That’s an interesting question. One thing is for sure, you need to understand how singing voices are distinguished.
The way we determine singing voices can be done in two ways. Range and timbre. Timbre has no way to classify itself on a scale since it is not quantifiable however, the range is quantifiable and as such, is a better way to measure which voice you have.
But, we can’t leave it at that, we have to understand why timbre is also important. Let’s read ahead.
Voice Distinguished by Range
In music, the human voice is divided into categories in which range of notes you are able to sing.
Your lowest to your highest note is your range.
Male singers are usually bass or tenor.
Bass voice ranges from E2-E4.
Tenor voice ranges from B2-A4.
Female voices are usually alto or soprano.
Alto’s voice ranges from G3-E5.
Soprano voice ranges from C4-C6.
If you are not very sure about what these numbers mean then I suggest you study a little bit of music theory.
You’d be interested to know that these are also the classifications found in other families of instruments. Especially saxophone. Saxophones come in soprano, alto, and tenor.
One very important thing one has to understand is that throughout your study and practicing for singing you will be spending time ‘increasing’ your range. I have written more about this in the sections ahead to come.
Voice distribution by Timbre
When people ask what singing voice you have, they might be talking about timbre.
Do you sound nasal? Do you sound thunderous?
This is where we leave behind standardized tests and other means by which we understand voice. Because now, it’s an expression more than anything else. With the dawn of music production, there is a lot we can do with the voice.
No, I am not talking about auto-tune.
Now it is no longer a matter of pitches.
It is what you sound like.
It is like how you would describe your own voice as it is unique to yourself. There is actually no one way to say it.
We talk more about the characteristics of the voice rather than a mathematical calculation of the voice. Is your voice soothing? Is your voice angry? Is your voice cute? Is it sexy?
When it comes to timbre, in music production, most of the music that you are hearing is not new.
The idea is not new. It is just that you have not heard those sounds before.
This is a timbre explosion.
Everyone sounds unique. Everyone sings uniquely as well. If you are talking about that kind of voice then there is no standardized measure of how you can actually sound. It is more of a personal thing. Then this article is not really going to do much beyond this.
Your Voice Is Malleable
Our voices are malleable.
They have the ability to change and grow.
There is a common misbelief among singers that singing is an innate ability. You are either born with a good voice or born with a bad voice. Because the way that you speak – soothing, cute, or anything else; it’s more of a natural voice that you developed.
You do not sound like your parents, in the exact same way, or even like your friends.
But when it comes to range, it is malleable.
This is so because you can train your voice. This is the whole idea of taking singing lessons.
Once you train your voice, then you are able to improve your voice to the point where male singers can sing both bass and tenor parts, while female singers can sing both soprano and alto parts with ease.
So that is where it is malleable.
Right now, you may not be able to sing higher notes or lower notes than your current spectrum. You might not be able to sing even more than one octave. But with practice, that is how it becomes malleable.
You can improve your range, which is actually very important for a singer to practice. They should improve their range. They should be able to sing as high as possible as well as low as possible with ease.
How to Improve Your Voice
It is possible through practice and correct knowledge.
If you are still stuck in the belief that this is an innate ability, if you are not able to do it because you are not born to do it then it is not the right way to approach it. Read about it here.
Let us say that you are preparing for a marathon that will take you 2 hours for you to run and complete. Imagine you are not a jogger.
Let’s assume you one go you can run for 5 minutes maximum. So, if you practice for one year then will you be able to run for only 5 minutes? No.
How much will you be able to run? Mostly and certainly more than 5 minutes and be able to complete the jog or marathon.
So we believe that if you put your time and effort into something, your range can improve. But why do we not believe that in the case of music? Vocal cords are like any other muscle. Practice will make it better.
One should study music theory to gain knowledge.
The whole website is based on the concept of teaching people what is the best way to go about it where many myths will be busted. If you want to learn how to sing then the most cost-effective and time-effective way to get rewards through your investment is through online courses.
You can seek help in private courses. But, even in that case, online courses will be a fraction of that cost. It will also give you 10 times more freedom to practice wherever and get knowledgeable about it regardless of where you are.
Whether you are commuting or sitting, online courses get you covered. You can just open your phone and get access to the online course. You can devote 15 minutes of your time to it instead of opening Netflix for the entire 30 minutes. This way you can get more knowledgeable about singing.
This way, half of the battle is already won. Now when you go to practice, you will go with that knowledge and get better regardless.
You don’t have to be a bathroom singer anymore.
You can get better at singing.
Learn From Online Courses
It is no surprise that I am an advocate for online courses and you can tell that by the name of the website as such I believe that you ought to have at least one of these in your digital library.
You can read more about it here.
But to go directly to what I would recommend, ‘The Four Pillars of Singing’ has to top the chart as not only do I own it myself but you will also get the book along with it.
There are obvisouy other courses that are equally good but you may have some specific requirements and I don’t think there are going to be any other than the ones mentioned here.
Whatever you end up deciding, I hope you are successful in your singing!