Singing- A Talent or Learned Skill?

A lot of people consider having the ability to sing as some magical element that you’re born with. Some believe you either can or can’t sing and nothing will change that. I 100% disagree and believe that if you can talk, you can sing. Of course, there are still different levels of ability and it is easier for some people pick it up quicker than others. However, there is always room to improve. Any feedback you receive, use it as a stepping stone to get from where you are now to where you want to be. Learning to sing is no different than training to do sports or learning to write or paint. The level of ability relies on technique as a foundation.

Technique is something that can be learnt and training the voice is just like going to the gym and training any other muscle, because that's what your voice is made up of- It is a combination of muscles and organs that work together to produce sound. On the contrary, some people do naturally possess the power to match pitch and are essentially more musically aware. This is a skill that can still be taught, but requires more patience. When considering pitching correctly, the ears pick up precise frequencies, the brain then recognises the minute differences in hurts and directs the vocal cords to reproduce that sound. Take a look at my free online lessons if you are interested in developing this or are eager to take the first steps into becoming a singer.

One artist I will use as an example in this case is popular singer- songwriter, Ed Sheeran. If you watch the video below from The Jonathan Ross Show in 2014, from 1:13 he shows some of his earlier work. He states, ‘When people say artists are born with talent, you’re not. You really have to learn and really practice.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flkjMuaKYQU

What do you think? Do you think good singers are born or made? Let me know!