The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing

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Introduction

Everybody can sing—but not everybody can sing well.

You know this. You hear some singers, and you hear the sound of angels. You hear other singers—whether on the stage or in the shower—and you hear the sound of wild animals being tortured over open flames. What makes some voices sound great and others sound grating?

It's all about technique.

Good singing isn't a secret, it's a skill—one almost anyone can learn. You just need to know the right way to do things, and then you need to practice them. Over time, you'll become a better singer. It isn't that hard. Really.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing will teach you basic vocal technique, and then some. It doesn't matter what your background is, or what kind of music you want to sing. All you need is your voice and a dedication to your goal; we'll help you with the rest.

Want to sing in a choir? Want to be a big-time pop singer or a country star? Want to sing jazz? How about gospel, musical theater, or opera? It doesn't matter what type of singer you want to be, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing will teach you the proper vocal technique you need to be successful. Singing isn't rocket science, after all; like we said, anybody can do it, especially if you have a good guide—like this book.

By the way, the "we" behind The Complete Idiot's Guide to Singing are a vocal teacher with thirty years of experience and tens of thousands of former students, and a former musician who is now a successful nonfiction writer. If you're keeping tabs, Phyllis Fulford is the vocal expert; Michael Miller is the professional writer—and one of Phyllis' former students. We think the pairing makes for a useful and easy-to-read book.

In this collaboration, Phyllis definitely supplies the singing expertise. She draws on more than thirty years of teaching students at all levels, from junior high to adult. She knows what works and what doesn't, and the mistakes beginning singers are most apt to make.

Michael's contribution is to put Phyllis' vocal coaching into words on the printed page, and to help out with some of the theory and musical examples. So if you like the content of this book, thank Phyllis. If you like the way it's written, thank Michael. (And if you like the approach of the Complete Idiot's Guide series in general, thank the publisher!)

We hope you will like this book and, more important, find it useful. Our goal is to help beginning singers improve their technique and become better vocalists. That means learning proper posture, breathing, diction, placement, and phrasing. It also means learning how to sight sing, which requires a basic grounding in music theory. And it means learning how to adapt your technique for different musical styles, and mastering the physical tools of the trade—including the microphone.

All of this—and more—is covered somewhere between here and the end of the book.