Time is one of those things that we need to have a strong understanding of. The more you practice the better you become but when does it come to a point where you think, it’s time to do some other things?
Three years of singing lessons will be sufficient. Given that you are willing to understand all the nuances of your craft and that you truly wish to become a master of it, three years is an ample amount of time to understand further practice everything there is to practice in singing.
There are a lot of distinctions I need to make so that what I am telling you makes sense. Without further ado, let’s get in and understand what the next three years of your life will look like.
Why Three Years
This might seem controversial and I don’t want you to think otherwise. I hope you’ve come to this with an open mind.
Because what I am about to tell you is something that is going to challenge what you’ve known but is going to help you to grow as a singer.
You can learn everything there is to learn about singing, in three years for sure.
How?
Well firstly, singing is a very limited knowledgebase and definitely not unlimited in which you can get lost forever. The execution of music and learning how to sing is unlimited and so, learning is finite but the possibilities that you can create with it are infinite.
Secondly, the way you acquire this knowledge is also very easily done. At the end of the article, I have given resources from which you can get technical knowledge about singing.
So, the ‘knowing’ is easy. You have the resource and you have the knowledge that it is limited.
Technical vs. General
Anything that is not related to how to perform a certain task in singing is general knowledge. Like these blogs, the correct mindset and thoughts about practicing and even knowing that the knowledgebase of singing is limited is in and of itself general knowledge.
Anything that teaches you or guides you into how something is performed in music is technical knowledge. This includes but is not limited to, learning how to stand, and how to make the proper facial structures.
Why Practice Tapers Off Over The Years
During the three years of your growth, I don’t want you to think that just because you are able to understand that there is no need to practice.
Practice and understanding need to go hand in hand. One cannot survive without the other.
But the next subheading is what happens after those three years. But, you must have the underlying practice built up so that you can perform a the level you are.
After three years of practice, I don’t want you to just ‘know’ about singing I want you to be knowledgeable and be able to perform like someone who has been practicing singing.
Just needed to make that clear.
After That
So, once you know that the knowledge base of singing is limited and I am sure you will end up mastering and understanding everything there is to understand.
Along with the practice I mentioned here.
So, now here is the crazy part. Are you ready?
Once you know everything there is to know about singing and how it works and you are able to take it back to its roots you are now able to take everything you hear and break it down to its bones and roots.
How? Because you know everything.
In the previous subheading, I told you that you ought to be practicing as well. Because you now know everything there is to know you will also be able to break down not just the ‘theory’ part of it.
But how to perform them as well.
Think about it, if you are able to discern what technique is performed and which technique to use when you are singing. Then, you will be able to perform it as well.
What If You Understand but Can’t Perform
Then you will build up to it.
I am telling these things to you because you ought to know that practice tapers off but never stops. You may not put as much practice as you used to but doesn’t mean that when you’re trying to reach something you will.
You will practice again but not four hours a day. Just in short periods.
Why Online Courses are Better
One of the reasons I am an advocate for online courses is that for three years to come, you need to pay for them once.
Obviously.
You also get to watch something over and over again until you understand exactly how it works. The same applied to practicing and you can keep on practicing until you feel like you’ve mastered a certain skill.
A Word on Progress
Progress can be steady, but never linear.
Just because you advance through certain things at a decent pace doesn’t mean that you will advance through all things at the same pace. You need to keep that in mind.
For me, my muscle memory develops really fast on guitar and bass but my ear training took me a whole lot longer.
Knowledge Outpaces Practice
Yup, you read that right.
You can and should strive to learn more about singing but when you are down with sickness or any kind of mood that doesn’t allow you to practice, you should strive to make yourself more knowledgeable.
The reason for that is simple.
It’s easier to understand things than it is to master them through practice. You can and probably know a lot more and faster about singing than you can actually perform.
Just something for you to keep in mind.
But, What About Learning?
The actual place where you can learn to sing properly and for a fraction of a cost of a college class or private tuition is through online courses.
I have written an article which talks about it, here.
But to cut directly to the chase, ‘The Four Pillars of Singing’ is my going recommendation to every singer who wishes to learn how to sing. If you’d like a little bit of a taste of Robert Lunte’s teaching then I would show you this, the warm-up course. It’s not as full-fledged as the previous one but it is something.
If you’d like to see what other courses you can have that target specific needs, you can go here.
Whatever you end up deciding, I know you will become a better singer than you are today!