I recently played a gig at a social/dinner. Initially I played instrumentals while guests arrived, then during dinner I did the same. After dinner I started with the vocals and some upbeat tunes and the crowd came alive, the reaction was completely different to just instrumentals. I attribute it to the vocals.

One of the most successful one man band and band leaders now retired that I know in my home state told me when he first started singing with his band the club owner told him if you continue to sing I WILL FIRE YOU. He didn’t stop singing, got fired, never gave up and years later he was hands down one of the busiest musicians I know. He gave up his very lucrative sales career in the wholesale furniture business to become a full time musician, he did real well. I will add he was also a savvy business man that helped attribute to his success as well.

The reason you can't/won't sing? Is it "inhibition" or simply "lack of confidence in yourself?" Is the singing ability there just waiting for you to tap into it?

A teacher once told me "singing is nothing more than speaking in pitch. If you can talk, you can sing!

That's a great "Rudy-esq" speech, but it's SO not true for everyone. Pitch is a gift, and some got it, and some ain't. I never want to hear "bad" anything. I'd rather hear an in-tune Casio than an out-of-tune Steinway etc.

Pitch can also be learned (if you ain't got it).

In my early 20s, I met "Jane." Jane and I both loved the song More (Mondo Cane). I wanted desperately to sing it to her but, unfortunately, I sounded like an electric garbage disposal unit. In my 30's I started vocal lessons. It was a struggle....good at music, but a plain "struggle" to learn (good) singing. One day, after many years the penny dropped. Actually TWO pennies dropped.

#1: My teacher casually told me "singing is nothing more than speaking in pitch. If you can talk, you can sing!

but....#2 was the blockbuster that catapulted me forward

#2: listen to yourself ....repeat: LISTEN TO YOURSELF

That's when I realized I WASN'T "listening to myself." Not listening to my notes, but focused on the physical dynamics of singing: breath control, mouth position, posture, etc. It's called "over-thinking!" Once I went into "simple thinking mode," and started listening to the notes I was singing, everything fell into place. From not believing I could sing in any way, shape or form (even though I was a good musician), that one statement turned everything around for me. It might not do it for YOU, but it made a world of difference for me. From that point on, I've developed (what I consider) a really good singing voice that I'm happy with.

Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something. You can, but like Bill said, it might just take a little longer. But if you are relentless in your quest to sing, it WILL eventually happen for you.

Can't agree with that. Maybe "some" can learn, but the initial gift has to be there. Singing is like floating. Not everyone can float.

But they still show up on Kareoke nights and drown !!!

No doubt. Scary. My son loves singing, knows every word for 100s of tunes, ranging from musicals , to pop , rock, rap, loves it all. As for the voice well, enough said. Haha

Good for him. Singing is a great mental stress reliever and fun. No harm no foul

Yep, he’s far braver than me. Haha