Do Singing Lessons Really Work?
Singing lessons take time, cost money, and require commitment. Do you really need them? Can’t you just practice on your own and watch videos online?
If only it were that easy.
At the Institute, we have taught countless music students, seen singers grow from beginners to audition-ready vocalists, and realized that not only are lessons effective, but they are necessary.
Keep reading to learn more about the value of lessons, and get in touch for the finest singing lessons in Philadelphia.
Do Singing Lessons Really Work?
Yes, singing lessons with a qualified teacher do work. Whether you are a beginning singer, a frustrated “tone-deaf” individual, or an advanced vocalist preparing for auditions, you will benefit from working with an instructor or coach.
Your teacher will diagnose flaws that you’re aware of, they will suggest improvements that you wouldn’t have noticed on your own, and most importantly, they will provide drills, vocalizations, and pieces of repertoire that will address the aforementioned flaws.
In short, singing lessons will save you a tremendous amount of time and frustration as you improve your vocal abilities, and they will ensure that you don’t leave massive gaps in your learning. Here are some quick arguments for singing lessons:
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Avoid the Pain of Missed Opportunities
If you are a relatively talented singer, and you hear from your choir director or friends that you have a nice voice, you might not be motivated to improve. You may audition in contests, try out for roles, or even record music. But you probably have no idea how much potential you have.
A vocal coach or singing teacher will do more than identify obvious flaws. They will listen for unlocked potential, and take you through the process of building on your current abilities. You may have no idea that this opportunity is there! If you don’t work with an experienced teacher, you’ll never know just how much better you can get.
Avoid Injuries or Technical Issues
Many skilled hobbyists or amateurs manufacture greater volume, a wider range, or other vocal colors (like belting and such) by their own means. But what if your technique is not perfect?
You can end up with vocal nodules, tightness, hoarseness, or other issues if you don’t know how to use your voice at a professional level. If you sing often, a teacher may be necessary to prevent serious injuries that could keep you away from singing for a period of time.
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Avoid Wasted Time
Teaching yourself how to learn an instrument or sing is not the most efficient way to learn. There are YouTube videos and online courses (along with traditional books) for almost everything, but you have to know what to search for. For instance, you will need to look up:
How to breathe correctly for singing
How to use your head voice
How to use your chest voice
How to read bass and treble clef
How to sing higher and lower
How to sing louder safely
But even knowing to ask those questions takes a base level of knowledge.
Save yourself time and frustration by working with a teacher right away. They will give you material to practice, troubleshoot your voice, and make sure you only spend time on things that matter.
This is not an exhaustive list of reasons why you should take voice lessons - you don’t have time to read that list, and we don’t have time to write it! But this will get you started.
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Are Voice Lessons Worth It?
Yes, singing lessons with a skilled teacher are absolutely worth it, even if the instructor is on the more expensive end of the spectrum. Teachers with a strong pedigree will be able to give you insights, exercises and tips that will shave years off the learning curve.
Of course, your personal goals factor into this conversation. Do you really want to win a particular audition, join an ensemble, or land a theater role? If so, spending money on lessons is almost certainly worth it for you.
How Much Do Voice Lessons Cost?
Voice lessons can cost as little as $25 per 30 minute lesson or be as expensive as $100 per 30 minute lesson. You will very often get what you pay for, although keep these things in mind:
Geographic location will influence the cost
A single-teacher private studio may charge a tremendous amount of money per lesson simply because they are operating at 100% capacity and don’t need new students. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are better
Aggregators like Takelessons [dot] com may advertise incredibly cheap rates, and that’s because they often feature a number of young teachers who simply need experience
Very high end vocal coaches may charge $200+ per hour, but a few lessons hear and there with an accomplished coach is a good idea - you don’t need to take weekly lessons at this cost
At the Philadelphia Piano Institute, we charge $40 per 30 minute lesson, and the cost scales to 45 and 60 minute lessons. We offer private lessons with accomplished professional singers in a beautiful space, and yet we still try to keep the cost reasonable.
Do You Have to Take Singing Lessons to Improve?
No, but self-taught singers can only reach an advanced level of singing in rare instances. You will be able to improve your tone, range, ability to read music, and more by watching videos, but you will never be able to compete with a dedicated singer who also takes private lessons (unless you are special!).
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What Can You Learn in Voice Lessons?
Again, this is a massive subject that we can’t cover exhaustively in this article, but here is an overview of what you can learn in singing lessons.
Improving Your Tone and Breathing
Many uncoached singers have timid, thin, and otherwise underwhelming voices. This is true even for people with a naturally “nice” voice, and that’s ok!
A teacher will show you how to keep your throat and soft palette relaxed, how to inhale deeply while expanding your diaphragm, and how to breathe and create an open, beautiful sound. You can’t have a beautiful sound with proper breathing.
Expanding Your Range
Firstly, an experienced teacher will be able to tell you what your range should be. Many female singers, for instance, think they are altos, when in fact better technique would yield a sparkling mezzo voice. The sme applies to young men who want to sing low, but are more realistically a baritone or even a tenor.
Once your teacher has helped discover what your range capabilities are, he or she can provide exercises to help you expand to your potential. Furthermore, a teacher will identify technical issues that are limiting your range.
Learning To Sing Louder and Project
Studio singers and pop stars have the benefit of microphones, but you should always know how to increase your volume and ability to project to the back of a room. This is especially important for classical singers and theater performers.
Simply singing louder could be disastrous for your tone and vocal health. A good teacher will show you exactly how to sing louder while preserving a beautiful tone.
Ear Training
Good singers need to be able to match pitches, repeat a melody that they have heard, and harmonize with a tune even without music in front of them. A teacher can help you strengthen your ear, identify intervals, modes, and more, and become a more confident musician when you don’t have a piano to support you.
Learn Genre-Specific Techniques
Jazz, rock, opera, theater, gospel, and other genres sometimes require specific vocal techniques. Belting, sliding, singing scales and arpeggios, projecting in a huge room, and other skills may need specific oversight from a talented teacher.
At the same time, all singing is fundamentally rooted in correct breathing technique and tone production. A good teacher will help you prepare for whatever genre you are trying to pursue.
Learn How the Voice Works
Adult students are often curious about why they need to perform certain exercises or sing a certain way. Teachers can tell you about the physiology of the voice, how the sound is produced, and why certain techniques matter so much when you are trying to sing well.
Learn Other Music Basics Like Note Reading Etc.
A voice teacher will incorporate note reading and sight reading into your lessons. You need to focus on sound production at first, but you’ll be very limited in your musicianship if you can’t read music from a score. A teacher can also teach you about intervals (helpful in sight reading), scales, key signatures, time signatures, rhythm, and other basic elements of music. Singers are often given a hard time because they don’t possess the deep musical knowledge that pianists are required to have, but there’s no reason to keep that trend going.
What Are Voice Lessons Like?
Your voice lesson will usually include a warmup, some drills to expand your range, the presentation of new concepts (for beginners or intermediate students), and working through your music. Teachers are also more than happy to answer any questions you have about the voice or your weekly assignments.
If you didn’t practice that week (don’t let that happen), your teacher may find that the time is better spent teaching you how to practice your music, reviewing last week’s material, or even practicing a specific technique, like sight reading.
For more information about our music lessons in Philadelphia, PA, please get in touch!