Well, I don't know anybody who can sing a four part fugue. Well, maybe this lady:
Singing is not a skill you need to develop in order to have infinite choices with the piano.
Just for your own enjoyment, or maybe for friends and family. Maybe even a local performance on occasion. Do you really need to be able to sing well? I understand that being able to sing a pitch is important. Problem is, even though I know the pitch, I cannot replicate it. So assuming I'm not aiming to play professionally, is not having vocal ability something that should stop me from playing? I really enjoy playing and do not want to stop.
I can't begin to describe how important being able to sing has been to me personally...and I am not referring to vocal performance. Singing internalizes music...the more you sing the deeper that internalization becomes. My ear training classes and studying solfege laid the foundation for it. It all came together when I was accompanying oodles of singers. One day I was playing for an unprepared vocalist when suddenly, out of frustration, I began singing her part while I played mine. Up to that point it had been difficult to even speak while playing. I realized I could sing and play, or converse and play, heck, once I even carried on a game of backgammon...and never missed a beat.
Most people suck at singing. Even if you sing in tune and have vibrato it is usually just boring and mediocre. Very rare to have a great singing voice, its not something you can really train, you either have it or not, sad fact.
Then again, many people have good voice material but just cannot sing properly...that you CAN train.
Yeah but "good" voice is nice for karaoke or something like that. Even many "pro" singers these days who make albums rely on technology to sound good but listen to them live and they are nothing special at all.
I was actually referring to more traditional singing, even if not opera. Amateur singing is still quite popular here, especially choruses. Although maybe not among teens.
Thank you for all the answers! What I'm gathering from this is that though it would be very helpful, it's not really a necessity.Now I'll present another scenario, of which the answer is probably yes: What if you were to go to college for piano? Or what if you wanted to teach or play professionally? Then would vocal ability be required?
Now I'll present another scenario, of which the answer is probably yes: What if you were to go to college for piano? Or what if you wanted to teach or play professionally? Then would vocal ability be required?
Not surprised about the teens, though -- though somewhat saddened. But what can one expect if they never hear any real music?
I was actually referring to more traditional singing...
So you reckon you can train "traditional" singing to a high level? Personally I don't see the difference, singing is singing. You need a voice for it, you can't magically make your voice amazing it's what you are born with, it's a physical nature of your voicebox, way of talking, tongue etc, sure you can sing in tune etc but really thats not what great singing is only about, you need to have that special type of voice otherwise its just mediocre which is what most people sound like even if trained. We not talking about choirs here, the op talking about piano playing and singing as the pianist.Reason why I bring this up is because people can play piano well but when they start singing they ruin it all. As soon as you sing it becomes the focal point not the piano playing.
Since when is training just being able to sing in tune?
Personally I don't see the difference, singing is singing. You need a voice for it, you can't magically make your voice amazing it's what you are born with, it's a physical nature of your voicebox, way of talking, tongue etc, sure you can sing in tune etc but really thats not what great singing is only about, you need to have that special type of voice otherwise its just mediocre which is what most people sound like even if trained.
Everyone's voice can sound amazing with training within the fachs they fit.
I think singing is a skill, and the largest component of that is tuning the formants and upper harmonics.
I think people with that "special voice" you describe often learned this by accident, "naturally," but it can be taught to most of the rest of us.
Voice teachers vary in skill even more than piano teachers, unfortunately, and a bad one can do irreversible damage.
Im sorry but you can't train someone to sing amazingly if they don't already have a naturally good voice to start with. If you play piano well then start singing with an average voice it ruins the whole performance, i've heard it tonns and tonns of times on boat cruises, pubs, clubs, dining venues busking, concert halls etc etc etc.
Quote from: timothy42b on Today at 12:10:22 PMI think singing is a skill, and the largest component of that is tuning the formants and upper harmonics
Quote from L-I-w: You can train as hard as you like if you can't naturally sing well you have no hope.
Well now I'm a bit discouraged haha. Is there absolutely anything that I can do at home without a teacher to improve singing on key (and maybe even widen my range)? College for piano is just wishful thinking at this point, but if I cannot sing, then I don't think I should even attempt it.
Sounds like you haven't put any thought into what specifically differentiates a good voice.
Buzz your lips or flap them to practice some air support. Lead with the belly.
How, exactly, does someone read those words, and then go about doing them? And as far as playing piano goes, why would they even try to do belly-leads, lip buzzes, etc.? I once had an air mattress - that gave me air support when I was sleeping.
Piano pedagogy is just a stray thought at the moment. Do you think that one could really improve well enough at meet at least the bare minimum standards to pass any singing tests that may occur during those classes?