledge extended singing can lead to issues from a simple sore throat to nodes on your vocal chords that may require surgery. This article attempts to cover the basics of singing, including styles, techniques, health tips, and some general ideas on getting started in your new hobby.

While the basics of singing transcend musical genres, having a goal in mind can help kick start your hobby. Keeping in mind both the type of music you like and the where you’d like to sing, choose a simple goal. “I’d like to join my church/community choir” or “I’d like to enter a karaoke contest. Joining a band and winning a Grammy can come later.

Eighty percent of proper singing begins and ends with proper breathing. When breathing in, try to fill your lungs from the bottom up, let your stomach extend before your chest expands. Breathing out, the stomach should contract first, then the chest. This is breathing from your diaphragm, the muscle wall at the bottom of your chest. The diaphragm is more powerful and controllable than the muscles that expand and contract your chest.