Can singing be learnt or is it a gift

[janetsflower]

I want to know whether an adult who is absolutley terrible at singing can be taught to sing nicely and in tune or is it a gift that you are born with - you can either sing and have lessons to improve and perfect it or you can't sing and are always going to be bad at it even if you have lessons. Anyone any experince of his?

[Cockney_si]

As long as you can hold a note and are not tone deaf, most people can be taught how to sing.

I made it one of my belated new years resolutions to learn to sing in 2006 and have been doing so for a year now, you earn loads of respect as a singer and people seem to talk to you more.

Also it's good for confidence boosting especially for shy people.

Go for it !

[Machecoul]

I'm interested as well. How would I know if I was tone deaf?

[Cockney_si]

You would know if you were tone deaf if you could not match a note properly even when you were singing along to a simple song that was within your vocal range.

[mormess]

I agree with Cockney_si. I'm a singer and come from a musical family so it seems I had no choice, not that it always follows. I think half of it is to do with listening - listen to something, sing along with it, listen to yourself- are you singing the same thing?

Also important is singing with meaning - I hear a lot of singers at my studio copying the vocal acrobatics of the singers they admire. Especially that groaning thing that they do now. But they're not singing the words as if they mean them.

Singing in a choir is a great thing to do - again, you have to listen to those around you and make sure that you're not singing above them.

But yes, I'm determined that everyone can sing - even if you're tone deaf I'm sure you can find a way!

I could go on, but I won't, for now :-)

So janetsflower, find a singing teacher or coach that you like and who specialises in beginners, and have a go!