The secret to learning a song: focus on the next note, not the tricky part ahead

Sometimes we encounter a challenging part of a song and need to work on it separately.

image generated by Gemini AI

But if we try to keep this in mind when singing the first part of the song, it will affect the other notes. Here’s what I think is happening.

5 obstacles that can stop you being a singer — and how to overcome them

Many people would love to sing, but something is holding them back.

Here are five common obstacles that can easily be overcome.

Problems arising when men and women sing the same pitch: 5 relevant reads

This is one of a series of summary posts around a specific topic, bringing together five relevant posts from the past.

This summary is about the difficulties and apparent strangeness of men and women singing the same pitch together.

Singing with the dirt left on

I was honoured to be invited for a video interview/chat recently with New Zealand singer, musician and composer Tony Backhouse.

One of the things we discussed was how we like music to be honest, gutsy, muscular and authentic. But how to describe exactly what we mean?

When men and women sing the same harmony part

Often, when I’m teaching a song, a man might ask to sing the tune, or a woman might ask to sing the bass.

photo by Keith Hamilton Putnam

I usually say no, as I don’t like mixing men’s and women’s voices in the same part. Why is that?

Singers listen with their eyes as well as their ears

I've been trying to sing against a recording of two other people singing different harmony parts.

I found it almost impossible to pitch accurately because I couldn't see them.

How to sing better 3: breath control, vocal range and singing in tune

I get asked questions like these a lot: “How can I be a good singer?” or “How can I sing better?”



Of course, it depends on what you mean by ‘good’ and ‘better’. In this series of four posts I’ll outline a few things that might help.

The 7 elements of vocal blend and how to control them

There is a balance in any choir between individual voices and the overall sound. Most choirs aim to blend voices so that there is a cohesion rather than individual voices sticking out.

photo by pinkbelt

If this is taken too far however, I believe that you lose the humanity in the choir. It’s still a good thing to aim for though. Here’s how to go about it.

Why being ‘pitchy’ can be in the ear of the beholder

Sometimes when I watch TV singing talent shows like The Voice or X-Factor I think that the singer is out of tune, but the judges don’t seem to notice.



At other times the judges point out that a singer is ‘pitchy’, but I think they’re perfectly in tune. What’s going on here?

Four ways that your choir can begin a song badly – and how to correct them

It’s wonderful when a choir starts a song in a crisp and precise way. But there are so many ways in which this can go wrong.



How can we ensure that every singer gets off to a good start?

Why it’s vital to include voice training in your choir leading

I’m just back from leading a singing weekend for singers who want to improve their small group harmony singing skills. We focused quite a lot on blending which required us to look at vocal technique.

But should you make space for this kind of work in your regular choir? Or have people just come to sing?

Mixed tenor sections: the weirdness of men and women singing the same note

Many community choirs have mixed tenor sections with men and women singing the same part.

photo by Stefan Karpiniec

That’s when things can get weird! Let’s look at what’s going on.

Are you a singer with hearing loss? Steps you can take to make life easier in your choir

Last week there was a guest post about what choir leaders can do to help singers who have hearing loss.

photo by Hadley Paul Garland

This week I want to look at steps you can take yourself if you’re a singer who is experiencing hearing loss.

Some people take pride in saying they can’t sing – but is that just fear talking?

You’ll know by now that I believe that everyone can sing.



Apparently this irritates some people who really think that they can’t sing. Why is that?

How to give and receive starting notes 3: all the ways it can go wrong

There are many ways that starting notes for a song can be given out. There are also plenty of ways that starting notes can be confusing or misheard!



Here are some useful tips for making sure you start off on the right note. In Part 3 I look at all the ways in which giving and receiving starting notes can go wrong.

How to give and receive starting notes 2: receiving your note accurately

There are many ways that starting notes for a song can be given out. There are also plenty of ways that starting notes can be confusing or misheard!



Here are some useful tips for making sure you start off on the right note. In Part 2 I consider how starting notes are received by the singer.

How to give and receive starting notes 1: giving notes out

There are many ways that starting notes for a song can be given out. There are also plenty of ways that starting notes can be confusing or misheard!



Here are some useful tips for making sure you start off on the right note. In Part 1 I consider how starting notes are given out.

How male singers can successfully pitch from a woman (and how women can pitch from a man)

As we saw last week, many singers struggle with finding (and keeping) their starting notes.

photo by Albin Olsson

What can make it even harder is if a man is trying to pitch from a woman, or vice versa. Here’s what happens and how you can overcome any difficulties.

Finding (and keeping) your starting note

Many singers struggle with finding their starting note. Once they’ve nailed that, they’re off and it’s no problem.



How can you make sure you’ve got the right starting note and, more importantly, how can you keep hold of it before the song sets off?

Why can’t I sing low notes with more power and volume?

Many men (and some women) complain about not having much vocal power on low notes.

photo by GigNroll.com

If you have good power, control and volume in the rest of your range then there’s an easy explanation.