You might sound like a rockstar in your shower, but it’s difficult to know if other people hear it the same way as you do. You would think you would know if you were a good singer or not, but shows like The Voice have proved to us that some performers think that their voice is great when, in fact, it is terrible. It’s important to find out whether you are a good singer or not, especially if you want to make a career out of your vocal abilities. Defining your natural singing talent can help you learn how to show your voice strengths and uncover your weaknesses. 

This article is a guide on how to know if you are truly gifted as a singer.

 

Evaluate Your Vocal Range

Learning to listen to yourself correctly can help you find out whether you’ve got a good set of pipes or not. The experts at Musicaroo explain that several apps and websites can help you determine your natural range. Depending on the platform, you will be asked to record a random song somewhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Your recording will then be processed by the app to take your median frequencies and lets you know your natural range as a result. Some websites can even break your vocal range into voice types, which helps better characterize individual vocal abilities.

 

Listen to Your Actual Voice

Your voice can sound different in your head than it sounds to others because of your sinus cavities, which means the best way to listen to yourself is through a recording by a voice recorder or the recorder app in your phone. Now that you’ve got a recording yourself, start listening to it and note your instinctive reactions. During your first play, focus on how well you move along with the lyrics and how you instinctively feel during each part of the song. People are usually their own worst critics, so your instincts can tell you a lot. Also, try to listen to the track in a variety of ways, such as through PC speakers, car speakers and headphones, as different speakers can give you different results, so you will get a more comprehensive impression of your voice.

 

Perform In Front of an Audience

Self assessment is a starting point, but it’s not enough. Singing in front of an audience will show you how other people react to your voice. Keep in mind however, that this is not the most reliable way to know your voice, because people tend to be polite by cheering or clapping when they see you give your best effort. Getting honest feedback from your audience can be challenging, but not impossible. Their faces and body language are what you should look out for whilst performing. If you are in a band or a choir, you can ask for the honest opinion of your collaborators as well. 

 

Be Open for Online Critics

Justin Bieber was discovered on YouTube when he was just thirteen years old. Most of us, even the majority of professional singers, aren’t that lucky. Or are we? Since Justin Bieber, many performers from Alessia Cara to Allie Sherlock have found musical fame online, so it is possible. Keep in mind that people can be blunt, and even brutal with online feedback, so uploading videos is not for everyone. If you are daring, take the chance by uploading your singing videos on YouTube or sharing them on Reddit. Remember that putting your video online means that you will be compared alongside people’s favorite singers, and so try to have thick skin, and separate the genuine feedback from the trolling. 

 

Hire a Vocal Coach

If you are considering pursuing a career in, it may help to ask for feedback from a vocal coach. They are the experts on voice, so who better to ask for constructive opinions? Your vocal teacher will be able to give you professional feedback and help you to fix any issues that you have with your voice. Having a professionally identified list of things to work on is a better start than trying to identify your weaknesses as you start on your professional singing path.

 

Musical tastes are subjective, and that is what makes music so special. If someone doesn’t like your voice, don’t be discouraged; it may just simply mean that your voice doesn’t match their tastes, or that you have some elements you need to work on. All the famous singers you know had to start somewhere, and maybe they were once in the same place as you are right now. It will take time, but if you keep at it, you never know where you could end up.