Are Singing Lessons With A Vocal Coach Necessary?

[TanyaBrown]

As a singer without any formal vocal training, you would probably have wondered whether to hire a vocal coach to train your singing voice. Well, your procrastination is hurting your singing career.

Just name me any famous singer who never had any vocal training? Yes, some of them may have gotten popular without any formal singing lessons but all these popular singers, without exception realized that they have to engage a vocal coach at one time or another take their spectacular singing career to superstardom and to stay up there.

So what makes you think that you do not need vocal lessons? If you are already singing professionally, then it is vital that you take up voice training to separate you from the mediocre singers. This is how you can get noticed when you are above the pack and above your singing competitors.

If others do not believe in vocal training and you do, then you would already have won because you will be singing much better and control higher fees for your performances.

You need to take care and respect for your voice. That is your musical instrument and your voice determines whether you succeed or fail in your singing career.

Finding a good singing teacher can be a little tricky. There are many so called vocal coaches out there proclaiming themselves to be singing teachers after merely reading up a few books. As this industry is not regulated, there are many charlatans out there.

The best way to determine a good singing teacher is to ask good singers. After all, they are already good singers themselves and their recommendation won't be all that bad isn't it?

However, since singing teachers are human beings, it is thus important that the teacher student relationship is good and you can get along your vocal coach. The chemistry between you and your coach must be good, otherwise when you are singing under stress, your voice will come out as very strained and that voice is awful to the ears. If you can't along with your singing teacher, then you may need to change your vocal coach.

One way of eliminating this human problem in learning how to sing is to get VCDs, DVD and video singing lessons of famous and proven vocal coaches. Not only is it much less expensive than hiring a vocal teacher, you can work at your own time and own pace. Since the teaching tools are yours, you can practice your vocal training anytime and anywhere. Better yet, you are learning from the best!

Most good singing coaches will have a vocal workout lessons plan for you. Learning how to breathe and use your diaphragm properly are the basics of a singer's inventory. You will find out how remarkable your voice can get when you mastered only these two singing exercises. Once you are using correct breathing and diaphragm control techniques, your singing voice and confidence will soar.

So, if want to bring your singing career to greater heights then go and get a vocal coach now and start practicing singing skills now.

 

[CMB]

where is the question?

Interesting post - and I agree with parts of it, having had 20 years of vocal training, but it doesn't really leave anyone a place to go in terms of starting a discussion.

You ask a question and then answer, which does rather put a point on the discussion aspect of the forum.

Now if you wanted to discuss *types* of training, then maybe we could get some folks fired up.



I will respond to the term "vocal coach". A vocal coach, per se, is not a voice teacher - they are separate animals.

A voice teacher gives you the tools and training in order to ding, and hopefully, sing well in terms of what is good for you physically - correct fach, correct rep. usw.

A vocal coach is there to teach you about the rep - to work on your languages, to make sure you are singing a role in the way that it was intended by the composer, to "interpret" the rep you have chosen to sing.

Lucky students get teachers who are skilled in both. Many are not.
Your post uses both terms interchangeably, which at the risk of sounding pedantic, I would frown upon.

You recommend DVDs and VCDs almost as if you are marketing those items to the list. No DVD is going to really teach anyone breathing technique - it is something that has to be felt, and a good teacher can cut through the crap. Keep in mind that if you learn it incorrectly first, it is MUCH harder to unlearn it, as anyone who has heard me slog through my most hated Vaughn Williams piece (The Call) can attest to.

Learned it wrong, can't re-learn it. The sense memory just won't let GO of the damned thing....

 

[greatcyber]

NO training of any kind can ever hurt... you never know when what you just learned will be called upon.

 

[TanyaBrown]

The human voice is such a uniquely wonderful, exciting and powerful instrument when we know how to use it effectively at levels of experience. With some study and practice in Solo Music Studio almost anyone (children and adults) can be taught to sing. Individual singing and performance goals set for each student, to develop at the student’s own pace. Depending upon the individuals goals and requirements there is a range of training available, for the student who simply wishes to gain a basic understanding of vocal techniques across a range of musical styles then beginner classes are most suitable. For the more serious and

dedicated student a regime of private tuition, mentoring and group workshops is the answer. Each student is helped to discover their natural range, whether Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bass. After doing so, each song can be transposed into their own range. At [promo url removed] you will be taught the best sound, vocal and breathing techniques enabling you to sing all styles of contemporary music effortlessly with an emphasis on vocal health, performance and stylistic authenticity.

 

[greatcyber]

When I was 3 years old I used to go with my mother to her voice coach's house while she had her lessons. I would sit under the grand piano, leaning against one of the legs while mother sang scales and arpeggios from a wonderfully zaney older woman named Mrs. Landon. My mother at the time was studying opera and had a voice like Roberta Peters.

(it's weird what you remember as you get older)

One day when I was 3 or 4 and my mother was singing, the phone rang. It was my father who asked, "what is that racket in the background?" Haughty (even then), I replied, "my mother is singing Un Bel Di!" and promptly hung the phone up in his ear.

We laughed about that during the ensuing years. I believe I'll mention it when I go to Tampa this summer for my father's memorial. My mother doesn't know it, but we are surprising her with a birthday party 2 months early and are making a multimedia presentation of her life. That is another reason that I am trying to be diligent about our family tree. Don't know how much I will have finished by then. I have 50 years of photos to scan prior to making the movie.

Sorry for getting off track a bit (mad cow) But those lessons helped my mother's natural ability by exposing her to techniques and information that she might not have had otherwise. But like they say on American Idol, either you can sing or you can't. Some will be better than others quite naturally. Learning to hone your craft, if you will, is logical if it helps you achieve results faster. It may or may not make a difference in the calibre of one's talent by having been taught. But as I have previously stated, I would ALWAYS opt for learning something new. It is the credo by which I live.