My First Voice Lesson
What to Expect…
Your first voice lesson can often be nerve-racking. It’s definitely not easy being alone in a room with someone whose job it is to critique your voice. A supportive teacher can, however, alleviate some of your fears and anxiety, but what exactly happens in a voice lesson? Let’s take a look at what you can look forward to and what you and your teacher may expect.
As a voice teacher myself, I like to consider lessons more similar to going to a personal trainer for teeny tiny muscles or maybe even a private detective trying to figure out whodunit. Your voice teacher will be taking in any clues they can to figure out how best to help the student sing as optimally as possible while maintaining vocal health. While your teacher is using all of their skills to be their best possible vocal Sherlock Holmes, what exactly should you be doing as a brand new voice student?
What should I be prepared for and bring to my first voice lesson?
A good attitude and a growth mindset
A water bottle full of water
Answers to questions like “What are your goals as a singer?” “What kind of music do you listen to or sing?” “What experience do you have as a vocalist?”
A song you feel comfortable and confident singing
A binder with blank pages to keep music and any notes and a pencil
A recording device
Let’s dive in a little deeper. Having a good attitude and a growth mindset is so important for making vocal improvements and singing with your best sound. Being open and willing to learn sends a message to your brain that you’re nice and relaxed. Having a relaxed mind will usually help you have a relaxed body, and since our voice is part of our body you can imagine why that would be helpful. Our voice often reflects our emotions, because we can hold a lot of tension in the vocal mechanism. Staying as relaxed and free as possible will set you up for a productive lesson.
This also brings us to water. Staying hydrated before you come to lessons will help your voice work much more smoothly. Hydration is necessary for healthy vocal production, so be sure to be hydrated before your lesson begins. Having water during the lesson can also be a way to keep yourself comfortable and relaxed.
Before showing up for your lesson, consider why you want lessons in the first place. A vocal teacher’s job is to individualize the lessons as much as possible, so the more information you can provide the better. Nobody is a one size fits all voice, and we all have anatomical and personality differences that can change the way your teacher will approach your lesson. Be ready to answer any questions they may have for you with as much detail as you can provide. They’re there to help YOU! This is just as much your lesson as it is the teacher’s. It’s a collaborative process, and you have to learn to trust each other. I promise your teacher is eager to help you grow and take into account not only their desires for your voice but your own as well.
Don’t forget to have a song you enjoy singing and is also comfortable for you on your first day. I always ask my students what song they’d be comfortable sharing. That first song tells me a lot about you as a student and your voice, but I promise there’s no judgment. We’re only looking to help you and support you, so don’t fret too much about this initial singing. We’re listening for strengths to encourage, what we can work and improve on, and also learning a little about you and your musical desires and tastes. There’s a lot we learn from that first song, but I won’t give away all of the secrets of the craft just yet.
Lastly, be sure to bring a binder with you for any music you have or will be provided with to sing through during lessons. I find that some blank sheets of paper are always good to have on hand to scratch down any notes you’d like to remember. Make sure to bring a pencil and not a pen, so if you have to make any notes in your music they can be easily erased later. I usually type up some notes during lessons, but if I’m personally accompanying sometimes those notes can be more vague than I’d prefer. Make sure you’re ready to write down the important things if necessary.
On top of that, I highly recommend recording your lessons. Notes are great, but there’s nothing quite like listening back. You’ll be able to hear changes and improvements discussed in the lessons, examples of sounds your teacher would like to try and have you achieve, and any other pertinent information.
The first lesson usually goes as follows:
A quick getting to know you
Studio info
Singing a song
Range check/warm ups
A quick vocal pedagogy overview
Every teacher has their own method of beginning lessons, but I like to get to know my students a little and then distribute some studio information. Day one is usually quite a bit of information. After we get through those first few tidbits, I’ll usually ask my students to sing a song. I’ll give a bit of feedback, and then I’ll want to check your current comfortable range with an easy warm up on a scale. A scale is basically just ascending and descending on specific pitches, and I’ll play them on the piano with you while you sing. We’ll go as high and as low as you can currently comfortably go.
During this warm up or maybe after, I’ll hit some of the basics of vocal pedagogy. Vocal pedagogy is the study and teaching of the art and science of singing. The components of vocal pedagogy include the anatomy and physiology of the voice, breath support, technique, vocal health, performance, repertoire, and ear training. If any of these elements sound confusing then don’t worry.
It’s your teacher’s job to provide you with detailed explanations of vocal pedagogy, but never be afraid to ask questions. I don’t know about other teachers, but I love to hear questions and answer them. Getting to use the knowledge I have at my disposal is incredibly fun, so ask away. Now that you know what to expect in your first voice lesson, come hang out with me in the studio, and let’s get started. I can’t wait to hear you sing!
