by Hadassah Ryan

Created on: March 29, 2009

Singing is an enjoyable past-time for many people; however some should enjoy it more in the privacy of their own homes! If you sheepishly count yourself among the ranks of those producing a joyful noise rather than a pleasing one, here are a few tips to get heads turning towards you instead of away!

Before you can address any singing faux pas, you need to know which ones you might be committing. You've been hearing your voice your whole life long. Even those who admit they're not stellar singers most often secretly feel that they're really not that bad. Ask for the help of a trusted (and gentle) friend. You need to know the truthful answers to these questions. Once you have an idea of what is ailing your yodeler, you can take some steps to improve these snafus.

Are you really singing on pitch?

There really isn't such a thing as a person who is tone deaf, rather, just tone-uneducated. Some of us are born blessed with the natural ability to sing on key, others need to be trained. This takes evaluation from someone who has already mastered the skill. Learning to sing on pitch requires instant feedback that instructs you in whether you are singing flat (too low) or sharp (too high). Much like physical training that makes it easier for you to perform athletic feats, pitch training can whip your vocal muscle into shape in a relatively short period of time. For the would-be soloist committed to regular practice intervals, computer software like MusicLab Melody or Harmony makes this process a more private affair.

Is your voice too nasal or too breathy?

These are the two most common extremes we hear in an unattractive singing voice. Singing beautifully requires a sense of balance between how much air you are allowing to escape out your mouth, and how much out your nose. A more advanced term is "resonance". As you sing, the sound is directed up your throat and then dispersed through your resonators: your mouth (teeth, tongue, palate), the bones of your face (sinuses) and even the top of your head. An easy way to determine if you're letting too much air out your nose is to plug it while you're singing. You should be able to continue singing with little alteration to your tone (the consonants N, M, excluded) if you're balancing well.

If your tone is too breathy, the solution will take a little more work. Mental imagery is a powerful tool for altering your tone. Imagine your voice is coming out your mouth and shaping into a razor-sharp point at a spot in front of your face about

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