How would I find out if my voice is good or not?

I highly recommend recording yourself. Preferably with something that will be good quality though.

I started taking some vocal lessons with a lady around local area, and I think it is helping. For me though it is just a hobby and I like to be able to compose my songs better, so I don’t know if I can offer any real advice.

@CuriousLoner: I have a feeling that I’ll hate how I sound no matter what. I hate hearing my voice played back. It’s just so different from what I hear in my head.

I was going to suggest recording yourself, too. Everyone hates listening to their own voice on a recording, but try to overcome that and be as objective as possible while listening. As if you are listening to a stranger.

@RandomGirl I know what you mean. I found it helpful though in long run. I’m obviously not happy with where my voice is now overall. Although I feel much more comfortable with it.

The way I see it I’m not trying to get on the American Idol or anything, just want to sing songs I write or like to cover.

Have you tried jamming with other musicians? I had 2 buddies one on harmonica, and lead guitar, while I did rhythm and I just started singing some lyric ideas. Now its turning into a little song of its own.

I had my friend critique me and found it to be helpful, there was somethings he pointed out – yet overall said it was not bad at all! Go figure and I thought it must sound awful. ( Which is horrible mindset) I always have fun with it, if I screw it up oh well I am learning anyways.

My vocal teacher she has mentioned my biggest problem is volume and relaxing my jaw. I’m hitting the notes, but I am not expressing it well enough like I want – If that makes sense. Which a lot of that has to with breathing, using diaphragm and what not.

EDIT: Here is a good video which I go to as refresher of sorts http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-sing-the-basics

Junior colleges often have voice classes. That’s a good place to start.
Don’t trust recordings because unless they are very high tech, you won’t hear an accurate sound. What you hear in your head isn’t accurate either.

@RandomGirl It sounds like you suck. Sorry.

Like the millions upon millions who actually audition for the various American ecetera Idol shows who really, but really suck horrendously and aren’t aware of it – methinks you’d know by now if you had a good voice. Someone, at some time, must’ve said – wow – you sing great. No? Cause you don’t.

But sing in the shower til your heart’s content.

Or: prove me wrong. There is a big difference between friends saying nice things and strangers complimenting you. The latter are honest.

My advice would be to not let one persons opinion set you in stone.
My oldest sister has a beautiful voice. Although our family was poor, my dad wanted to get her voice lessons. She loved to sing.
The instructor told my dad that she did not have a good voice and he was wasting his money.
This was in the late 40’s early 50’s. the acceptable sound was changing around that time.
After that my sister never sang publicly again.
I was closer to her kids age than hers. I used to love it when she sang to US and often wanted to find that vocal instructor and punch him in the nose.

Unless you are tone deaf you have the potential to sound good.

Some people aren’t naturally talented but with voice training and practice can become quite good. Your voice is like any other instrument.

Take classes, practice, enjoy yourself and have fun. If your voice is not “great” to start with that is OK, few are.

I think I’ll try to take a voice class in school this fall. I don’t care about being amazing or anything like that. I’d just like to use any gift I might have. Plus, it’d be fun.

Take voice lessons with a well respected teacher. If they accept you for lessons, you know you have some potential. Rest assured, you have a lot to learn. You won’t know you are any good until you are trained. This has to be something you want to do badly. If you want it badly, you have a chance of becoming good.

As long as you are not actually tone deaf (incapable of telling the difference between two notes of different pitch) then even if you’re a mediocre singer, coaching will improve your voice. It’s all about control and breathing. Nearly everyone will improve with lessons, so if you enjoy singing, I say go for it anyway.

Participate in one of those idol shows. If you get humiliated on tv in front of millions, you know you can not sing.

You have the right attitude about lessons. Take them because they are fun. Take them because you enjoy singing and practicing. Take them because you want to learn.

Do not take them to get famous. It doesn’t matter whether you are “good” or not. What matters is learning to enjoy singing and having more control over your voice and most importantly, learning not to do things that can damage your voice.

For example, don’t do what I do. Every time I sing, I do so without warming up. I can feel myself hurting my vocal cords, so I back off as much as I can, but I really need to try to warm up, and, more likely, train and exercise my voice so I sing more than once a week.

@Wundy is right. I used to sing daily. I was active in a church and had kids to sing with. Then my kids grew up and I started to grow out of my church and didn’t go as often so I didn’t sing as much.
Just found a new church and have also discovered that my poor voice is so out of practice it sounds terrible. I didn’t even realize I had stopped singing until I started again and noticed how hard it was to hit the notes without cracking. I guess I better warm up before church next Sunday.

@Judi Reminded me that besides choir in school there were drama clubs and a few choral groups that were open to the community for members. You don’t have to be perfect it. It gives you a chance to grow learn and practice. And hopefully have fun and meet new people.