Anyone can benefit from improving their singing ability. Whether you want to become a professional singer or just a show for women (trust me girls like men who can sing! Guys like girls who can sing too at least in my opinion … just I mean …) you can, singing is a skill, not something you are born with (there are some who develop the skills at a very young age, but that’s the exception) and you can start to improve no matter how far you are from singing perfectly today. What will determine how good you will become is your effort. This is the key to your success honestly, the amount of practice, research and energy you put into it, the more it is worth it. That is why you have to decide how far you want to go. But if it’s just for fun, do it as much as is fun for you.

Now these are the steps!

1. Believe in yourself: this is extremely important. It doesn’t matter how good you are or how much you suck, when you sing you have to be proud of yourself and you have to do it for yourself. Stop worrying about what people think of you. I know it hurts when someone makes fun of us, but you have the power to decide what true criticism is that you can use to further work on that particular skill, use it to your advantage. And let it go, maybe people won’t like hearing from you when you’re starting out, but I promise you will sound good if you have the drive, so don’t give up, just keep working on it.

2. Your voice is air, BREATHE: Learning to breathe properly is critical to all aspects of your voice, and yes, you are probably not breathing properly (I know, that sucks). The good news is, it’s easy to do, just learn how to use your diaphragm. This is difficult to explain in text, but a quick YouTube search for “breathing exercises” will give you a free training on the subject (come on, don’t be lazy).

3. Expressive = attractive: Singing is an art form and is meant for you to express yourself. So immerse yourself in the song, sit it down, and tell the story (even if the song is about the party, imagine you are at the best party ever). If you want to sing just for fun, do it because it is much more fun that way; Bring out the actor / rock star in you and people will listen to you. Obviously, if you choose to be a professional singer, this is much more important, so never forget it. No matter how good your voice sounds, if you don’t show emotion with your face and body, people won’t fully engage with you, what’s the point, right?

4. Collaborate with other musicians: This is something that I don’t see as being highly advised and it should be. Collaborating with a musician can be incredibly fun if that’s the only thing you’re looking for, or it can be a huge help if you want to pursue your dreams of being a professional. So if you have a friend who plays and plays an instrument, ask him to hang out and improvise a bit, write a song, cover one, upload a video to YouTube, or if you don’t have musician friends, look them up! There are many musicians out there.

5. Vocal Coach – You can find programs online or one near you, from the cheapest to the most expensive. You realize how important it is to you and how much you are willing to invest, but I promise.

There you have it, follow these steps and start to see the difference. Never stop improving your skills and especially those that you are passionate about. Investing in yourself is the best thing you can do … well … for yourself.