How to Sing Korean and English Songs Without Reading Them
You can sing a song you can’t read. Write the sounds next to the lyrics, learn the few sounds that trip people up, listen to the song many times, and start with the chorus.
How do you sing lyrics you can’t read?
Singing lyrics you can’t read works by writing the pronunciation above or beside each line, in a script you know, such as your own writing system, romanization or katakana.
The reading doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s a marker that points you toward the sound of the original. A reading in your own script will miss some details, so let your ears correct the rest.
What trips people up in Korean?
Batchim is the consonant at the end of a Korean syllable, and it is where many singers get stuck. Three points matter:
- Stop-type endings (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ): stop lightly at the mouth position, without adding a vowel.
- Nasal endings (ㄴ, ㅁ, ㅇ): carry the sound through the nose to the end.
- Linking: when the next syllable starts with a vowel, the final consonant moves onto it, so the sung sound can differ from the spelling.
The plain, aspirated and tense consonants (for example ㄱ / ㅋ / ㄲ) sound alike to many learners. Copy the recording instead of the spelling.
What trips people up in English?
The classic English trap is L versus R, followed by words that end in a consonant:
- L: the tip of the tongue touches the ridge behind the upper teeth.
- R: the tongue pulls back without touching anything.
- Final consonants: don’t add a vowel after them. End the word lightly.
Many scripts can’t show the difference between L and R, so listen to the recording.
What’s the fastest way to learn the song?
The fastest way to learn a song is to listen first and learn the chorus first:
- Listen several times without looking at the lyrics, so the melody and rhythm are already in your head.
- Then add the words.
- Start with the chorus. It repeats, so you learn the part you will sing most often first.
- For hard spots, slow the song down and practice in small pieces.
How can you practice at home?
For songs with synced lyrics, Hitokara can show katakana readings for English, Korean and Chinese lyrics. For how readings get attached, see how furigana works.