Short answer
Yes. Many community choirs for beginners have no audition and teach songs by ear, so you don't need to read music either. Rock Choir alone runs over 400 such groups across the UK and Ireland (Rock Choir). And "can't sing" often just means out of practice: when researchers tested 62 occasional singers, only a minority made many pitch errors (Dalla Bella et al., 2007).
Can I join a choir if I can't sing?
Yes. Open community choirs exist for exactly this: people who haven't sung since school, people who were told to mouth the words, and people who simply want to try. Many say "no auditions" or "all welcome" on the front page of their website.
The research is on your side. In a 2007 study, researchers recorded 62 occasional singers performing a well-known song; only a minority made many pitch errors, and when 15 of them sang it again slowly, most were as accurate as professional singers (Dalla Bella, Giguère and Peretz, 2007). A 2009 review puts poor-pitch singing at roughly 10 to 15% of people, yet almost 60% of 1,000 university students surveyed said they couldn't accurately copy a melody (Berkowska and Dalla Bella, 2009). Far more people believe they can't sing than actually struggle.
Even if you are in that smaller group, a non-audition choir is a good place to be. You never sing alone, and pitch is a skill that responds to practice. If you're worried it's something more, here's how to tell whether you're tone deaf (you're probably not).
Do community choirs audition?
Most open community choirs don't. Community, workplace, pop and rock choirs, and many church choirs, take anyone who turns up. Choral societies and chamber choirs that perform demanding classical music are more likely to audition.
Read the wording carefully, because "no audition" can still come with expectations. One choir in the Natural Voice Network's directory says it doesn't audition but expects members to sing tunefully and hold their part with practice (Natural Voice Network). Phrases that usually mean beginners are genuinely welcome include "no experience needed", "open access", "all voices welcome" and "no need to read music". If in doubt, email the leader and say you're a complete beginner. Their reply tells you a lot.
Do I need to read music or sight-read?
Not for most community choirs. Sight reading means singing straight from written music you haven't seen before; some auditioned classical choirs expect it, but beginner choirs usually teach every song by ear. The leader sings a line, the group copies it, and the song is built up piece by piece.
Rock Choir, for example, says there's no audition and you don't need to read music; members get annotated lyrics instead of sheet music, plus audio and visual learning aids once a song has been taught (Rock Choir FAQs). Many other choirs share learning tracks, which are recordings of each part on its own, so you can learn your line at home. Ask for them: they're the most useful thing a beginner can have. If you're handed sheet music anyway, use it as a map of the words and of where the tune rises and falls.
What to expect at choir: your first rehearsal
Expect mostly listening and copying, surrounded by people doing the same. A rehearsal usually starts with a warm-up, then the leader teaches a song a few lines at a time, part by part, with a break in the middle, as in the example below.
A few things make the first night easier:
- Arrive a little early and tell the leader it's your first time. They'll usually suggest where to sit.
- Sit next to someone confident in your part. A steady voice beside you is the quickest way to learn a line.
- Sing quietly at first. Nobody expects you to know the songs. Listening is part of learning.
- Record the leader if the choir allows it, so you can practise your line during the week.
Check your pitch before the first night
Hum five notes back and see how close you land. About a minute, and nothing is recorded.
Which part should I sing?
Sing the part whose notes feel comfortable, let the leader help you choose, and know that you can change later. A part is one of several lines sung at the same time; together they make harmony. Classical choirs usually use four parts, called SATB: soprano (the highest line), alto (below it), tenor (lower again) and bass (the lowest).
Traditionally, women sang soprano and alto and men sang tenor and bass, but many community choirs now place people by where their voice is comfortable, not by gender. Some skip the names and simply say "high", "middle" and "low".
A part is not a verdict on your voice. It's the line that sits in your comfortable notes right now. A leader may ask you to sing a few notes, or just try you in one section for a week. If the line feels strained, too high or too low, say so and try another. Your comfortable notes can widen as you practise, and your part can change with them; why your voice type is a starting point, not a label explains more. To see roughly where your voice sits before you go, the free pitch checker shows which note you're singing as you hum from low to high.
What if I sing the wrong notes?
You will, and so will everyone else, especially while a song is new. In a group, one wrong note mostly disappears into the sound, and the leader fixes notes for a whole section rather than singling anyone out.
Does singing with others help your own pitch? The evidence is mixed. One study found that people, including poor singers, made fewer pitch errors when they sang along with the melody they were copying; another team couldn't repeat that result and found extra voices helped poor singers with the shape of a tune but made their exact pitch worse (Berkowska and Dalla Bella, 2009). The practical lesson: a strong neighbour helps you learn how a line goes, but you still need to hear your own voice. Some singers cup a hand behind one ear to do that.
Will you have to sing on your own? Almost never in a community choir. Where a choir has solos at all, they're usually for volunteers.
Why join a choir? What the research says
The best-supported benefit is social: singing together seems to help strangers bond quickly. A 2015 University of Oxford study followed 135 adults in seven new adult education classes for seven months. In the first month, people in the singing classes felt a much bigger jump in closeness to their group during a session than people in craft or creative writing classes, though the other classes had caught up by the end of the seven months; the researchers called it the "ice-breaker effect" (Pearce, Launay and Dunbar, 2015).
Size doesn't seem to spoil it. In a 2016 study of one community choir, singing for 90 minutes in a combined 232-person "megachoir" raised feelings of closeness more than singing in its usual groups of 20 to 80, even though the smaller groups felt closer to begin with (Weinstein et al., 2016).
For wellbeing more broadly, a 2018 systematic review that assessed 61 studies found reliable evidence that music and singing have positive effects on wellbeing in adults, including better morale in older people. The authors noted that community choir members in these studies tended to be female, white and relatively well educated, so the results may not apply to everyone (Daykin et al., 2018).
You'll have plenty of company. Chorus America's 2019 study estimated that more than 54 million Americans sing in choruses (Chorus America), and Voices Now's 2017 census found over 2 million people singing regularly in a choir in the UK (Oxford University Press blog). To see which other benefits hold up, read the benefits of singing: what the research shows.
How to prepare for choir in two weeks
A few minutes a day for two weeks is enough to walk in feeling steadier. The aim is not polish: it's to find your comfortable notes, hear yourself land on a note, and know one simple song.
- Days 1 to 3: find your comfortable notes. Hum a slow slide from low to high and back, like a siren. Notice where it feels easy. That middle zone is where you'll start.
- Days 4 to 7: match single notes. Play or hear a note, hum it back, and check whether you landed. How to match pitch walks you through the method.
- Days 8 to 11: learn a simple song. Pick one you half know and sing it slowly on "la" before adding words; in the 2007 study, most of the occasional singers who re-sang a song slowly matched professional accuracy. These easy songs to practise are a good start.
- Days 12 to 14: sing along quietly. If the choir shares learning tracks, start on one. Otherwise sing along with a song you like, softly enough to still hear yourself.
If you'd like structure for those two weeks, Singbud is a singing app for adults who think they can't sing. It starts with a short voice check (about 3 minutes), then builds a daily plan around your goals, 3, 5, 10 or 15 minutes a day, with a live pitch line while you sing. All audio is processed on your phone, so your voice is never uploaded. Its "Teach me this song" feature can also learn a song from a recording you upload, such as a learning track, and teach it line by line.
How do I find a choir near me that takes beginners?
Search for "community choir no audition" with the name of your town, then check each website for the welcoming phrases above. These directories and networks are good places to start:
- UK and Ireland. The Natural Voice Network, whose members believe singing is everyone's birthright regardless of experience, has a find-a-choir map searchable by postcode, with a few groups in other countries. Rock Choir lists its local choirs across the UK and Ireland (Rock Choir).
- US, Canada and beyond. The Barbershop Harmony Society has a chorus search covering nearly 700 communities, though you join the society to join a chapter (Barbershop Harmony Society). SingUnited International, the worldwide women's barbershop and a cappella organisation known until 2026 as Sweet Adelines, has a find-a-chorus search and suggests visiting a weekly rehearsal first (SingUnited). Audition policies vary by chorus, so ask.
- Adult education. Colleges often run beginner choir courses. City Lit in London, for example, describes its "Choral singing for pleasure" course as suitable whether you're a beginner or have some experience (City Lit).
- Local places. Libraries, community centres, churches, workplaces and parent groups often host choirs or know of one.
Many choirs let you sit in on a rehearsal or try a free session before you commit; Rock Choir offers a free taster, then charges £120 a term for three 10-week terms a year (Rock Choir FAQs, checked October 2026). Smaller choirs set their own fees. Questions worth asking: Do you audition? Do I need to read music? Are there learning tracks? How much does it cost? Is performing optional? If performing is the part that scares you, read how to get over the fear of singing in front of people.
Should you take lessons first? You don't need to. A choir gives you a guided practice session every week. If you later want one-to-one help with technique, are singing lessons worth it? covers costs and alternatives.
Questions
Can I join a choir with no singing experience?
Yes. Many community, pop and workplace choirs welcome complete beginners, with no audition and no need to read music. Look for phrases like "no experience needed" or "all voices welcome", and email the leader to say you're new. Research suggests many adults who think they can't sing are simply out of practice, and singing slowly with others is a good way to get back into it.
Do you have to audition for a community choir?
Usually not. Most open community choirs take anyone who comes along, while choral societies and chamber choirs that sing demanding classical music are more likely to audition. Some non-audition choirs still expect you to learn your part with practice, so check the wording on their website or ask the leader before your first visit.
Do I need to read music to sing in a choir?
Not in most community choirs. Many teach every song by ear: the leader sings a line and the group copies it. Sight reading, singing from written music you haven't seen before, matters mainly in auditioned classical choirs. Some choirs share learning tracks, recordings of each part on its own, so you can practise at home.
How do I know which part to sing in a choir?
Choose the part whose notes feel comfortable, and ask the leader to help. Parts are different lines sung at the same time; in many choirs they are soprano, alto, tenor and bass, from highest to lowest. A part isn't a permanent label. If your line feels strained or too low, try another, because your comfortable notes can change as you practise.
What if I'm the worst singer in the choir?
You're probably not, and it matters less than you think. In a group, one wrong note mostly disappears into the sound, and the leader corrects whole sections, not individuals. Sit next to a confident singer in your part, sing quietly while you learn, and practise your line at home with any recordings the choir shares.
Sources
- Dalla Bella, Giguère and Peretz (2007). Singing proficiency in the general population. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 121(2). PubMed.
- Berkowska and Dalla Bella (2009). Acquired and congenital disorders of sung performance: a review. Advances in Cognitive Psychology 5. PMC.
- Pearce, Launay and Dunbar (2015). The ice-breaker effect: singing mediates fast social bonding. Royal Society Open Science 2(10). Oxford University Research Archive.
- Weinstein, Launay, Pearce, Dunbar and Stewart (2016). Singing and social bonding: changes in connectivity and pain threshold as a function of group size. Evolution and Human Behavior 37(2). Goldsmiths Research Online.
- Daykin and colleagues (2018). What works for wellbeing? A systematic review of wellbeing outcomes for music and singing in adults. Perspectives in Public Health 138(1). LSE Research Online.
- Chorus America (2019). Chorus Impact Study: Singing for a Lifetime. chorusamerica.org.
- Oxford University Press blog (2017). On the Voices Now Big Choral Census of choral singing in the UK. blog.oup.com.
- Rock Choir. Home page and FAQs (fees checked October 2026). rockchoir.com; Rock Choir FAQs.
- Natural Voice Network. Find a choir. naturalvoice.net.
- Barbershop Harmony Society. Find or start a chorus. barbershop.org.
- SingUnited International (formerly Sweet Adelines International). Join. singunited.org.
- City Lit. Singing courses. citylit.ac.uk.
Choir examples are for illustration; Singbud isn't affiliated with any choir or network named here. Fees and directories change, so check with each choir. Not medical advice. Last reviewed October 2026.