Do Singers Need to Learn an Instrument?

One common debate amongst musicians is whether or not singers are "real musicians." While this question is ultimately pointless, it does lead us to the question of whether its necessary for a singer to learn another instrument or if simply singing is enough.

If you are a singer and sing for fun at karaoke or open mic nights, then no of course you don't need to learn an instrument. If, however, you are a working musician or regularly performing then absolutely you should. Vocals are a complicated area of music when it comes to music knowledge, as it requires somewhat little understanding of how music works. Learning piano or guitar especially can help you understand theory as well as allow you to accompany yourself.

Don't get me wrong, singing can be your focus and your primary instrument, but a singer without an understanding of music that comes from playing an instrument is like a runner who does a 5k once a year and never trains. Not really a real runner. I understand there are standout cases of singers who really dive into theory and composition, but even then 99 times out of 100 they HAVE to learn piano to do this. Some singers make technology their second instrument, and that works just fine. They learn music production or how to run a sound board and this does help, but an instrument is always the best option.

I would even argue the inverse. If an instrumentalist can't hold a pitch they don't really have the music "in" them. They claim musicianship but sing every note flat? A true professional musician should be able to do both.

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