Are Singing Lessons Worth It? – Our Honest Reasons for Saying…
Because of the number of people who want to learn how to sing and vocal coaches who want to cash in on this need, there’s no shortage of the best singing tutorials online. If you’re looking for such a course, you’re in luck.
You might be wondering; do singing lessons work? Is it important for you, as a singer, to invest in professional lessons instead of just developing your voice on your own?
Naturally Good Singers
Many think that there are only a few “chosen ones” who can serenade people with their voices and own the stage. They believe that if you are not born with the ability to immediately belt out C5s and above, then you are probably not born with the skill and should, therefore, give up.
I cannot stress how false this is.
Just like playing instruments, nobody comes into the world already knows how to sing well. Sure, they are born with the talent, but it will need thorough cultivation to make it great.
While some have a higher musical intelligence that makes it easier for them to learn, it does not mean that it is hopeless for everybody else. Anyone who is willing to put in time and effort can learn how to sing and how to do it well. So, how much can singing lessons help?
Benefits of Singing Lessons
Do vocal lessons really work?
It depends on the time and effort you put in. Ask anyone enrolled in singing lessons and they will say that their vocal performance changed drastically before and after singing lessons. There are definitely benefits to gain from singing lessons.
1. Deeper Understanding of Music
There is more to singing than just listening and repeating sounds and lyrics. What seems simple and effortless actually involves a lot of technicalities that stem from a deeper musical knowledge.
Scales, pitches, notes, and learning how to read music sheets, are all factors that will make you a better musician and a better singer! Getting a vocal coach will help you learn all of these faster and easier. A mentor will also help you discover special aspects of your voice that you can leverage.
2. Speech Improvements
Because singing centers on vocal skills, it is not only your tone and singing quality that is being developed during lessons but your speaking skills as well. It aims to improve your pronunciation, diction, and normal voice. It will definitely make you sound much clearer and nicer overall not just when you are singing.
3. Fix Tone Deafness
The inability to match tone and pitch is one of the biggest problems of singers who are only beginning to learn. By taking vocal lessons, your coach will be able to listen to the way you sing and correct your pitch and tone, expediting the process until you can do it on your own.
However, tone deafness is a real condition. If you would like to test your ears, you can try this online test (1). Do remember that this is not an official diagnosis. If you are worried that you might be tone-deaf, please schedule a doctor’s appointment.
4. Fixing the Way You Breathe
The way singers breathe is a little bit more different than the way everyone is used to. If you want to learn more about breathing for singing you can read this article I wrote here.
Despite it being a natural instinct we had as infants, our breathing moves up into our upper lungs as we grow older. This way of breathing puts tension around the neck area and makes it harder for singers to properly phonate the sound they need to create.
For most voice lessons, breathing exercises are tackled very early on. You will be provided with several exercises and tips to help with your breathing so you can optimize it while you sing.
5. Proper Vocal Techniques
Should I take singing lessons?
Vocal cord nodules (2) are these painful bumps in your vocal cords that you can easily get if you keep singing without proper knowledge of vocal techniques. It makes changing pitch hard and make singing an overall nightmare.
Keeping your vocal health in perfect condition should be a top priority as a singer. By taking voice lessons, you are eliminating the risk of nodules forming while learning the proper ways to sing at the same time.
On top of avoiding vocal cord nodules, knowing the proper vocal techniques will help you improve your voice quality faster than you would if you were doing it by yourself.
6. Vocal Strength Building
Another thing beginners have trouble with is applying strength to their voices when they sing, especially when it is time to hit those high notes.
How much do voice lessons help in this situation? Investing in voice lessons allows you to meet coaches that can easily address the problem in the way you sing and help you rectify mistakes that prevent you from singing with quality.
7. Above and Beyond Limits
Everyone goes through a time when you feel like you have done everything you can for your voice and now you are kind of stuck, not knowing what to do to press forward and improve even more. So the question needs to be asked: can singing lessons make you a better singer? Once again, the answer is yes.
Private lessons allow you to gauge your current abilities so your vocal coach can help you improve your vocals, depending on your skill level.
8. Maintaining Your Voice
Have you ever tried going to the gym and then stop? By the time you go back, you will notice that it is much harder to do the same set of exercises you used to be able to accomplish with ease. This is because of a little something called muscular stagnation. It is the natural process of your muscles going back to its original state.
Did you know that your vocal cords are also composed of muscles? Without constant training and exercise, these will also stagnate.
So how much do singing lessons help in this case? By providing you with daily exercises that you can use so you can maintain your vocal muscles.
9. Professional Opinions
Sure, you can easily go online and browse through the endless number of free vocal lessons. Anyone on the web can easily claim to be an expert, however. It is easy to upload any kind of content without caring whether the outcome is harmful or not.
Vocal coaches are professionals in what they do and can easily provide you with feedback on your singing progress before and after. Some have undergone formal training and gathered a lot of experience over the years. Everything there is to know about voice, whether it is for singing or something as simple as everyday speech, count on a vocal coach to know a thing or two about it.
10. Building Confidence
Most people love to sing so how come everyone only wants to sing when they are alone, in the car, or in the shower? There is a certain lack of confidence that comes with being unsure if you actually sound good or not.
Why not get a boost through vocal lessons? Can you imagine there are singing lessons for bad singers, which means you have a chance to be good if you’re not that good and better if you already have the skills when you enroll.
11. Creating Connections
By going out there and seeking help from professionals not only are you getting yourself ready for a deeper more fruitful learning experience, but you are also creating important connections. Meeting people with the same interests, especially those who have more experience than you, as well as people who can function as your support group, can prove invaluable to you as a singer.
Should I Take Vocal Lessons?
All in all, the need for vocal lessons depends on how valuable singing is to you. If it is something you do just to feel good or something you do unconsciously then there is no immediate need for you to scour the internet for great vocal lessons. Do you need singing lessons to be good? No, not entirely.
However, if you are planning to take singing seriously, planning to perform on stage, and even making a career out of it, then vocal lessons is a MUST.
If you do not have time to find a vocal coach and squeeze live lessons into your time, you can opt for online courses instead. Check out this article if you want to find something that fits your needs! Investing in your voice from the beginning, especially if you have a passion for singing, will be worth it in the long run.
References
Are Singing Lessons Worth It? – Our Honest Reason for Saying…
