Monday, October 25, 2010

Vocal Exercises - The Top 10 Vocal Exercises

There are a number of exercises you can do to help develop your vocal chords and to help you either improve your singing voice or warm it up for use. Here are some vocal exercises that you can try:

1. Try to sing a single note then hold that note or prolong it for as long as it is possible without running out of breath.

2. Redo the previous exercise of singing a single note again but instead of singing one note, try it this time with the whole do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do scale one by one.

3. Sing the same exercise only this time, instead of using the doremi scale, use vowels. This will help you improve on how you open your mouth and how you emphasize your vowels as you sing.

4. Another exercise that you can use to prepare yourself for singing is to recite the entire vowel in one note.

5. One of the most effective and well known ways to train your voice is by practicing scales. You can practice scales by first finding out what your range is. Range can be anything from tenor to soprano. Once you know your range, use a piano or a keyboard and go up and down the doremi scale with a vowel sound, slowly increasing the pitch after each pass.

6. When doing scales, try to do it in short notes or in staccato and with the use of long notes as well.

7. You might think that tongue twisters are childish or dumb but these silly rhymes can actually help you improve your singing. Use tongue twisters to help loosen your tongue as well as your vocal chords.

8. An alternative to the usual one vowel or sound scale is one where you use "me, may, my, mow, moo" in one note then slowly going up the scale with this same set of sounds. The next thing you will need to do is to change the "m" in the set with another consonant after three tries.

9. One of the important things that you need to do when vocalizing is to do breathing exercises. Breathing the wrong way will not help improve your voice so you will need to learn proper breathing exercises and techniques as well. One breathing exercise you can use teaches you how to use your diaphragm. You simply say "shh" with your finger across your lip and let your breath out this way until you are out of breath. Do this a few times.

10. Another breathing exercise that can help you with your singing or that can be done along with other vocal exercises involves breathing in for 20 seconds and breathing out for 20 seconds after the 20-second mark for breathing in is reached.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

How to Learn to Sing Opera

You may assume that opera is too far out of your vocal range and that it is entirely too difficult to learn but it's really not. Although opera is a very challenging genre of music, if you have the drive and if you are dedicated to your practice, you can realize your goals.

Before you start singing opera, you should evaluate your voice. This will allow you to know exactly where your sound fits with the style of music. There are a few different categories that you can fall under such as alto, soprano, bass, baritone or tenor. Understanding which range your voice fits in will help you determine which style of opera is best for you.

You also need to know how to breathe properly before you start singing. You absolutely cannot get away with shallow chest breathing to sing opera. Opera demands a full deep breath and a substantial amount of voice control. These are only obtainable when you breathe through your diaphragm.

Your warm up exercises are just as important as breathing exercises. You absolutely must warm your voice up thoroughly when you sing opera. Not only is it nearly impossible for you to reach some of those difficult notes if you don't, you also can cause permanent injury to your voice by straining it.

Many people who decide to sing opera are already familiar with the language that they will be singing. If you're not, it is a good idea to learn it. You cannot really deliver the message of such powerful music if you don't understand what you are singing.

Opera is full of different emotions, some of which are humorous while others are tragic. As a performer, you need to be able to deliver the message and mood behind the song even to individuals who don't speak the language. Opera has the ability to move you to laughter or tears, regardless of if you speak the language that it is being performed in or not. It is all about how the song is delivered to the audience.

Lastly, if you want to know how to learn to sing opera, you have to be able to read music. Opera isn't like singing music that you are familiar with at karaoke night or with a cover band. You will be expected to learn pieces that you have never heard and the only way you can do that is if you can read music.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Lanikai Ukulele - Play The Sound of Hawaii

The Ukulele is often associated with Hawaii, although it actually comes from a guitar-like instruments of Portuguese origin and oddly enough means "jumping flea" in Hawaiian, maybe because your fingers resemble a flea jumping around on the fret board while you are playing.

If you're looking for a well made great sounding instrument you can trust a Lanikai Ukulele which are actually made by the Hohner music company which make many high quality musical instrument. You'll find each ukulele's sound to be as soothing as a white sand beach as you strum to the tune of the ocean.

Beginner ukulele players will especially enjoy the superb craftsmanship in the entry level lu 21. Here are a few details:

Scale Length: 13.625"
Nato wood top, back, and sides
Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
Geared tuners
White binding on the top
4 strings
12 frets

It's important to keep your Lanikai Ukulele in good condition so that it can keep its rich full sound for years to come.

Keep your Ukulele in its case when you are not playing it, this will protect it from heat, outside forces and humidity bumps.

Use a reputable polish to clean your instrument from time to time (do not use wax).

Change your strings often, a cheap ukulele with new strings will often sound better than an superb ukulele with old strings.

Use a cotton cloth to wipe down the body and strings after you play.

Never let it get wet.

The Honer company has been making the Lanikai Ukulele for quite some time now and has expanded their line up from the entry level lanikai lu 21 soprano ukulele that retails for around $80 to the more expensive $400+ Lanikai SM-CE Limited Edition Spalted Mango Concert Acoustic-Electric Ukulele.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Learn To Sing Opera In Five Easy Steps

Opera is a unique type of music. It is extremely emotional and artistic. Opera is essentially a type of art that when performed properly, provides an unforgettable experience. Following these five easy steps, you can prepare your voice for that next potential audition.

1. Voice Evaluation - Do you know where your voice actually fits in opera? Men will either be a bass, tenor or baritone while women fall in alto to soprano categories. Evaluating what type of voice you have will be helpful to decide which songs to sing and what parts to audition for.

2. Study Foreign Language - It is nearly impossible to be a successful opera singer if you are not familiar with the language you are singing. Even if you can learn the words, without understanding the meaning, your performance will be empty.

3. Breathing Techniques - You probably constantly hear that proper breathing is important when you sing. Well, opera simply demands that you sing from your diaphragm. There is no way if you breathe from your chest that you will get enough power or voice control to hit those hard and long notes. You can easily test your breathing by placing your hands on your stomach and breathing deeply. Your stomach should move, not your chest.

4. Voice Warmup - Opera is very demanding on your voice. If you do not take the time to properly warm your voice up, there is a good chance that you will strain and cause a lot of damage. Sing a few scales, hum a bit and quickly speak some tricky tongue twisters to get your voice ready to work.

5. Understand the Message - Opera is very passionate and emotional. It is not a type of music that you can just sing without really connecting to the meaning. It is also crucial that you learn to read music. Otherwise, you will simply be lost unless someone sings it to you first so you can hear how it sounds. Of course, if you are learning a new piece or auditioning for a performance, chances are, you will be expected to read and sing without help. To learn to sing opera, you truly have to appreciate the music.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Herb Ohta Jr

Herb Ohta Jr. continues on the virtuoso ukulele playing of his legendary father, Ohta-san. His style, however, is his own and he has carved out his own niche as one of Hawaii's premier musicians. His interest in the ukulele goes back to his childhood, when he began learning songs at the young age of 3. He studied under his father for many years, learning his father's masterful techniques, eventually becoming inspired by other Hawaiian musicians, and dedicating his life to performing on and teaching students to play the ukulele.

Herb Ohta Jr., in addition to his career as a performer, is a distinguished teacher of the ukulele. He began teaching at the age of 11, in Ohta-san's school. His own career took off in his late teens, when legendary Hawaiian musicians Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau inspired him to develop an even deeper interest in the music. His teaching career, however, continued on and, in the 1990s, he began giving his own classes, which continue to this day. He also performs on a regular basis for all manner of events.

Herb Ohta Jr., while sharing his father's eclectic influences and interests, is very much dedicated to the traditional music of Hawaii. He appeared as a recording artist for the first time on one of his father's albums. Like his father, Herb Ohta Jr. has proven to have a work ethic that few can match, recording over 50 albums on his own and playing a constant stream of live shows. He has won several awards over his career, including two Hawai'i Music Awards. He has been nominated for a Na Hoko Hanohano award no less than seven times during his career. Through it all, however, his primary drive has been to bring Hawaiian music to a broader audience.

He has seen a lot of success in that effort to broaden the appeal of Hawaiian music, playing to audiences nearly 10,000 strong over the years. He has also performed with some of the most notable musicians in Hawaii and his virtuosity entitles him to a spot on the stage next to the best in the business. He has also fostered interest in the ukulele among serious musicians through the publication of instructional books on this instrument, and Herb Ohta Jr. has created a body of work that further solidifies the Ohta name as among the most prestigious in Hawaiian music.

Herb Ohta Jr. continues to give classes, teaching all levels of students. His style shows much of his father's influence and the recordings of the two playing together are incredible for the level of skill exhibited on both counts. Like many Hawaiian musicians, Herb Ohta Jr. has not only increased the level of awareness of the music of these Pacific islands, but has made it much more popular, especially among young people intrigued by the long-neglected instrument that both Ohta and his father, Ohta-san have both worked so hard to bring into the lives of people around the world.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

5 Essential Songs to Learn on the Piano

You want to learn a new song on the Piano but your stuck. You can't think of a song you want to learn. I've put together a list of 5 essential songs on the piano that all players should learn at some point. So if you're stuck for something to learn why not consider one of these.

I've chosen three songs for beginners and two for more intermediate players so players of all skill levels can find something here.

Hey Jude

Most of us have heard this classic Beatles song. Opening with straight forward piano chords it's one of the best pop songs ever written on the instrument. While the song may sound complex it's really not that difficult for beginners who know a few songs already to pick up. Once you know the chords figuring out the pattern isn't that tough.

Don't Stop Believing

Some people view this song as cheesy, personally I like it. This pop stadium rock song was probably the band Journey's biggest hit. It's been covered by many bands, including the hit TV show Glee and also used as the outro for the final episode of the HBO TV series, The Soprano's. The intro is great fun to play and if you can carry a tune while you're playing piano this is a fun one to sing as well.

November Rain

Probably not an easy song for beginners to learn but Guns N Roses November Rain was and still is a huge hit for the band and main piano player Axl Rose. It's a beautiful piano part during the verses and it continues through out the song. You can find versions of this song to play it in a stripped down piano only version online.

Let it Be

Another great Beatles tune, Let it Be is a staple for all beginners. Like Hey Jude this song may sound more difficult to play then it actually is. The chords are pretty straight forward and there aren't too many difficult parts beyond that. You can find the basic piano chords online and then listen to the song a couple of times to pick the progression out by ear.

Bohemian Rhapsody

When you think of this song you might not think of it as a piano tune, how ever watch a live performance of this song and you'll see Eddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, playing the piano through a good portion of the song. There are versions online you can find which create some simple piano parts to play during the more complex electric guitar parts of the song.

This is another great song to sing and play if you are able to do it.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Increase Vocal Range - Good Range is Good Variety

Do you have a good singing voice but feel it perhaps lacks a little strength? There are many ways in which you can increase vocal range, in methods that have been practiced for years.

Many people believe a good singer is one that belts or screams their songs, whilst some of this may be true it is never good to literally belt out your words. This kind of terminology can imply that a singer needs to force or pressure their voice to impress their audience when in fact it takes a number of techniques and methods to master it. By following the following methods you will be using healthy methods to improve your voice rather than using destructive ones.

Centuries ago performers used healthy techniques to advance their voice that included no methods of amplification, as it did not exist at the time. Whilst people today can sometimes mask a bad voice with a good sound engineer, using the best techniques in the first place will save your blushes.

If you want to perform you should refrain from screaming or using poor techniques, as you will damage your vocal chords causing an even shorter-lived career then a person who practices good methods. Whilst some people are born with a naturally strong and hearty voice, it is only a select minority. Most people will take months, and even years to increase vocal range and create a powerful voice that will wow the crowds.

Powerful voices are created through a use of certain techniques, these include: Correct Breath Control, Good Posture, Healthy Vocal Techniques and Practice! By combining these elements you will develop your vocal mechanism in a healthy manner and improve your overall vocal range.

If you go to the gym you warm up before exerting major muscle exertion. The same goes for your vocal chords, as they like your body, are a muscle. If you don't warm up you could effectively strain your chords, damaging your voice and your overall performance.

Try to keep relaxed so your muscles don't constrict and inhibit your performance. You need to fully use your diaphragm so you can get as much air in as possible to fuel your performance. The best way to sound powerful is to project your voice as much as possible. By singing forward and imagining your notes almost bouncing off the wall back at you you will be projecting your voice to hit this target and thus increasing vocal range.

If you feel that your rehearsal performance is often better than the final thing then try to cut back slightly. Use a different lighter technique that doesn't exert your voice so much so you still have plenty to give on the day.

Try to learn songs that suit your vocal range and perhaps experiment with different things to see whether something edgier or softer might suit you while you try and increase vocal range. Remember whatever songs you take on always remember to repeat, repeat, repeat. Repetition is key in learning your songs to the core and in turn allowing you to really know when you should sing louder, softer, slower etc.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Learn Rockabilly Guitar Lessons

For those who were born after the 1950's, rockabilly is the famous and earliest style of rock 'n roll. With a mixture of hillbilly or country music, rockabilly has been the favorite especially of Southern people in the US. Rockabilly is considered to be a result of mixing jazz, rhythm and blues music. Today, the genre is still very much appreciated by musicians especially those who love to learn more about the different rock 'n roll styles.

Rockabilly may be a pretty old type of genre to be played in the music scene today but a lot of musicians are now trying to recycle music. From mixing the old school and the new school styles, musicians start to create innovations in music and how it is perceived by the listeners. If you are a music lover or would love to create your own music, learning how to play rockabilly in guitar would surely help you in astounding your audience through your unique way of playing. If playing the guitar has been your thing but would still want to discover if there is something in more you can do with that knowledge then learning rockabilly in guitar would be a great deal. In fact, there are a lot of videos uploaded on YouTube and some other sites that provides rockabilly guitar lessons. You can also find websites that specializes in teaching musicians or even regular students how to play rockabilly. Free video tutorials by Paul Pigat and Pete Turland (also known as the "Pigland") would surely help you in your rockabilly adventure.

Learning rockabilly may seem to be for the old-fashioned. But to tell you, rockabilly guitar lessons would surely help you exercise your fingers so you can take the other genres as easy-plays only. Anyway, rockabilly just sings for fun and relaxation. Not too heavy for the ears, not too heavy for your hands to play. There are a lot of tutorials to choose from and all you need to have is patience and discipline for you to perfect the skill. Pick your tutor, listen to your most favorite rockabilly guitarist and you're off to go and discover what was in during the 1950's.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Vocal Training Exercises

Soon after the 'preliminary' stages of the basic exercises, you'll shortly begin your vocal training exercises based on the needs of the material you're going to perform. Analyze the pieces or song that you're performing, and identify what are the skills which are necessary to perform it.

If you are practicing a piece that will need you to reach the extremes of your vocal range, you will definitely choose exercises that are designed specifically for that. You will need to perform flexibility techniques when the song has a lot of very quick runs or trills in it. For songs with many different notes needed to be sustained, you may want to work on air support as well as control. This article will suggest vocal training exercise for various functions.

Vocal Training Exercises for Low Range

For you alto and bass vocalists, the following are exercises for you. Regardless if you are a soprano or tenor, these exercises can be useful to you if you are performing a part that is lower than your usual range.

Descending octave slides. Start on a pitch close to the middle of your range. It ought to be comfortable for you. Using the lip bubbles ("bzz" or "brr"), slide down a scale one octave from the starting pitch, moving down by half steps. Try repeating this using some other vowel sounds or syllables such as "oo", "ah", "vee" or " voh".

Fifth slide. Once again, making use of lip bubbles or the syllable "vaw", start on a comfortable pitch and go down a fifth (so - do), moving down in half-steps. Then include a third tone, move back up to the starting pitch (so-do-so). Bear in mind, move down in half-steps. Finally, do it reverse (do-so-do)

Vocal Training Exercises for High Range

These workouts are very helpful for you sopranos and tenors, but altos and basses who need to work on their high range will find these useful too.

Up and down arpeggios. This is an easy broken chord going up and down: do-mi-so-do-so-mi-do. Move upward by half-steps with each subsequent repeat, using the lip bubbles or a vowel sound or syllable of your choice.

Upward arpeggio and downward octave with turn. This is a little bit more complicated version of the previous exercise. Vocalize the arpeggio upwards (do-mi-so-do), then do a turn (ti-do-re), then the 8-tone descending octave scale from do to do. Use those vowel sounds; do some on "ee", some on "oo", and some on "ah". Begin each different arpeggios a half-step higher then the last one, as displayed in the pattern below.

ee-----------------------------------------

oo----------------------------------------- etc.

Upward arpeggio with repeated high note.One other version of the arpeggio is very helpful with keeping a light tone on those high notes. With the syllable "ha", vocalize the upward arpeggio (do-mi-so-do) and then repeat the high do, staccato, five or six times. Look at the pattern down here.

Vocal Training Exercises for Flexibility

Ascending triplet scale. This particular exercise is quite complex to explain but its easy if you read the following notes below. Using the solfege syllables (do, re, mi, etc.), vocalize an eighth-note triplet upward beginning o n each syllable. Once you reach the top of the scale, go backwards and vocalize each triplet downwards. Sing the exercise as fast as you can.

do re mi fa so la ti do ti la so fa mi re do

Ascending and descending thirds. This is another one that is easier to sing than to explain. Beginning on the base note, go up a third, down a whole step, up another third, etc. until you reach the fifth tone, then reverse back and go back down a third, up a half step, down a third, up a whole step, etc. Again, try to sing it as fast as you can.

Rapid repeated up and down five note scale. This one is straightforward-just go up and down a five tone scale (do-re-mi-fa-so-fa-mi-re-do) and repeat.

Vocal Training Exercises for Breath Support and Control

Buzz-slides. The buzz is one of the best exercises for breath support. Start on a mid-range tone and slide down a fifth-so-do. Repeat several times, moving down by half-steps. Then buzz the descending triad-so-mi-do--sliding between tones. Again repeat several times, moving down by half-steps. Finally, buzz a five\-tone descending scale-so-fa-mi-re-do.

Messa di voce. For this exercise, sing a comfortable mid-range pitch on "ah". Sustaining the note, begin very softly and get gradually louder, then softer again.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Winning A Girl's Heart Through Online Acoustic Guitar Lessons

No matter how busy you are right now, I know you often explore the net to get some ideas about what's in and what's outdated in the world today. I bet you've arrived on this page because you need some help with regards to playing guitar. And I guess you are a regular guy who wants to impress the girl of your dream by means of showing your talent to her. Let's admit it. Girls always love guys with cool talents most especially in singing. If you think playing guitar is an old passion, you're definitely wrong. Having a talent in playing this instrument is a plus point to the girl that you are courting.

Have you ever heard about serenade? Well, serenading is one of the most effective ways to win a girl's heart. Serenading is often used in Asian countries since then. Influenced by rich tradition, there are still guys who used this type of strategy when courting a girl. You have two options when serenading a girl. The first one would be to hire a guitarist who will therefore play the guitar while you are singing. The other one would be to play your own guitar while singing. My advice would be to choose the option number 2. You know, it's not just enough to sing in front of the girl that you are courting. But what's more romantic is to show him how talented you are in playing guitar.

Why it is advisable to take guitar lessons online?

Learning guitar today is easier than ever. It's because online acoustic guitar lessons are now available. In comparison with learning guitar on music schools, you can save your money when taking guitar lessons online. On the first place, you don't need to travel from home to the music school. With the existence of the internet, getting an access to online guitar tutorials is easier. All you need is to sit down in front of your computer and take the lesson face to face with the master guitarist. Just imagine how much money and effort you will save when doing such thing. The typical cost of guitar lesson today ranges from $70-$100 per session. On the other hand, the online guitar lesson costs about $200 in just a single payment. Have you spotted the difference? It's almost half.

Other benefits:

But one thing that makes online acoustic guitar lessons so great is that you can go back to the past lessons as you wish. In this way you will have the opportunity to master everything. There are also audio and video tutorials that will explain to you how easy it is to play such musical instrument.

What you need to do now is to search for the best guitar guide on the internet. Be warned though because not all of them are created equally. Some are confusing lessons made by amateurs. You can check out some reviews to get the ideal guide you're looking for.

So are you ready to show off your talent and impress your soon-to-be girlfriend? Take guitar lessons online. There's no other way. Wish you the best of luck and I hope this article will serve as a simple guide.

Hiring a Singing Coaching Professional

Choosing a vocal coach is a huge decision but it doesn't have to be an intimidating task. Essentially, you are in control, they are working for you to help you become a better singer so do not take your decision lightly. Also, don't even think about hiring the first person that you interview either.

You should be able to evaluate the individual's credentials and experience prior to even inviting them for an interview by reading about them online if they have a website or a bio. Never hesitate to ask for and call personal references either. Any quality coach will be happy to furnish you with such information upon request.

It is also important that you don't judge a book by its cover either. Just because someone is a remarkable singer does not mean that they have skills to guide and teach you. Additionally, some of the best vocal coaches are not singers themselves but they have a very well trained ear and know how to help you achieve your goals.

When you are going through the interview process, give special consideration to those who you just naturally feel relaxed and comfortable around. This is very important because if you feel nervous or tense around someone, you are less likely to allow yourself to sound bad while you are learning. You may be less likely to take as many risks and this will make a huge difference in your personal growth.

Also, be sure to not just go into the interview blindly either. Have a clear list of questions that are inspired by your goals and expectations and be sure to take notes. Ask them to evaluate your voice and examine how they critique you. A quality coach is not just going to say nice things to you in hopes of getting hired however, criticism should be offered in a polite way that you are comfortable with. They should be also able to tell you what methods they would personally use to improve your voice and how long it should take to achieve your goals.

Singing coaching professionals can be really helpful however, it is also recommended to use some type of singing software program to practice with on your own. These are designed to significantly improve your progress a little faster.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Effective Ways to Learn the Piano Notes

There are many effective ways to learn the piano notes.

The tune of Auld Lang Syne is one of the most popular songs for novice piano learners. Because of the simplicity of the notes, this is what piano instructors usually let beginners practice. True to common belief, learning to play the piano is a difficult task to accomplish. But with constant practice, you should master the basics in a short period of time.

Of course, if you want to learn how to play this classic instrument, you must get your very own piano. Learning this skill will require long hours of practice, which will be impossible to do if you do not have your own device. This is not one of those skills that you can learn by playing mentally or by playing by ear. You have to be hands on in your learning the basics of piano so you will develop the senses needed to be more effective.

Once you have your own piano, learn the basic keys by doing what you see online and actually doing it on your own piano. After this, you will have to learn how to read the Grand Staff. Chord lessons should be quite easy if you have mastered how to recognize the notes.

One way of mastering the notes is to keep a visual picture of the piano keys and notes. You can also devise your own tricks so you will not be stressed out of your mind by memorizing the notes alone. The famous "Every Good Band Deserves Fame" is the most used phrase for E, G, B, D, and F for the notes on the treble clef. The base clef notes F, A, C, and E as you can see, does not need a phrase at all.

The earlier you learn to read piano notes, the smoother your learning will be. You can even brush up on your music lessons before starting your piano courses so you will not be overwhelmed with the information that are bound to encounter.

Once you do learn the basics, always remember to practice, practice, and practice. As they all say, practice makes perfect. Enjoy the experience and the hardship that you will encounter to reach your goal. Because in the end, no matter the long hours and sore fingers, the beautiful music you will make will be so worth it.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Singing Alto?

If you look at the conductor's score for a piece of music you will see that there are usually different parts of the music for different vocal ranges. If you are a female singer, or maybe a young male whose voice hasn't yet been changed by puberty, you will probably be singing alto. The term alto is used to refer the lower section of the feminine vocal range. If you are singing alto there are some things that you can do to improve your natural voice.

It is really difficult to learn how to sing alto when all you listen to is your voice. Your training will be considerably easier if you can find an instrument that you can play while you are developing your vocals. The piano is always an excellent choice.

Part of learning to sing alto is learning where your range is. To locate your range you should sit down at the keyboard. Find middle C, now look for the G right below it. This G is one end of your vocal range. The other end of your vocal range is the E which is located 1/10 above the middle C.

Once you have picked out the keys that signify your range, you will need to use them to determine if your voice is even capable of singing alto. Slowly work your way from the G to E, try to match your tone to the piano's tone. Don't be surprised if reaching either the low notes or the high notes feels like a strain, this is common. If you are able to match the notes, then you are an alto singer.

It might seem like you should be able to learn all about singing alto on your own, but if you are really serious about developing your voice you should have an instructor. Never underestimate the power of a really good instructor. Even if you are unable to find someone who will work with you on a one on one, you should take advantage of something like your high school music program.

Look for a couple of compositions that are easy to sing. Having a piece that isn't musically stressful will make it easier for you to focus on developing your voice and tone. Later, when you don't have to concentrate quite so hard on singing alto, you can look for more challenging parts.

It is really difficult to be a good alto singer if you don't know how to read music. Reading music isn't difficult but it does take some time. This is another area where having a good vocal coach is a critical part of singing alto. Your coach can teach you how to properly read the piece of music in front of you.

Although being able to sing by yourself is important, once you are fairly confident about your singing alto abilities, you should really look into joining a vocal group. The first reason to join a vocal group is it is just a lot of fun, but the second reason is to help round you out as an alto singer. Singing with a group will teach you about harmonizing, something every good singer needs to understand.

Although gathering a group of your friends together for a garage band is lots of fun, you should also look into joining a formal singing group like a school music group or church choir.