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Who is this course for anyway? What's it all about? Richard introduces the book and the resources, and explains the best way to get the most out of your purchase.

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In this video, Richard encourages you to record yourself singing something NOW, before you embark on the journey of learning to sing, in order to be able to mark your progress later on. It's absolutely worth doing this, as you'll be able to look back and see what you used to be like. If you're intending to commit to learning, please do this task first. It's important.

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In this lesson, Richard explains exactly how tuning works, and what it actually sounds like when you're in tune (or out of tune) with another voice.

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There are two versions of this video, this one for low voices (generally, but not exclusively, men) and the other for higher voices (again, generally, but not exclusively, women). If in doubt, try both and go with whichever you're more comfortable with - it's only three minutes long!

In the lesson, Richard shows you how to go about matching the pitch that he is singing, really focusing on aiming carefully.

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There are two versions of this video, this one for high voices (generally, but not exclusively, women) and the other for lower voices (again, generally, but not exclusively, men). If in doubt, try both and go with whichever you're more comfortable with - it's only three minutes long!

In the lesson, Richard shows you how to go about matching the pitch that he is singing, really focusing on aiming carefully.

In this lesson, Richard gives you more notes to practise pitching with. It's a short video, but you can play it over and over again in order to get better and better.

In this lesson, Richard shows you how to use swooping to help you to hit the right notes. It's a really useful technique, particularly near the beginning of your journey into singing.

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In this lesson, Richard spends some time helping you to become more accurate in pitching notes, learning to aim carefully. This is an important exercise, and you can repeat it as many times as you want to.

You need to have read the chapter in my book about singing being "both easier and harder than you think" to understand why I'm posting this video.

In this lesson, Richard teaches you a song. The purpose of this song is to help you to stay in tune, instead of dropping in pitch (a very common thing to happen to new singers).

There are two versions of this video, this one for low voices (generally, but not exclusively, men) and the other for higher voices (again, generally, but not exclusively, women). If in doubt, try both and go with whichever you're more comfortable with.

In this lesson, Richard teaches you a song. The purpose of this song is to help you to stay in tune, instead of dropping in pitch (a very common thing to happen to new singers).

There are two versions of this video, this one for high voices (generally, but not exclusively, women) and the other for lower voices (again, generally, but not exclusively, men). If in doubt, try both and go with whichever you're more comfortable with.

In this lesson, Richard talks about how important it is to make mistakes when you are learning a new thing.

In this video, Richard talks about and demonstrates why some people sound terrible at Karaoke, and how important it is to be aware of all the things that are happening around you within the music, staying present and aware.

In this lesson, building on the lesson learned in Bad Karaoke, Richard teaches you a simple blues song, which we then sing in a few different keys.

There are two versions of this video, this one for low voices (generally, but not exclusively, men) and the other for higher voices (again, generally, but not exclusively, women). If in doubt, try both and go with whichever you're more comfortable with.

In this lesson, building on the lesson learned in Bad Karaoke, Richard teaches you a simple blues song, which we then sing in a few different keys.

There are two versions of this video, this one for high voices (generally, but not exclusively, women) and the other for lower voices (again, generally, but not exclusively, men). If in doubt, try both and go with whichever you're more comfortable with.

Scroll to 14:43 for the relevant section of this video

In this lesson, Richard deconstructs the song "Happy Birthday", explaining why it is so often badly sung, and showing you how to get it right.

In this lesson, Richard covers some essential stuff to know about how music works. This is not the boring theory lessons of your childhood - instead, it's stuff which will help you to get your head around how to sing better.

Here's the first example of head voice, or M2.

Second example of head voice or M2 (the "Wooo!" at the end of every verse)

Minnie uses her M3 whistle register at the end of the chorus, just after the "doot'n doo do doo" bit.

This is a video showing the vocal folds in action across various different registers. You may not be able to watch this within this website - you might have to watch it directly on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu2I5f94Yx0

We can produce all sorts of sounds with our voice, from a creaking door to a whining puppy. In this lesson, Richard talks about the different registers of the voice and gives you a very basic outline of how they work, and how you can use them to help you sing better.

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Many people do not realise the extent to which you need to use your memory when learning to sing. A tune is made up of lots of different notes, all of which have various gaps in pitch between them (called intervals). Richard outlines some of these common intervals and explains how you need to map these out in your mind.

Here's our first example of what the semitone sounds like in a piece of well=known music.

The first repeated notes here, which crop up again and again, are a semitone apart.

The first minute and a half of this track are based around a semitone.

The first two notes of the chorus - 'some-where' are an octave apart.

Have a listen to the difference between the first line of the first verse - 'it's nine-o-clock on a Saturday' and the line shortly afterwards - 'He says "Son, can you play me a memory...?"' These two lines are an octave apart.

The first two notes, often repeated in this piece, are an example of the interval of a fifth.

The interval of a fifth plays a big part in this theme - the first two long notes that everyone would sing if you asked them how the Star Wars theme goes....

Here's another example of a fifth in the first two notes of the main theme.

Another example of the interval of a fifth being used in a theme. This one is actually in both the "fanfare" at the very beginning (descending 5th), and then in the main theme a little later (0:55, ascending fifth).

One more example of the interval of a fifth being used in a main theme.

Following on from the last video, Richard gives you some more practice at singing intervals and getting used to the gaps in pitch. This practice gets the neural pathways used to the distances, so you can get more accurate with your singing.

This is the sort of thing that happens when people sing without being able to hear themselves properly.

This lesson is particularly aimed at you if you find yourself (or if other people complain about you) hitting the wrong notes when singing with a group of other people. This lesson should help give you some insight into why this happens, and what you can do to improve.

This was John's first ever performance, after not being able to sing in tune properly.

Here's Nicola, someone who has never been able to sing in tune, singing "On My Own" from Les Miserables, during a lesson.

Rob had been told for 50 years that he couldn't sing. Turns out that he can.

Jonny's first ever public performance, singing "Run" by Snow Patrol

A final task for you before you move on to your new life filled with singing.

Final thoughts from Richard. Don't ignore this bit - it's really important.