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.