Is singing the most difficult skill?

[veggielover]

I play guitar, drums, keyboard and sing. I find singing well is the most difficult to master of all these. In one day you can play simple tunes on the keyboard. In a few days you can play simple slow tempo rock beats on the drums. And with guitar, a few weeks you can start strumming some chords. But with vocals, it seems to take years to get to a level that can "impress/wow" people. Unless you are singing perfectly, the audicene hears the imperfections and they sound really bad. I suppose with instruments, once you learn the technique you will always get the right note to sound.

Do other people also find singing the most challenging or am I making this too difficult? I neve sung as a child, so learned everything from scratch after age 25. Perhaps people who sing naturally developed their abilities at a young age..But I am stilll not buying that, I think singing is difficult no matter your background.

[robhc]

Nah, I play guitar and sing, and I find guitar FAR harder. I've played guitar 6-7 months, and have barely gotten any where with it. Where as, I've sung for less than half that time, and I've gotten far farther with it. I can do clean lyrics fairly well, just can't scream or growl.

[Ghast]

It depends, some people are naturals to singing and born with good tone and vibrato, other s can't sing for ****. Some people are total natural to instruments, etc.

At 25... I've got to say, you prob had the hardest time. Children can learn how to sing and stay in key pretty damn easily, however that sort of 'rock' voice and voice that goes well with guitar is pure practice on top of an already flawless choral/musical voice.

[ehlert99]

singing isn't hard, let me rephrase..

singing clearly and with actual knowledge of how to sing isn't too hard. It's just like any other instrument... it might prove more straining on the body but it can be mastered.

Now having the voice to sing is a gift... not everyone can sing well.

But all hope isn't lost - music helps alot with backing a singers voice... I dont think I really need to give examples... ah what the hell..

Axl Rose - at least in his raspy songs
Bon Scott
Brian Marshall
the guy from silversun pickups

etc.

they can sing just not without good backing music

[timeconsumer09]

I play guitar, drums, keyboard and sing. I find singing well is the most difficult to master of all these. In one day you can play simple tunes on the keyboard. In a few days you can play simple slow tempo rock beats on the drums. And with guitar, a few weeks you can start strumming some chords. But with vocals, it seems to take years to get to a level that can "impress/wow" people.

It takes years to be able to impress/wow people with those other instruments, too. Sure you can learn 'mary had a little lamb' on the piano in a day, but will anyone be impressed? Sure you can learn a rock beat on the drums, but will anyone be impressed? Sure you can learn a few chords on guitar in a few weeks, but will anyone be impressed? The answer to these questions: no. It takes years to get truly good at any instrument. You're comparing playing simple things on the instruments to wowing people with your voice. It isn't a fair comparison.

You get out of an instrument (yes, voice is an instrument) what you put into it.

[food1010]

singing isn't hard, let me rephrase..

singing clearly and with actual knowledge of how to sing isn't too hard. It's just like any other instrument... it might prove more straining on the body but it can be mastered.

Now having the voice to sing is a gift... not everyone can sing well.

But all hope isn't lost - music helps alot with backing a singers voice... I dont think I really need to give examples... ah what the hell..

Axl Rose - at least in his raspy songs
Bon Scott
Brian Marshall
the guy from silversun pickups

etc.

they can sing just not without good backing musicI disagree with most of what you said. I am fairly certain anyone can be proficient at singing. It may take more practice for some people, but they can still be proficient.

[ehlert99]

I disagree with most of what you said. I am fairly certain anyone can be proficient at singing. It may take more practice for some people, but they can still be proficient.


I am not saying that. What I am trying to get at is aside from being able to sing fluent notes without cracking your voice and understanding your range. There is a different side to singing such as how your voice comes off on others... Axl rose is considered one of the great rock singers but I wouldn't want to hear him do a awhole acapella without a band behind it. Compared to listening to say Rob thomas from matchbox twenty.

Idk if that makes sense..

[Phoenix Reborn]

I've been playing guitar for about...a year now. And aside from switching between chords rapidly and guitar shredding I feel I'm pretty good.

Now while I've never really spent much time on trying to improve my singing voice (infact until about a week ago I didn't have much of a desire to) I find singing is BY FAR the hardest instrument to master

[axemanchris]

Everyone is different. Some people look at us guitar players and wonder how the hell we do that. They tried and they just couldn't seem to get it very well. Other people can just open their mouths and sing in excellent tune.

I, personally, found singing to be the most difficult instrument to learn.

CT

[timeconsumer09]

I've been playing guitar for about...a year now. And aside from switching between chords rapidly and guitar shredding I feel I'm pretty good.

Now while I've never really spent much time on trying to improve my singing voice (infact until about a week ago I didn't have much of a desire to) I find singing is BY FAR the hardest instrument to master

So, something you practice constantly and make a conscious effort to get better at comes easier to you than something you've never really spent time on?

Shocking.

[clayonfire]

I do believe that the human voice is a rather difficult instrument, because being in tune and "playing" the right notes relies a lot on the actual person the the instrument (because the instrument is the person, so to say). However, if you find that singing is difficult because you always jump to the wrong notes or whatever, I'd recommend some ear training; I went to a week or so long music camp and took an ear training class there and I have to say that helped a lot. However, I am no expert vocalist. I enjoy singing, but I'm not that great at getting the right notes when singing along to my favorite songs.

[axemanchris]

Good point about your body being your instrument. With that, it is also subject to whether or not you have a cold, allergies, whether you've had enough rest, enough nourishment, whether you have sufficient mental energy to pull it off, etc.

CT

[clayonfire]

Yeah, axemanchris is right, if you've got a cold or something, it's very difficult (near impossible for me) to sing decently. I've just started getting over a cold recently that i had at it's worst saturday, but it still takes a week or two for me to get my full range back.

[brothertupelo]

jeff buckley could do both, but he was the exception

[J.A.M]

Yeah, axemanchris is right, if you've got a cold or something, it's very difficult (near impossible for me) to sing decently. I've just started getting over a cold recently that i had at it's worst saturday, but it still takes a week or two for me to get my full range back.
Ah, but then you could say the same about playing guitar if you messed up your hands I guess. Your argument seems to suggest the conclusion that the voice is more fragile, rather than harder to master.

[Guitartist]

The difference is - you can always buy a better guitar and a better amp. You can always retune the guitar to reach higher or lower notes. You can choose a guitar and amp that make the sound you want.

With singing, all you have is what you were born with. You only get one set of vocal chords. If they aren't very good at producing music....good luck.

Singing isn't harder. It just depends a lot more on natural ability. Someone with a naturally pleasant singing voice will have a much easier time than someone who starts out sounding like a cat orgy.

Just like a guy with longer fingers/bigger hands will have an easier time playing piano than a guy with short, stubby fingers.

Which one is "harder" is a completely individual thing.

[veggielover]

It takes years to be able to impress/wow people with those other instruments, too. Sure you can learn 'mary had a little lamb' on the piano in a day, but will anyone be impressed? Sure you can learn a rock beat on the drums, but will anyone be impressed? Sure you can learn a few chords on guitar in a few weeks, but will anyone be impressed? The answer to these questions: no. It takes years to get truly good at any instrument. You're comparing playing simple things on the instruments to wowing people with your voice. It isn't a fair comparison.

You get out of an instrument (yes, voice is an instrument) what you put into it.


Well I was impressed when I played those simple tunes on my keyboard, drums and guitar. But I have not really sung anything that impresses me much. I think the challenge with singing is two singers can sing the same note, but the better one can do A LOT more with it. With guitar, when I strike a note, it will sound almost the same as a pro guitarist. Not so with singing. To get the "pro" sounds , you need to put in the years of training to build up your vocal muscles,even if you just want to sing a ONE note song!!

Also there are no barriers to entry with singing. Anyone can do it. That means it takes a lot more skill to rise to the top. So society judges singers a lot more critically than instrument players.

[clayonfire]

The difference is - you can always buy a better guitar and a better amp. You can always retune the guitar to reach higher or lower notes. You can choose a guitar and amp that make the sound you want.

With singing, all you have is what you were born with. You only get one set of vocal chords. If they aren't very good at producing music....good luck.

Singing isn't harder. It just depends a lot more on natural ability. Someone with a naturally pleasant singing voice will have a much easier time than someone who starts out sounding like a cat orgy.

Just like a guy with longer fingers/bigger hands will have an easier time playing piano than a guy with short, stubby fingers.

Which one is "harder" is a completely individual thing.

Kinda Irrelevant, but I believe the human body has two sets of vocal chords, we just mainly use one set; There are some people who have been trained or trained themselves on how to use both sets of vocal chords and sing multiple tones at the same time. And no, I can't do it, I can hardly sing as is.

[JackWhiteIsButts]

I've become far more talented at singing with far less practice and no instruction in comparison to my guitar playing (also with no instruction) which I've been working at about the same amount of time. :shrug:

I have always been interested in controlling my voice though and prior to really trying to sing I'd always done impersonations of people fairly well and imitating different tones which I would say really helped a lot.

[Chaingarden]

Improving your singing voice, as opposed to improving your skill level in another instrument seems so insurmountable because it is so unlike other instruments. With a guitar for instance, your instrument is built and ready for use. When you sing, you must build your instrument first. It also doesn't help that the instrument you hear is very tonally different from what others hear. In addition to all this, we, as a group of instrumentalists, can agree on very little as to what the proper way to use our instrument is. When you learn guitar, it's simple. Fingers on frets; make sounds. The very mechanisms and techniques by which a pleasing sound is made is still hotly debated amongst many singing professionals.

In short, yeah, singing's hard.

[pandora_grunt]

I feel singing is the hardest instrument to master, for it is not as much an instrument. It's actually you're body. In the end a guitar (one with frets that is) still has certain "absolute" values. You could even see frets as buttons to push. Just like piano, though, there are certain ways to PUSH the buttons.

However, your practically limitless variables. But I wouldn't consider it the "hardest to master". I think it plays even with fretless instruments, like violin. Or Bagpipes for that matter.

[brcck]

Kinda Irrelevant, but I believe the human body has two sets of vocal chords, we just mainly use one set; There are some people who have been trained or trained themselves on how to use both sets of vocal chords and sing multiple tones at the same time. And no, I can't do it, I can hardly sing as is.
Whaaa?
I'm intrigued.

[the_perdestrian]

the thing with singing is this. you use your vocal chords every day. everyone does. everyone can sing. so someone singing is nothing special. you have to be great at singing to be above average. where as if Im average at guitar Im great. does that make sense?

[Black Star]

Singing is not the most difficult skill to learn. It is the most difficult skill to master.

[timeconsumer09]

Well I was impressed when I played those simple tunes on my keyboard, drums and guitar. But I have not really sung anything that impresses me much. I think the challenge with singing is two singers can sing the same note, but the better one can do A LOT more with it. With guitar, when I strike a note, it will sound almost the same as a pro guitarist. Not so with singing. To get the "pro" sounds , you need to put in the years of training to build up your vocal muscles,even if you just want to sing a ONE note song!!

Also there are no barriers to entry with singing. Anyone can do it. That means it takes a lot more skill to rise to the top. So society judges singers a lot more critically than instrument players.

I doubt you can strike a note and have it sound just the same as Gilbert, Petrucci, etc. There's more to playing a note on guitar than picking the note. And I don't mean amp settings, gear, etc.

There are no barriers to entry with guitar playing, bass playing, or keyboard playing. You can pick up a cheap instrument for less than a hundred dollars nowadays. How does it take more skill to rise to the top? Anyone can play any of these instruments. And just because everyone has a voice doesn't mean they know how to control it. Singing is much different from just talking. I say singing is no harder than any other instrument.

the thing with singing is this. you use your vocal chords every day. everyone does. everyone can sing. so someone singing is nothing special. you have to be great at singing to be above average. where as if Im average at guitar Im great. does that make sense?

If you're average at guitar, you're average. If you're above average at singing, you're above average.

Mind you, there's absolutely no way to determine 'average' or 'above average'.