Let me make my 2 cents contribution: The difference between singing by instinct and doing the same through proper education is the same as in DRIVING AN AIRPLANE. Obviously, the results in singing are less tragic: you could loose ONLY your vocal chords.

In my experience (5 years instinct singing, 1 year listening to great singers, 18 years muted by the impression, 1 year encouraging again, 4 years studying seriously), I considered myself a bass at first (it was so comfortable!), then my choir director told me I could be a good baritone, then my teacher (tenor at Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires) told me I was a tenor, and had very badly used my voice in the low range.

Now my limits are the low E of the bass to the super-high C of the tenor (or, say the central C of soprano). The really useful range, is from the low G of bass to the high A of tenor, that's two octaves and a tone. I sing mainly at the choir, but have tried with success with small audiences:Verdi, Bach, De Curtis, and even Wagner (forgive me, Maestro Richard!)

I'm so happy I studied with a professional! He was the only one to tell me WHERE my voice sounded nice and brilliant, where the harmonics appeared, HOW it should be projected, HOW I should manage muscular resources, and I discovered a whole world of difference. I will never be a professional singer (I'm 53), but I don't want to. Every year I put my feet on the Colón Theatre stage,two or three times, among 60 other people, I'm being proposed for some solos, .. I'm happy. Conclusions:

- Never force your voice seeking the highest notes. They will come only after 1 year serious study.
- Never say (Spaw!) that your voice is bad
- Never look for the passage from chest to head voice, it is absolutely irrelevant.
- Singing is intrinsically un-natural. Don't sacrifice voice education seeking naturality.Just seek beauty
- Gentlemen: never use the falsetto voice unless you seriously want to become a counter-tenor
- Ladies: never worry about falsetto, you don't have it.
- Ladies: never sing as tenors, you will ruin your beautiful voices.
- See the message from Jeri !
- Look for a good teacher. Don't feel shy. Don't be afraid that he/she will make you a lyric singer and loose your popular character. You will be a MUCH, MUCH better popular singer if you study classics than if you don't. And see you at La Scala ! :))

Andrés Magré (Escamillo le torero who happened to be a tenor)

Please see the message from