How much does natural talent matter in singing?

[doremi2]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 6:25pm

I was wondering what the views were on this. I've heard that you can learn how to sing well just like how you can learn how to play an instrument. I'm not a singer, but as a music major, I have had to take musicianship classes and have found that hitting pitches in tune is no big problem for me (within my range, of course) but my tone is pretty crappy.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 6:27pm

I think tone can be worked on, if you are hitting the pitches, then there is definitely potential there.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 6:31pm

I think that tone could be worked on, but you have to have a nice tone to start out with if you want to go anywhere with your singing.

[cathyhyatt]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 6:42pm

you have to be born with some natural voice to ever get far with your singing. I think yeah people can learn how to sing and maybe pull it off but they aren't going to get very far with it unless they have somewhat of a natural voice.

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:01pm

Training can only do so much... it's like it says in Gypsy..... "you either have it, or you aint!"

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:13pm

I am getting by as a paid professional actor in the musical theatre genre, and I have never had a voice lesson in my life. My big hint to you is to get the training I did not, because I really think I could be much better had I gotten it. Also, I beleive heavily that you can teach yourself how to do it, just by keeping a really good ear out. Find performances you like on CD, and try and breakdown WHY they are good, and try to emulate that in your singing, slowly you will develop your own style. That is what I did.

Akiva

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:19pm

Yeah, well we all heard your Wicked clips....

I think I'll take the lessons...

J/K

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:30pm

Hah...because clearly those clips are how I ACTUALLY sound...hah...I wonder why I KEEP getting cast in the Chipmunk musicals (I am always Simon, seeing my nerdiness).

Akiva

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:38pm

I dunno...type casting?

Although being Jewish I'd love to play a goy role to see what it feels like....

J/K

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:42pm

Hah,

It's funny because I am Jewish, and the role I have gotten the most attention for was my Motel in a big outdoor production of Fiddler on the Roof (not played in a chipmunk voice). Although this summer I am going to the other extreme and playing the half-native, half-Irish Tommy Keeler in Annie Get Your Gun, so I hope I can shed some type-casting.

Akiva

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:45pm

...Motel in a big outdoor production of Fiddler on the Roof (not played in a chipmunk voice).

Take it from a director, you would have had more attention if you did it WITH the voice. Negative attention, but nevertheless attention.....

[kelzama]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:46pm

Anyone can sing; not everyone has the equipment to sing well. Depends on the God-given hardware, so to speak.

You could tune a flea market fiddle the same as a Stradivarius, but one will always sound richer, fuller and better than the other.

[Thenardier]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 7:47pm

Ah, the flea market fiddle....the best music ever produced from an artificial instrument.....

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 8:16pm

i believe i am an okay singer...I can sing really well on some days and the next day its really not there. If i took voice lessons, do you think i could strengthen and learn how to properly place my voice?
ric

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 8:17pm

My question is, how much will my non dancing abilities restrict me in my career? I started a thread on it but no one answered.

[dietcherryemma]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 8:37pm

The whole "natural talent" argument is a difficult one. I think it depends on what type of singing you're going to be doing... I mean, belting is one thing, but if you're singing legit stuff, theres even more to work on. Then again, some people don't have a belt, they can only do legit...

I think there's a certain amount of natural talent that you can't replace, but it isn't quite to the point of "you either got it or don't". Like, I know a great dancer who has a spectacular stage presence, but her voice was really rough. After a lot of work, she still has a bit of that rough quality, but she can do it. She's not going to be singing to a man wearing a cape and a mask anytime soon (or ever for that matter), but she can sing well, and her stage presence, acting, and dance makes up for the rest.

As for dancing - I think that can be taught. Of course, it takes more physical prowess, but if you really work on it, I think it can be learned and takes a bit less inherent ability than singing (some people are just plain tone deaf)

[doremi2]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 6:04pm

Thanks for all the input. I've sung in an acapella group and was able to keep the group on pitch (I have absolute pitch) but I never had a solo, haha. Singing lessons seems like a good idea.

[SuddenlyTrey]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 6:07pm

That's a great question. And I agree with all of you guys. But it is undeniable that youhave to be born with some sense of natural ability. Eden Espinosa never had singing lessons outside of high school. But I hate that because I feel like you need to have technique for everything so that you can get the most out of your craft.

[actress_06]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 6:16pm

I think a lot of the tone stuff is different for the shape of your mouth and were you place the voice, for example, my voice (from what I hear) is much brighter when I smile. A lot of the Tone quality things can be helped with the right training. I highly recommend voice lessons if they are available to you.

Kaija

[Hairspraydoll]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 6:55pm

Natural talent only gets you so far. You have to take lessons for technique sake. You can tell the difference between a trained singer and a natural singer. The natural talent may sound great, but the trained singer will be poilished and know what they are doing. I couldn't sing a note when I was younger and now I can sing anything in my range spectacularly due to awesome training.

[felineofavenueb]

Posted: 6/11/05 at 7:37pm

The thing about having natural talent is it's a jumping off point. I hate hearing people say "Oh, I don't need voice lessons, I'm already a good singer" because it's so untrue. Voice lessons, and any other kind of training, can't completely teach you to sing if you don't have any natural inclination for it, but they will take you so much further than just going it alone.