When I started singing vs only playing guitar I was more of a casual singer-i.e. singing a few a night with my band. Then I “graduated” to singing a handful of sons a set. I sought out songs and singers that could fit my style by recording myself and listening back—so I could pull it off ok. I never took any formal lessons, and rarely practiced. As a result I would often blow out my voice after a few songs, especially if the band was loud (and my voice isn’t very powerful anyway). In my early 60’s (I’m 66 now) I decided to “branch out” and work on more solo performance which meant improving my vocal game. I started taking voice lessons and more importantly practicing regularly. I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my stamina, as well as my range. As I work on new songs I record them in several keys and listen back to find which sounds best. I will often use my vocal coach (which I only work with occasionally) to get feedback on my songs. Interestingly, I always thought of myself as more of a bass/baritone (I sang bass in my high school choir), but since my high register has increased, I find that many of my songs sound better when I’m pushing them up to my upper limits. My coach tends to prefer that range for me as well, which she describes as “bright” in a good way. While I’m never going to have great power, my skills have really improved and continue to—this comes as a result of a lot of hard work. Those with a natural gift for singing in (like some of my friends) don’t work at it much (not fair), but I actually enjoy the work, especially when I can observe the benefits.
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