Title: Choosing the Right Songs for Beginner Singers: A Guide to Starting Out
Aspiring singers often face the challenge of selecting suitable songs for their skill level when they begin their vocal training journey. Many beginners tend to choose songs performed by virtuoso-level artists like Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, or Beyoncé, not realizing that these songs require extensive skill, practice, and years of training. It’s essential to understand that being unable to sing difficult songs when you are a complete beginner doesn’t necessarily reflect a lack of talent. In this blog post, we will explore the factors to consider when choosing songs for beginner singers and provide helpful tips to get started on the right track. So if you’re a complete beginner singer looking for a song to get started. keep on reading!
Table of Contents
Choosing Songs For Complete Beginners: Recognize the Importance of Range
When starting singing lessons, it’s crucial to work with the voice you already have. As you speak, you utilize what is known as your chest voice, a section of your vocal range. Initial singing training focuses on strengthening this chest voice and setting up the vocal instrument for safe and functional singing. For women, the chest voice typically spans about an octave. Therefore, it’s best to select songs that stay within this range. However, finding songs limited to an octave can be challenging, as many popular radio songs exceed this range.
To help with song selection, I have created a list of songs for beginners that you can download for free from the button below:
Transpose Songs to Suit Your Key:
While my list of songs for beginners ensures a suitable range, it’s essential to consider your individual vocal range as well. If a song’s key feels too high or too low for your voice, you can transpose it to find a better fit. For example, if a song is in the key of F and it feels too high, you can bring it down by one semitone until it becomes comfortable for you. If you don’t play an instrument, you can download a Google Chrome extension called “Transpose Pitch” to help you transpose songs accurately (I demonstrate this in the video).
Focus on Songs with Smaller Intervals
When starting out as a beginner singer, it’s advisable to choose songs with smaller intervals between the notes. Smaller intervals, such as a step-by-step progression, are easier to sing compared to songs with larger gaps between the notes. By selecting songs with smaller intervals, you can gradually build your vocal skills and progress to more complex songs over time. An example of a suitable song with smaller intervals is “Lean on Me” by Will Withers.
Consider Songs Based on the Major Scale
Songs are often built around scales, with the major scale being the most common. The major scale is widely familiar, and most songs you know likely fall into this scale. By choosing songs in the major scale, you will find them more familiar to your ear and easier to sing. My list of songs for beginners adheres to the major scale, providing a comfortable starting point if you are a complete beginners (if you don’t love any of those songs just take them as ‘study songs’ that will make your singing better and prepare you for bigger challenges!)
Choosing Songs For Beginner Singers: Limit the Use of Ornamentation (for now)!
Some songs contain intricate stylistic elements, such as runs, trills, and vocal ornamentation. These stylistic choices are more appropriate for advanced singers and require a solid foundation in technique and ear training. As a beginner, it’s best to select songs that have a clean melody without excessive ornamentation. Songs like “Lean on Me” exemplify a simpler melody that aids in skill development without overwhelming beginners.
Conclusion
Choosing the right songs when starting out as a beginner singer can significantly impact your progress and enjoyment of vocal training. By considering factors such as range, transposition, interval size, scale, and ornamentation, you can select songs that are suitable for your skill level. Remember to start with songs that challenge you slightly while keeping within your comfort zone. This approach allows for steady growth and improvement as you develop your singing abilities. My song list for beginner singers and transposition tools will assist you in finding appropriate songs to begin your vocal journey successfully!
Good luck, and enjoy your singing practice!
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