When we were developing our ​singing-in-tune method1, we asked

people about their experience with singing. One of the questions we

asked was ​"What has held you back from singing in the past?"

Although there were many interesting answers, one which kept coming
up was:

"I don't have a good voice"

Also known as:

"People tell me my voice sucks"

"I'm not really a good singer"

"My voice doesn't sound good"

If you don't think you have a good voice you'll be reluctant to sing.
That's understandable. Especially when it comes to singing in front of
other people!

But what does it mean to have a "good voice"?

And what can you do if you don't have a good voice but want to sing?

What makes a voice "good"?

We all instinctively know a good voice from a bad one. You have
probably heard amateur singers and thought "wow, they really can't
sing!" But what is it we're reacting to?

More importantly, what could that person change about their singing
to sound good?

Let’s look at the 16 keys to having a good singing voice!

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1. Being in Control
Certainly one of the most noticeable factors in whether someone
seems like a good singer or not: are they in control of their voice?

Having good ​vocal control​ means staying "on pitch". This means
singing the pitch of notes accurately, rather than a bit sharp or flat. It
also means not wandering off key or singing in the wrong key to begin
with.

Singers with good vocal control can sing each note distinctly for the
intended musical effect in a melody or harmony. They can also handle
note leaps accurately, not jumping too far or not far enough in pitch.

Singers with a good voice have strong vocal control.

2. Good Tone
Singing tone2 is a combination of a few different factors, but it
basically means "the overall sound of the voice".

It's almost always the vowels in words which are sustained in lyrics
(i.e. "ah", "oh" "ee" etc. rather than "ch" "ss" "th" etc.) and singers
with good tone use clear consistent vowel sounds.

Tone also means the overall ​timbre​ (characteristic sound) of the voice.
For example, is it hoarse or smooth, hard or soft, broad or narrow,
light or heavy, and so on.

Singers with a good voice have good vocal tone.

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https://www.musical-u.com/learn/how-to-achieve-excellent-tone-balance-and-blend-in-you
r-choir/
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3. Clear Enunciation
It doesn't matter if you're hitting all the right notes if every word is
mumbled. Good singers have clear ​enunciation​, crafting each syllable
precisely as intended.

Of course in rock and pop music the delivery of lyrics is much more
relaxed and you might not sing crisp syllables. Still, each word should
be expressed exactly as the singer intends.

Singers with a good voice clearly enunciate each word they

sing.

4. Strong Support
One thing which can mark out a bad singer is that their voice seems
weak or feeble. To sound like a good singer you must have solid ​vocal
support​ for your singing. This lets you produce good clear notes which
sound strong and don't waver.

It also helps you to produce a broad tone rather than one which
sounds thin and feeble. Although you might occasionally want to sing
with a weak-sounding voice to suit a particular song, a good singer
must have a voice which is capable of producing a strong broad tone.

Vocal support3 comes from a combination of good posture, proper

breathing technique, and overall practice and development of your
singing voice.

Singers with a good voice have strong support for their singing.

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http://www.singwise.com/cgi-bin/main.pl?section=articles&doc=EffectiveAndProperBreathi
ngForSinging
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5. Suitable Volume
This is another immediate tell-tale sign of a
poor singer: they are either blasting out
every note, or singing so quietly you can
barely hear them. The listener is either
deafened or frustrated by straining to hear.
Either way, sing at a ​suitable volume​ or
they won't want to hear more!

Singing at an appropriate volume is

essential for sounding like a good singer.
The volume must suit the music, varying appropriately with the
musical phrasing, and be at the right overall level to match the other
musicians and please your audience.

Singers with a good voice sing at the right volume.

6. Suits the Style

The world of music is wonderfully diverse, and although we are all
naturally gifted with a singing voice, these voices vary and they must
vary to ​suit the style of music​ being sung.

Have you ever heard someone at a karaoke night try to sing death
metal with a sweet and gentle voice? Or someone attempt to deliver a
love ballad with a hoarse growling roar? Once you've stopped
laughing, the chances are you don't come away thinking they're a
good singer...

Good singers know how to adjust their tone, volume and overall
expression to suit the style of music. They also know to avoid genres
which they aren't (yet) practised in singing!

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To put it another way: a good opera voice is not the same as a good
rock voice or a good R&B voice.

Singers with a good voice sing in a style which suits the song.

7. Consistency
With all the characteristics above, it's important to sing with
consistency​. If you sound good for a few notes but then terrible after
that, the overall impression will be a bad one.

You've probably seen this before: the singer who shyly mumbles their
way through a verse, and then reaches the chorus and sings a strong,
powerful, accurate performance, before returning to their mumbling
for the next verse....

Having a good voice means having a good voice throughout a song,

not just now and then. It means having consistent volume, tone,
pitching, support, and style at all times.

Singers with a good voice sing consistently well.

8. Musical Phrasing
The human voice is perhaps the most expressive of all instruments -
but it can also be the most boring! Good ​musical phrasing​ is
essential for a compelling performance.

Phrasing means how the singer "shapes" each line of the song. It's a
combination of pitch, volume, tone, enunciation and more. Consistency
is the foundation for a good performance but it phrasing which makes
the singer sound like a person rather than a robot!

Singers with a good voice use expressive musical phrasing.

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9. Versatility
A good singer doesn't just have one genre
they stick to rigidly. In fact, one impressive
characteristic of good singers is that they are
versatile​ and can actually adapt their voice to
suit any style of music.

New techniques and practice may be required,

and a good singer will know to avoid public
performance until they have learned to adjust.
But with a good voice they can try new things
without fear that their voice simply isn't up to
the task.

Singers with a good voice can confidently try new things.

10. Self-awareness
This is actually the key to most of the points above, and it's another
factor which is particularly noticeable when distinguishing good singers
from bad: ​self-awareness​, i.e. being aware of your voice as you sing.

When someone calls someone else a bad singer, it's normally because
they've seen them blasting out notes, seemingly oblivious to whether
they're in tune, or at the right volume, or singing with a nice tone.

Singers with a good voice are always aware of their voice.

11. Use Your Ears

Key to several of the points above: you must ​listen​! Good singers are
using their ears as much as their voice.

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As a singer your ears let you:

● Hear and check your own pitch

● Adjust your tone as you sing
● Make sure your volume is in balance with the music
● Hear your band or fellow singers and complement them musically
● Develop your overall​ ​musicality4 and musical awareness

To accomplish all this requires ear training and​ ​active listening5 while
singing.

Singers with a good voice rely on their ears.

12. Know your range

This is another "know thyself" tip: even the greatest singers in the
world can't sing every note. It's important to know your own ​vocal
range​ and stay within it. In fact, it's often a tell-tale sign of an
amateur singer that they reach for notes that are beyond their range.
This results in missed notes and awkward strained sounds, and can
even damage the vocal cords making it harder to sing notes which ​are
in range!

Singers with a good voice stick to singing notes in their range.

13. Breathing
As any singing teacher will tell you, ​breathing​ is absolutely essential
for good singing. Singers with a good voice know the importance of
good breathing, and their singing depends on it.

Without the solid foundation which proper breathing provides, even

the most naturally talented singer will fall flat mid-performance.

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https://www.musical-u.com/blog/what-is-musicality/
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https://www.musical-u.com/learn/topic/how-to/active-listening/
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Singers with a good voice know how to breathe properly.

14. Make It Seem Easy

Except in rare cases where the song demands it, people want to hear a
singer who ​makes it sound easy​. Like the words and notes are
flowing out from them without effort in a natural way. This helps the
listener feel relaxed.

If it feels like the singer is straining or trying too hard for each note,
it's hard for the listeners to really enjoy the performance, as they
instinctively start feeling tense themselves.

As well as the effect on the audience, being tense when singing is a

big problem. Tension in your chest, jaw or vocal cords will make it
much harder to breathe, pitch and support notes properly. Although it

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can be hard when you're just starting out, the best thing you can do
for your voice is: relax!

Singers with a good voice make it seem easy.

15. Love Your Voice

It may seem a bit "chicken and egg", but singers with a good voice
know that they have a good voice and ​they love it​. They have made
peace with the fact that it sounds a bit different to other people than
to themselves and they've practiced enough to be comfortable singing
in front of people.

Singers with a good voice aren't afraid to hear themselves on a

recording.​ ​We all sound funny to ourselves6 at first, but to be a good
singer and be confident in your voice you need to get past that.
Recording yourself is a powerful way to improve your own technique
and improve your voice. The more you practice the more self-aware
you'll become in the moment as you sing.

Singers with a good voice love their voice.

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16. Look after your voice

This is a hard one to manage until you've accomplished the step

above, learning to love your own voice. But it's vital! The singing voice
is a natural biological part of your body, and that means it's vulnerable
to damage if treated badly.

If you want to have a good voice, you need to make sure you​ ​take
care of it7. That means warming up before singing difficult passages,
learning proper breathing support, taking it easy when you have a sore
throat, and avoiding straining your voice trying to reach notes beyond
your range.

Singers with a good voice ​keep​ it good by looking after it.

How to get a good singing voice

As you read the list above you might have wondered whether these
keys were the ​cause​ of having a good voice, or the ​effect​. Does having
a good voice produce these characteristics, or does building these
characteristics lead to a good voice?

Do you have to be born with a good voice or can you create a good
voice by training each of the points above?

As with most things in music, it's a bit of nature and a bit of

nurture.​ Some people will naturally have a better singing voice to
begin with, but everyone is capable of developing one. As you read the
points above, no doubt you found yourself thinking ​"Oh, I could
improve on that one...!"

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Or perhaps you're not sure how exactly to improve your voice? Ask a
friend to listen to you singing with this list in hand - then ask them
which points you could improve on.

Ultimately a "good voice" is simply one which people enjoy

listening to and want to hear more of. The way to develop a
good singing voice yourself is to practice each of the points
above, improving your voice more and more - until the
audience is clamoring for an encore!

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