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Ask HN: I'd like to learn vocals, any suggestion on how I can do this?

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Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn vocals, any suggestion on how I can do this?

#51

Post by stannic_pidgeon »

alexilliamson wrote: post #45

For everyone saying "find a teacher": what specifically will the teacher will pick up on, that I can't pick up on my own listening voice recordings of myself? The situation is, I've known that I should find a teacher for many years. However, I can be quite stubborn and have instead been recording myself playing guitar/singing for the past several years. With debatable progress. I know I should find a teacher, but wha…

> what specifically will the teacher pick up on Singing is not at all intuitive, and it is likely that the actions to take towards a goal will be counter productive and place an upper limit on your progress.

For example, if you try to sing a note on the top of your range you will likely resort to "muscling" the note by adding tension, but this approach if far from optimal, and will limit the amount of range you can add.

This is coming from me as a semi-professional classical vocalist, but I will also admit that my advice is likely much less useful for people interested in the kind of singing common in country or indie/folk music, as these kinds of music require much less technical complexity in their vocal production.

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn vocals, any suggestion on how I can do this?

#54

Post by throwaway9482 »

songzme wrote: post #43
xrd wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is such a brilliant comment: "so you don't develop bad habits." I went to Japan as an exchange student when I was 16. I had never studied Japanese at all. The thing that surprised me the most was how hard it was for foreign students to unlearn the bad things they learned inside their American classrooms by listening to their friends. Most of them picked up bad pronunciations, bad grammar practices. Even if they…

I've been teaching coding (on the side) and doing software engineering for the past 10 years. There's a recent surge of self learners who believe in studying coding the way they believe should be studied (which is ironic, given how little experience they have). The moment they got a job, they turn around and proudly talk about "This is how I did it, you learn x, y, z and you can get a job like me" and influence the n…

I went through one of the bootcamps back in 2014. I’m now a software engineer who cares about good practices, methodology, and design. Some of us take a few years to get there first

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn vocals, any suggestion on how I can do this?

#55

Post by amelius »

xrd wrote: post #39
MrGando wrote: post #9

I've been playing Piano for ~28 years, almost went professional (Jazz) but ended up doing engineering. My advice would be to find a teacher, if you know nothing about it you need a teacher that corrects you so that you don't develop bad habits. Once you're no longer a novice, you can start learning other things on your own. When looking for a teacher, I wouldn't try to find "the best" or "most virtuoso" around, but w…

This is such a brilliant comment: "so you don't develop bad habits." I went to Japan as an exchange student when I was 16. I had never studied Japanese at all. The thing that surprised me the most was how hard it was for foreign students to unlearn the bad things they learned inside their American classrooms by listening to their friends. Most of them picked up bad pronunciations, bad grammar practices. Even if they…

> This is such a brilliant comment: "so you don't develop bad habits."

Yes, true, but on the other hand, singing comes naturally to some people which makes me think that most other people have already developed bad habits before they even started singing. At least that would hold for me when I started singing.

Therefore I'd say that the technical aspect of singing == unlearning of bad habits.

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn vocals, any suggestion on how I can do this?

#57

Post by greggyb »

alexilliamson wrote: post #45

For everyone saying "find a teacher": what specifically will the teacher will pick up on, that I can't pick up on my own listening voice recordings of myself? The situation is, I've known that I should find a teacher for many years. However, I can be quite stubborn and have instead been recording myself playing guitar/singing for the past several years. With debatable progress. I know I should find a teacher, but wha…

You've basically answered your own question:

> My guitar is fine

> I've ... had a lot of lessons.... So I feel better about self-studying guitar

> I've also been singing ... without any actual instruction.

> Help!

So what's the difference between the thing you feel better about and the thing you feel worse about? What did you learn from your guitar teacher that you wouldn't have learned alone? It won't be the same for voice, but it'll be analagous.

More specifically, for learning, feedback is best when given immediately. A voice coach would be able to give immediate feedback, rather than you (potentially) discovering it later on on your own.

Also, an experienced coach will be able to match your weaknesses with exercises specifically chosen to address the challenges you are facing. Exercises appropriate for your current level and practicing the skills you need.

Finally, there is a lot of subtlety in vocal technique. There are tons of things that most people do not notice in self-observation or through recordings that a coach can pick up on and help you through.

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn vocals, any suggestion on how I can do this?

#59

Post by bbulkow »

I have learned most things myself my entire life, and I would even say get a teacher. there are a set of things you have to know about tone and thinking in tune and how to practice. once you get the key concepts, which might take a few months say 10 lessons, you can do the rest yourself.

Re: Ask HN: I'd like to learn vocals, any suggestion on how I can do this?

#60

Post by quickthrower2 »

bbulkow wrote: post #59

I have learned most things myself my entire life, and I would even say get a teacher. there are a set of things you have to know about tone and thinking in tune and how to practice. once you get the key concepts, which might take a few months say 10 lessons, you can do the rest yourself.

Sounds like golf then
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