INTRODUCTION
Ah! Another day, another trip to the fountain of knowledge that is Lecture Owl. And what’s on the menu today? Well I hope you’ve got a serious appetite for knowledge, because today I’m serving up a seven-course taster menu all about singing lessons!
We’ll be covering:
What kind of person might need singing lessons
Where to find said lessons
How to work out which teacher is right for you
What sort of prep you might need to do before beginning lessons
If that all sounds good then pull up a chair and I’ll be your musical waiter – Bon Apetit!
Want to learn way faster and avoid any pitfalls? Try a free in-person online lesson from one of our world class instructors today.
WHAT KIND OF PERSON MIGHT NEED SINGING LESSONS?
It’s a good question, and the answer is…
You could be almost anyone!
You might be incredibly experienced, and looking to brush up on your knowledge, or ‘sharpen the saw’. You might be a total novice with no prior experience whatsoever of singing! You might be somewhere in between. You might be someone who has always enjoyed singing, but has never quite had the courage to formalise your learning – maybe you’re worried about reading music notation?
These are all really typical starting points and all TOTALLY GREAT places to begin!
The amazing thing about getting singing lessons is that you make yourself accountable. This happens because:
You’re parting with your hard earned money, and you want to get as much value as possible
You’ve invited someone else into your journey – you’re teacher. They can help you to see progress, motivate you when you’re feeling uninspired, and open up new pathways and possibilities
The bottom line is: if you’ve started thinking about getting singing lessons, it’s probably time for you to get singing lessons.
WHERE’S A GOOD PLACE TO FIND SINGING LESSONS?
Well, gentle reader, it has to be said that you’re actually already at one of the best locations you could hope to be at to find your dream teacher!
Why not have a quick click here and take a look at some of the incredible voice teachers that Lecture Owl has to offer?
You’ll find a whole range of teachers who cover a whole variety of styles to meet your price range, and the best bit? You can do it from the comfort of your home! Ideal right? That means that you could be based in Nepal, Nairobi, or the Nederlands and still have access to this incredible squad! Wild!
Here is a list of our recommendations for finding great singing teachers:
Of course we understand that some people may want to go to lessons ‘in person’ (or at least they might want to in the near future). If that’s you, here a few suggestions for finding teachers in your area:
Check out the ‘advertising’ section of your town or city’s local newspaper – as well as their online equivalent. Lots of singing teachers advertise using these resources!
If you have a choir group that’s local to you, ask if any of the singers there teach. FYI joining a choir is one of the VERY BEST things you can do alongside getting a teacher to improve your singing.
It can also be a good idea to look out for flyers and leaflets at your local libraries, grocery stores, or transport stations – more key locations that singing teachers tend to advertise!
HOW TO KNOW WHICH TEACHER IS RIGHT FOR YOU
Well this part should be quite simple!
First off, when looking at singing teacher’s adverts, you’ll probably notice that they will mention a specific style that they teach. This might be:
Classical
Pop
Country specific (e.g. Latin or Celtic)
Or a whole host of other styles
The next step is to identify which style most suits you and then approach the teacher. It’s a good idea to identify a few potential candidates that could be right for the job, as lots of singing teachers calendars can get quite booked up.
Then ask the teacher if they could potentially give you a free trial or starter session. You’ll notice at the Lecture Owl singing page that all of the teachers offer this sort of trial – it can be a real godsend to have the pressure taken off when finding someone to work with. If they don’t offer the taster, unfortunately that’s just too bad. Depending on the credentials or esteem of the teacher, you may still want to go ahead, but no one would blame you if you chose not to.
After your trial (or first) lesson, simply let your teacher know what you thought of the class, and if you’d like, to book in again! A great tip for scheduling is to – where possible – keep the same appointment every single week. I can’t tell you what a difference this makes! Believe me, just having that little bit of sacred space will make the world of difference in your practice.
WHAT SORT OF PREP TO DO BEFORE BEGINNING LESSONS
Before your lesson, it’s a really good idea to practice a song – if you have one – that you feel best shows off your vocal range & qualities. It should also be one in the style that you’d most like to sing in. Then sing this to your (potential) new teacher!
There’s no point taking multiple songs along, it’s best just to show the teacher the way you sing now, and give them an idea of the kind of singer you’d love to be!
A good thing to prep before the first lesson is also a few singers that you’d love to sound like, or really respect. That could be Charlotte Church, Arianna Grande, Elvis, Pavarotti! It really doesn’t matter – just give your teacher a little bit of inspo about the sort of direction you’d like to go.
It’s also a really good idea to have a few questions prepared before meeting your new sensei! For instance:
Do they teach using grades/examinations?
Do they cultivate any opportunities for performances/peer interaction?
Do they teach using a specific methodology?
It’s really good to remember that a really good singing teacher may well be your teacher for the rest of your life! Properly done this can be a really special relationship that you’ll come to appreciate for a very long time!
AND SO…
And there you have it! A rather brass tacks guide to help you choose a singing teacher!
Let us know how you get on, and remember that some of the best singing teachers available on the Internet can be found at this very site.
Take care! And see you again next time!
Gavin Swift is a film and media composer based in London, England