Myth or fact?

[Ballaw de Quincewold]

I have heard from several teachers that all pianists sing like frogs (or worse).
I'm a pianist and that pretty much sums up my singing. Are there any people here with piano as their MAIN instrument who can sing well?

[Bassoonery]

Piano is my first and favourite instrument despite the fact I'm really a very poor pianist. Anyway my singing skills are awful - okay I'm in tune but i sing from "my head" instead of the bottom of my tummy. It's hard to analyse your own voice but I know my technique is appalling and I avoid singing in public!!!

[Student]

Piano was my first instrument, now it's voice. However, I have to admit that piano never fit me very well, I do much better on the organ.

I also have one friend who is primarily a pianist (going into vocal accompaniment) who sings quite well. However, always remember that the exception proves the rule. My other three friends who play piano and my organ teacher do not sing.

[Cdnalsi]

It's quite weird. Because vocalists will always perform better if they have played an instrument before. I'm a pianist myself, but I sing just for fun. Never in public.

[tawei82]

I like to sing. I sing everywhere, walking, bath. But I can't sing well, voice not good, no power.
I think pianist can get the tune very accurately, but usually no power. Because during piano examination, they use their head to sing, because require only tune accuraccy, not loud and power.

[Bassoonery]

Well put. Totally agree. 8)

[Thorolf]

As a conductor of choirs, I would like to point out that instrumentalists are usually perfect choral singers, as they usually sing in tune (much better than your average singer!) This is far more important in a choir than volume and sonority.

And as a hope for others: As a boy I sang in the Norwegian State Broadcasting boys choir Sølvguttene. I never had a particularly beautiful voice, but I sang perfectly in tune and it was all ok. Then adolesence broke my voice, and I had to start from scratch. I always was an instrumentalist, starting on piano (still playing fairly good), so singing was never my main focal point. But as I got a lot of experience as a conductor of choirs, I got gradually better singing myself, and now I sing fairly good!

Practice helps.

Regards.

[Majesty]

I do think pianist often sound like frogs when they sing. I am a pianist and have had some vocal training. If I put the time into it, I would develop really good technique. Instrumentalist do usually stay in tune much better. I think its because they aren't realying on using any kind of vocal technique. They are just using their ears as they are used to doing. For average singers bad voacl technique often gets is a singers way to stay in tune.

[Composer]

I sing like shit, but know a pianist singing very well

[tawei82]

I think you really need a good voice in order to stand out among the singer. A good voice need to trained to stand out also. But first, you really need a good voice.