Singing lessons?

[deejayen]

Having bought an acoustic guitar, I'm contemplating taking singing lessons, and wondered how beneficial, or otherwise, these might be.

I haven't sung since I was a boy, but I could probably muddle through without lessons.

I could try to find someone local for one-to-one lessons, but alternative options appear to be an online course, or online one-to-one tuition. However, I'm not really geared-up for the latter, so that's probably not an option for me.

Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else has taken singing lessons, and whether or not they've been worthwhile.

[rmp]

do it

in person if possible.

it can't hurt!

[shekie]

I began playing guitar eight years ago and have been taking lessons for six of those eight years. I joined a band recently and discovered that although my guitar playing was good and getting better, I had neglected to do any work on my singing.

After taking voice lessons for the past nine months, I am showing marked improvement. As our lead vocalist has told me (she being Berklee trained), the vast majority of your audience will pay the most attention to the lead singer. No matter how skilled you are on guitar, vocals matter more.

I've learned how to breathe properly, how to keep my posture appropriate for singing, I've learned phrasing techniques to emphasize certain spots in songs, how to use dynamics, how to put emotion into my singing, how to warm up so as not to stress or damage my voice. These techniques have made me a much better singer and one who can now sing more than a half dozen songs without going hoarse.

I would highly recommend lessons and for me at least, in person lessons.

[deejayen]

That all sounds very positive! I'm just trying to find somone local for one-to-one tuition, as I think that would be the best option for me.

[Silly Moustache]

Hi, I do one-to-one lessons ... on zoom. I find that many come to me to learn acoustic guitar techniques but then say that they don't sing / can't sing.

We then turn to discover their voices. Most adult men have a baritone level voice and tend to sing as they would talk.

I've had quite a lot of success helping "I can't sing" into, "Hey I can sing!"

[Brent Hutto]

A decade ago I was taking piano lessons from a teacher who was also a singer (i.e. her gigs were usually singing and accompanying herself on piano). So at one point we spent a few lessons on my singing.

As S.M. mentioned, you don't necessarily know what your singing voice is until you explore it. I'd always been a Bass in the church choir as a kid and my speaking voice is sort of low Baritone or thereabouts. But as she took me through some exercises of how to move into different registers and focus on different parts of my chest/throat/head we found I had a very clear and strong Tenor voice I could use.

I don't sing anywhere except at family gatherings but after those lessons my family immediately told me they liked hearing songs in that higher register more than the deeper range I'd already thought of as "my singing voice". Go figure.

Now I'm not talking about belting out high Tenor parts the way a singer in a Bluegrass band might sing high harmony. Nothing operatic or super powerful. But when I'm warmed up I have good control and sweetness up to the G# or maybe A and can do a high B without sounding terrible. Until those lessons I'd have thought anything above the E below those notes would need to be falsetto.

[deejayen]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Hi, I do one-to-one lessons ... on zoom.

Thanks! I'd be interested, but am limited to what I can do online (painfully slow connection etc) so I think a local teacher would suit me best.

I'm a baritone, too, but like Brent, I think I can sing into a tenor range.

[tbirdman]

You may want to check out your local community college. I've taking singing lessons for about 2 years. I've only been playing the guitar for 3 years and piano for 9 months. I also take lessons for the guitar and also taking piano classes.

I've learned so much although I have a lot more to learn. I actually quit after the five lessons as my music theory knowledge very limited. Now we can converse in the same language. LOL Every song I learn on the guitar, I work with singing with my singing instructor. Even my guitar instructor helps me with singing. it's amazing how close each of the instructors feedbacks are. I never knew there was so much to singing.

Among other things, I'm working on Garth Brooks "The Dance". It's a complicated song to sing. The singing instructor has me working on each phrase using the piano to pluck out the melody. I would be lost without my instructor.

[jseth]

Singing lessons/vocal coaching can do wonders... BUT, realize that not all voice coaches/instructors are created equal!

My first vocal instructor was primarily focused on the operatic method; indeed, it was her strength and calling card, as she would frequently get calls from famous opera houses, wanting her to come coach, even though she was retired and infirm at 80 years...

She gave me a lot, but it was all about the Classical method - which, of course, had little to do with what I was singing when I played gigs... although my voice certainly got stronger and my range, wider, it took me three years after stopping lessons until I no longer "defaulted" to some sort of operatic tone!

My next experience was in a class of Judy Davis'... and that was EXCELLENT! It was about singing the way YOU do in whatever application you chose... taking her class was the only way I could afford the lessons, but it worked out very well for the three years I was there. Although Judy had worked with many "stars" and famous singers (Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Sinatra, Steve Perry (Journey), Eddie Money and many more, she referred to herself as a vocal coach - she'd laugh and say, "I'm a voice plumber; I fix pipes!".

So, choose someone who will get YOU where you want to go...

In truth, after 30 years, I still do both the vocal exercises and breathing exercises that I learned form Judy Davis... they are invaluable to my singing.

[jeanray1113]

I’m 69 and I took voice lessons for about six months a few years ago. I’ve always thought my voice was just “ok” and not been a confident singer. That six months made a big difference! I now enjoy singing a lot more and have gained confidence. It doesn’t take years to make a big difference.

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by deejayen

That all sounds very positive! I'm just trying to find somone local for one-to-one tuition, as I think that would be the best option for me.

My wife that works as a secretary now in the office at the high school she taught at for decades, got voice lessons from the music teacher. Maybe an option?

[The Bard Rocks]

Took lessons for a couple of years from a friend who is classically trained - for opera. The most fun was watching her try to keep from laughing at my attempts. The most valuable things I learned were self-discoveries, ones I wouldn't have made without the discipline of lessons.

I might have fared better with a different instructor, if there had been another in a reasonable driving distance, but I did gain from her efforts.

[MBee]

I’ve been taking lessons now for about two years from 2 different teachers — both online. The first teacher I learned about on this forum: Pollyanna Bush. She took me from no confidence at all to singing “At Last” in a recital situation. More recently I’ve been working w a local teacher (the US-Cdn exchange rate was too much for me)and I’ve made even more progress. At 70 I can now belt out songs on pitch, and lead our little song circle. Renently astonished some family members who hadn’t heard me sing. Plus it’s the most fun thing I’ve ever done. So my advice: find a teacher you like and just do it.

[Andyrondack]

Lots of people on this thread making progress with lessons.
I'm wondering if there's an aspect of technique you have learned which has lifted your ability to the next level?

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Andyrondack

Lots of people on this thread making progress with lessons.
I'm wondering if there's an aspect of technique you have learned which has lifted your ability to the next level?

When I was in my 20s I had an opera-singer and teacher girlfriend. She'd never attempt to teach me -- that would be like trying to teach your spouse how to parallel park -- but I'd eavesdrop when she gave lessons. A big tip was dropping the jaw to open the airway -- counterintuitive but it works. And deliberate relaxation starting from the top of the head and down to your toes -- works for playing, too. And confrontations with clients in the day job, for that matter. Another thing is group singing -- if you're the worst singer in the band, you have to match the lead singer's phrasing. Enunciations, cutoffs and all that. She was great at teaching people how to, essentially, crawl inside the skin of people they were singing with and learn how to sing like they sing, so the backup vocals sound tight. We were so not meant to be together, but she gave me that.