How to Sing in a Foreign Language

Singing in a foreign language is a daunting but necessary challenge many singers must face. The grammar, vocabulary and sounds of a foreign language alone are difficult to master. Combining this knowledge with the musical ability and verbal fluency needed to sing well is even harder. Here some tips you can follow to make this tough task a little easier.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Learn what the words in the song mean. After you translate the lyrics into English, look for words in the original language that are especially important to the song's meaning.
2. Find a recording of the song and use it as a model for your singing. You don't need to copy the singer exactly, but you should use it as a guide to your own pronunciation and interpretation of the lyrics.
3. Listen to someone speaking the foreign language. If you know a friend who's fluent in that language, spend time with them and soak up the sounds of the language.
4. Spend extra time saying words that are hard for you to pronounce. Some vowels and consonants appear in other languages but not in English. These just take time to get used to.
5. Treat the song the same way you'd treat it in English. Look for connections between the words, the music and the overall artistic impression you're trying to convey.
6. Figure out how to say each of the foreign words in a speaking voice before singing them. You can find recordings of words on the Internet, or you can use the IPA pronunciations in a dictionary to figure them out yourself.