Where to start? Beginning singing lessons
You’ve decided to start singing lessons. Or maybe you’ve just enrolled in your University course and they’re about to begin. Congratulations!
But, are those nerves kicking in? What should you expect in those first few sessions?
Now obviously not all singing teachers are the same. People are trained in different ways and have different approaches. But here are some things that your singing teacher might want to know about you and your singing experience to get the best out of your lessons, as well as the kind of things you might expect to do during a first lesson.
Relevant personal/medical history
Safety first. If you have any conditions that may affect your lessons or that your teacher needs to be aware of, they will probably ask (unless it’s been covered in a form/questionnaire prior to the lesson). You don’t have to disclose anything you don’t feel comfortable sharing, but singing is a complicated activity that involves systems - breathing, postural, vocal - as well as reading, listening, motivation/focus, and emotion-based work, so you may decide some things are relevant for your new teacher to know upfront, or in time if your lessons continue.
Your previous experiences
Knowing your history with singing/music is a very useful tool for your new singing teacher. Having information about whether you’ve had lessons before, sung in a choir, performed on stage, or play other instruments might change the way they work with you.
Likes and dislikes
This might cover your feelings on the previous experiences above, as well as things like your favourite artists, genres and songs. What is it about those voices and styles of music that you connect with? Is there anything you don’t like, and can you determine why?
Goals
It’s important that singing lessons are student-led in their approach. That means that - even if there’s a looming assessment at the end of the year - your teacher will structure the lesson based on what you want for your voice, not necessarily what they think you should sound like/sing. Having a clear understanding of your short, medium and long term goals will help to structure lessons and keep the focus on you.
Areas of challenge
The teacher will likely make their own assessments of how you are using your voice during the course of the lesson(s), but it’s important that they know what you feel you struggle with too. What do you find difficult that you wish you could do with more ease? Does anything feel uncomfortable or painful when you try it?
That’s potentially a lot of discussion, isn’t it? It might feel like a lot of mining for information, but it also helps to built rapport and and establish trust. This new relationship will hopefully last a long time, and it’s important that your teacher understands you and how best to support you in your learning journey.
But you’re also going to sing in that first lesson!
Assessment of your voice
Perhaps your new teacher might ask you to sing a few scales so they can hear what your voice does in certain areas of your range. They might ask you to sing a song you feel really comfortable with, and then maybe one that you are working on.
Whatever they ask, it isn’t to pass judgement - it’s just to get an idea of the sounds you can make, your tendencies and whether the teacher can hear the same challenge areas that you have identified.
It’s likely they will also walk you through a vocal warm up too. And hopefully a cool down.
In my initial lessons, I also like to find out about what my new singers know about warming up, how they approach practice (if at all), and any preferences/struggles in those tasks. Because it’s important that the people I work with know that honesty is HUGELY preferred over giving the “correct” answer.
“In my first-ever lesson, you asked me what I wanted to sing, and when I said I didn't know, you guided me to figure it out for myself. That involvement allowed me to enjoy what I was doing from start to finish, and it also made me more confident in my ability and helped me hone my own individual style.” - Rivea, MMus singing graduand
“I felt wholly understood which meant that I didn’t have to hold back on any reactions within my lessons.” - Faith, BMus singing student
“Never before have I had someone teach me in a way that feels so natural and instinctive.” - Harry, BMus singing graduate
For encouragement in your singing journey, follow me on social media @TessaSmithMusic, book a lesson or explore thesingersguide.com where there are resources all about optimising your singing practice. Have fun!