Voice Training

[MBee]

Originally Posted by reeve21

Could you share contact info or a link to your remote instructors?

Thanks!

Sure. Pollyanna Bush is the first teacher I referred to. https://www.pollyannabush.com/

Jillian Mitchell at Voxsana Vocal Coaching is my current teacher. https://voxsanavocalcoaching.com/

Pollyanna is in the SF Bay area. Jillian is in my hometown: Victoria Canada

[Wargelin]

I've been on this road the past 8 years or so. Lessons are great but can be costly and won't get you there if you don't practise a lot in between them.

My two most effective things have been A) recording myself, listening back and zooming in on the rough parts, and B) singing with the original recording of the song and trying to mimic it as closely as possible.

My worst habit was singing only my original songs. I thought it made sense but it left me all alone to figure it out. Now I've been practising cover songs and have gotten a lot of tips from Bruce, Jackson, Townes, Lyle, Phoebe, Gaga et al.

[EZYPIKINS]

Started singing B/G in the 70's, in a harmony variety band. ( EAgles, Doobies, Little Rivee Band etc.)

By 1980 I was the ( lead Country voice) in the band. A lot of Alabama, Bellamy Bros, George Straight, Haggatd, Jones, Willy, Waylon. You get the picture.

Was singing on stage last September, when my left lung collapsed.

Surgery to repair in December. Working my way back now. Have gig in California May 21.

Takes work. Practice Practice Practice. And a true want, to do it.

Just like learning to play guitar. You gotta have that inner drive to do the work.

[broy]

I feel I've got the guitar chops to play an open mic, and have played several because I want to show my stuff. I also realized I just sang and what came out came out. I was able to take a months worth of weekly voice lessons in between sports seasons for the kids and know it was worth it. The guy I was taking lessons with showed me how to figure out what note a song was sung in, how to target that note with my singing etc... and a few tips on how to expand my range. I've got a long way to go before anyone would call me a good singer, but thinking I'm not going to be called a bad singer either.

[musicman1951]

I totally agree. I was a trumpet major in college, but I got to sing in all the select vocal ensembles. The Met never called to see if I was available, but I was always a decent singer.

I took some vocal lessons (at way too late an age - all that wasted time) and after the first two lessons I noticed a huge improvement in range and control. Technique matters.

[tbirdman]

I've been playing the guitar for 2 years. I 've been taking besides guitar lessons, I take singing lessons. After my first set of 5 singing lessons, I quit as I was frustrated with my zero music knowledge. After a year and some music theory under my belt, I restarted the singing lessons and have been taking them for a year.

Every month, I play at an open mic. I always play three new songs at the open mic. Besides the singing instructor helping me, my guitar instructor also helps with singing. The first week some of the songs need a lot of help. LOL However, over the month I get the songs in shape for the public.

Both of the instructors are very helpful to help refining both the guitar playing and singing. I'm also have learning the piano, so using the keyboard is helpful as we dissect parts of the songs I need help on.

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by MBee

Sure. Pollyanna Bush is the first teacher I referred to. https://www.pollyannabush.com/

Jillian Mitchell at Voxsana Vocal Coaching is my current teacher. https://voxsanavocalcoaching.com/

Pollyanna is in the SF Bay area. Jillian is in my hometown: Victoria Canada

Thanks very much!

[gfsark]

Got tired of always being the guitarist in the back…or off to the side. Not that it’s bad to be the accompanist, it’s great playing music, but I wanted to be front and center, and unless you have some incredible soloist talent, that means singing.

So I hired a vocal coach and studied with her for three years. Wow was that hard! Felt like I had brain damage and just couldn’t get the muscles/brain/body to cooperate. But eventually I learned enough and was good enough to confidently get on stage. And so I do at every opportunity.

[Misifus]

I’ve been a fair singer all my life, but a couple of decades ago I found myself singing in a choir with a woman who was classically trained and she gave me some pointers I found useful. When you begin to sing, take as deep a breath as you can, without raising your shoulders. When you sing, don’t raise your chin, keep it down especially on the higher notes. You want to push from your diaphragm. A way to insure that is to think about how your midriff feels when you’re running out of air. That’s your diaphragm pushing that you feel, that’s how it ought to feel when your trying to sing strongly. Higher notes should sound more through your upper head, lower notes from your chest.

The suggestions to get professional help are good, I’d recommend it.

[stevo58]

The most important things my voice coach did for me was to give me the confidence my voice was fine and I didn’t need to be self-conscious about it. Granted, I’m not Otis Redding, but who is? There was also a lot of technical stuff of course. The time, money, and effort I expended for vocal training was worth every euro-cent I spent on it. I can’t recommend it strongly enough. Find a good vocal coach and go.

Steven

[waterboy]

I took voice lessons last year during lockdown. All kinds of fun and really improved both my confidence and my voice. It was done over zoom, but in person would have been better. My teacher was a guitarist so the timing and coordination improved my guitar as well. He was doing his teaching degree so we had to stop when he graduated and got a real job.
Highly recommended!

[neilca]

My daughter has a degree in music education and is the chorus director at a middle school. She focuses on teaching healthy singing habits. Being mindful of how singing incorrectly can hurt your voice.