You have been singing for years and recently felt inspired to sign up for singing lessons. You looked into whether in-person or online singing lessons were best for you. You researched what vocal coach to work with carefully and selected the teacher that you felt the most qualified for the job.
You were super excited to have your first singing lesson together. Now what?
Was the lesson what you had in mind?
What did you learn?
Did you learn enough?
And if not, were your expectations realistic?
Singing lessons are more than just about singing on pitch and opening the mouth bigger. Many wonderful singers improvise themselves teachers and that sometimes makes it a challenge to find the right fit. Because singing well and teaching well are two, you may not find it on your first try but if you keep trying you will eventually find the right teacher. So take a moment to reflect on your first lesson to find out if the singing teacher was or wan't indeed right for you.
First Lesson Assessment
Of course singing is just like any other instruments, discipline and even sports where one lesson may teach you valuable information but it may not fix all of your problems at once. There is no magic trick! There is a process that needs to be followed although that process may look very different from one person to another. Still, whether you should invest more time working with the vocal coach you chose depends on two factors:
1) Compatibility
Singing is very personal therefore your teacher's ability to make you feel at ease is of prime importance. A good teacher adapts his/her teaching style to your learning style. He/she explains concepts clearly using a positive approach. He/she is patient and attentive to your needs. He/she is able to diagnose EXACTLY what you're doing wrong quickly in order to suggest appropriate resolution options. He/she is flexible and resourceful. Above all, he/she is supportive and encourages you to see mistakes as opportunities to learn on your journey. How to sing better is simple but ONLY with the RIGHT approach! A competent vocal coach celebrates your successes by pointing out even the small ones!
2) Competency
An expert singing teacher quickly identifies your area of needs and has simple yet effective restorative exercises to help you start correcting your technique. You should hear immediate results by the end of your very first lesson. The ability to consistently incorporate new strategies into your singing and permanently correct inadequate vocal technique will take time however. You might not be able to reproduce the techniques independently at home right away, but you shortly will with more guidance. Your first lesson should give you a clear idea of what you need to work on to meet your target.
Together, you and your new singing teacher should have touched on any or many of the following topics:
-Breath support -Singing on pitch -Song interpretation
-Placement -Staying in rhythm -Stage fright
-Posture -Increasing volume -Confidence
-Enunciation -Improving range -Avoiding voice fatigue
-Connecting registers -Releasing tension -Vocal Health
You want to leave the lesson with a feeling of accomplishment and at least a little bit more confident than when you walked in an hour earlier!
I personally love for my clients to experience the reward of finally getting rid of the breathiness or nasality in their tone. Adding A FEW NOTES to their range. Accessing the upper register WITHOUT ANY strain. BELTING. Singing more BEAUTIFULLY! It's so exciting!
I have been teaching for over 20 years both privately and in the public school system. Whatever problem you have, I have seen it and I know how to fix it! For a glimpse on my approach to singing technique, check out "The 5-Step Strategy My Clients Use to Sing Higher, Louder and Perform At Their Best" in my FREE Masterclass below:
If you want 100% satisfaction with your first singing lesson, I am happy to help. Please reach out for more info so that we can chat about your vocal goals and aspiration! Reveal your vocal brilliance. I can’t wait to explore your vocal dreams. Reserve your free consultation session here:
Sing your heart out!
Val