Singing lessons are the teaching of all the techniques that allow you to learn to master the musical instrument “Voice”. It is essential to understand how our entire body works in the vocal process, singing is not just about emitting sounds! Singing lessons allow, among other things, to learn to master all these mechanics of sounds, which associated with the right emotional interpretation, can make you a singer and even, perhaps, an artist.
Singing lessons why take them?
Like any practice of an instrument, singing lessons are essential to be able to perfect our skills and our performances in its practice.
Singing is not innate.
Concerning singing, we often think that it is innate, that some have this gift and others do not! However, this is not the case, even if some people have natural abilities and good musical skills, knowing how to sing well requires knowing and learning to master certain techniques that cannot be guessed if no one teaches them to you. Singing lessons will provide the techniques necessary for real know-how. In the practice of anything, it is knowledge and the proper use of this knowledge that differentiates the amateur from the expert, the bathroom singer from the performing artist.
Learn and improve
Even when you only want to practice singing as a leisure activity, singing lessons will offer everyone the opportunity to progress and improve their practice. We all need to understand, learn, and be able to see the improvement in our abilities, it is human and necessary to have the feeling of moving forward. Well-being and the feeling of evolution increase when our knowledge and ease in practicing an activity or art are increased. So why take singing lessons? To increase your knowledge and know-how. But also to feel the pleasure of accomplishment and the joy of becoming better.
Singing lessons Everyone wants to find their voice!
For several years, thanks to all the television shows on the theme of singing, singing lessons and the desire to learn how to use your voice correctly have been on the rise. A few decades ago, singing lessons were an activity reserved for a category of people who could afford to go to the conservatory to take classical singing lessons and mainly lyrical singing lessons. With the arrival of shows, competitions, and other talent shows on television, the very principle of being able to learn to sing and therefore of being able to take singing lessons has become more democratic.
Singing can be learned.
Remember, on September 20, 2001, the first musical reality TV show landed in France on M6. Popstars is a giant filmed casting call whose goal is to form a musical group. The selected candidates are coached over several weeks by professionals. Singing lessons, dance lessons, community life under the eye of the cameras, and performances in front of a jury before the elimination of several participants until forming the final group. Viewers then discover the singing lessons of the talented vocal coach Richard Cross and his famous “Pepapipopu”. Some realize that singing is not necessarily innate… “Singing can be learned and the voice can be worked on”, hence the usefulness of singing lessons.
Singer in training
Barely a month later, Star Academy arrives on TF1 screens. Everyman and woman, as well as their children, discover with amusement and curiosity that it is possible to follow a complete training that goes from singing lessons to dance lessons, including theater lessons and even stage expression, to learn how to become a star… The whole of France can follow almost in real time, the evolution of apprentice artists and even attend the singing lessons of Armande Altaï. A vocal coach previously unknown to the general public and a colorful character who provides her singing and articulation exercises with originality to these young singers.
On a TV set and live, aspiring singers perform duets and collegiate shows, sometimes with well-known and recognized artists. They make bathroom singers dream behind their screens and give them hope that it is possible, for those who give themselves the means, to become a singing artist… The desire to take singing lessons tickles a large number of people, all over France, when they thought it was reserved for the elite. Since then, with ” Nouvelle Star “, ” The Voice ” and even ” The Voice Kids “, the desire to sing and learn to sing well has only grown among a wide audience.
Singing lessons how does it work?
Nowadays, singing lessons are aimed at the greatest number of people. It is practiced as much as a cultural and leisure activity, as for a search for well-being and self-expression. Singing lessons allow you to learn to sing well and to master vocal techniques of course, but not only that… Singing is also a way of having fun, of expressing your emotions; hence art therapy or music therapy through singing. Singing lessons also offer the opportunity to learn to discover yourself and to know your body better. Singing is a complete activity that combines the physical and the emotional, it is a world of sensations…
My singing teacher
It is important to find the right singing teacher or vocal coach to be properly supervised for a perfect evolution of the learning of this art. A single singing lesson will not be of much use especially if you are a beginner. Vocal learning requires a methodology and a pedagogy that extends over the long term to be effective. Singing lessons must allow you to learn all the basics, from good breathing to good mastery of notes. All this goes through different stages of understanding your musical instrument: the voice, and through regular practice to learn to control it.
Frequency and duration of courses
Singing lessons are often held at regular intervals, every week or every fortnight, to maintain a regularity of work. In general, a singing lesson lasts between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the teacher and his or her method of teaching singing.
For my part, I prefer individual lessons of at least one hour, because it often takes a certain amount of time for the student to warm up his voice and begin to relax enough to dare to let go… I would find it a shame to have to stop the lesson at a moment when the student is in the best physical and emotional condition to learn. Singing, like any learning, requires time, patience, and practice. It is said that it would take 10 years of lessons to claim to know and use this vocal instrument perfectly… What is certain is that this complex and exciting art cannot be learned in a few lessons but will continue to evolve for a long time, at each stage of your path on the voice of singing.
Vocal preparation and warm-up
During a lesson, the singing teacher guides you and supports you in each of these essential steps. He will help you progress at your own pace and according to your own difficulties or facilities. He is your companion on the path to finding your voice… A singing lesson will begin with vocal warm-ups, such as scales and “Pepapipopu”, for example, and breathing exercises to prepare the student. Let’s not forget that the vocal cords are muscles, so just as an athlete warms up before tackling the 100 meters, the apprentice singer must wake up and prepare the muscles that are about to be used. The purpose of breathing preparation is to establish the correct way to use the air which will be the essential raw material for producing sounds, but also to relax the student and calm stress.
Understanding and feeling sound.
Then, the theoretical and explanatory part of the course will consist of awareness and physical feelings to understand the different mechanisms associated when singing. The vibration and other resonances of sounds can be explored through vocal exercises and voice placement that will be adapted to the needs and level of each student, whether beginner or experienced.
Implementation
Then comes the time to put all this into practice in a concrete case: a song. We then launch into practice one or more songs that will have been defined by the singing teacher, depending on the level of difficulty and the musical tastes of the student. The practice can be done in a cappella, accompanied by the piano or guitar for an acoustic version, or on an instrumental soundtrack, that is to say, an audio karaoke that is also called orchestral playback. After each practice, the vocal coach will take stock with the student, to take stock of what needs to be adjusted and reworked.
Vocal coaching
A good singing teacher will not forget to tell you the positive points and the notable improvements. The role of the vocal coach is obviously to encourage and support you, his criticisms are intended to be constructive and are in no way a judgment, his goal is to pull you up and help you improve and progress. The singing lesson can continue with an analysis and support on the interpretation of your song(s). Interpreting is the act of expressing words and notes with the right intention and the right emotions, it’s a bit like playing a role in the theater or the cinema.
Lyrical singing lessons or contemporary music?
We could assume that complete singing training should contain the basics of classical singing supplemented by the adaptations and subtleties necessary for each musical style. But we must also take into account the fact that to flourish and progress in the practice of singing, it is essential to be in harmony with oneself. Let us ask ourselves, first of all, the right questions:
What do I want to sing, what musical style?
If you hate classical music and opera, it will be difficult for you to enjoy yourself and therefore progress quickly by forcing yourself to take opera singing lessons. In addition, learning music theory is often inseparable from classical singing, so you have to want to invest in this type of training if you want to get real benefits and real pleasure from it. It is important to be in tune with your desires and to enjoy learning, so listen to yourself!
Why do I want to learn to sing?
Is it for leisure and your pleasure or is it for a professional purpose? Of course, if your goal in learning to sing is to make a career out of it, a more comprehensive training course will be recommended. But this does not require you to first go through a conservatory course. Even if you opt for singing lessons in contemporary music, you will learn the same technical bases as in lyrical music. A good singing teacher, whether specialized in lyrical or contemporary music, will be able to give you the right foundations for your practice, foundations that are the same from one musical style to another.
What type of education is best for me?
Once again, depending on your goal and your desires, it will be wise to choose the right teaching formula. Singing lessons can be practiced individually, in small groups, and even in a choir. Individual singing lessons allow the student to benefit from personalized teaching that is perfectly adapted to their needs and particularities. Group singing lessons will be more general, especially if the number of participants is high. But let’s not forget that collective or even choir singing also has the advantage of getting you used to singing with others in harmony. The ideal would be to be able to multiply the different singing practices to perfect your vocal skills.
Online singing lessons and singing teacher
Thanks to the internet, it is now possible to choose to take singing lessons live with a teacher or to opt for singing lessons online. The supporters of each camp defend their preference with a lot of more or less well-founded arguments and “it’s better than…” I will not take sides for one or the other, each point of view is defended according to the experience and the need of each. In addition, I teach myself, in different ways, living in my classroom or on the internet with video training, individually, in small groups, and even to a choir of 70 people…
Singing lessons finding the right method
I think that this is not the important question, but rather finding the teacher and singing lessons whose learning methodology and pedagogy suit you. There are as many methods and ways of teaching as there are singing teachers. Indeed, online singing lessons can be just as well designed, relevant, and effective as a physical singing lesson, in “real life”. It all depends on the method used by the vocal coach… Never forget that good teaching must provide you with mastery of the basics and vocal and breathing techniques, whether it is online or live singing lessons.
If you are a novice, start with beginner singing lessons to learn the basics that will serve as a solid foundation. If you are more experienced, you can tackle higher-level lessons to perfect your vocal technique. But don’t forget that even experienced students sometimes need refreshers and it is always good to review the basics… Finally, know that a good singing teacher does not just teach their method, they also pass on their know-how and support you in self-realization, taking into account the physical and emotional dimensions.
Singing lessons in conclusion
Singing lessons have become easily accessible to everyone, whatever their musical style, desires, and needs. Thanks to the advent of online singing lessons, even those with the smallest budgets and those who do not find the time can have access to them. It is therefore possible for everyone to learn to sing well and find their voice. In addition, the notion of pleasure is essential for singing lessons, as for any sporting and cultural activity. Even if learning requires personal investment, patience, and work, it must also be a leisure activity, a pleasant and rewarding activity.
So you no longer have any excuses for not getting started, keeping this in mind: A successful singing lesson will allow you to understand while freeing yourself, to learn while having fun, and to undertake while expressing yourself.