Getting the right vocal coach is essential. The right coach will help you to achieve more than you ever thought possible but unfortunately ‘bad’ coaches are a genuine problem and, worst case scenario, can actually damage your voice. A singing teacher should always have at least basic knowledge of how the larynx and vocal chords work and how to address common vocal problems with this in mind. Lessons should not be glorified karaoke sessions where you simply do some warm ups and then sing for half an hour but should instead be sessions working specifically on improving your singing with bespoke vocal exercises and a well chosen repertoire. Here is what to ask any potential teacher- including myself- if you are thinking of taking the next step (good for you).
“Do you teach people at my level?”
The needs of a beginner and a professional voice user are very different. I have witnessed world class coaches lose their patience with beginners as they’re used to dealing with a certain sort of clientele.
- Someone working with a beginner should have the patience of a saint and an honest enjoyment of the process
- Intermediates and above need someone who knows their way around the larynx otherwise the training is a waste of time and money
- Professionals need someone very experienced and confident who isn’t intimidated by working with advanced students
“Do you teach the genre of music I want to sing?”
Whether you want to learn pop, rock, musical theatre, rap or opera your singing teacher must must MUST allow you to make your own creative choices. Do not accept ‘I teach ALL genres’ as an answer. Technically speaking voices do work the same but if you want to sing, for instance, rock songs and the teacher is more used to singing Gilbert and Sullivan Showtunes it is very unlikely you will get your needs met. In the same way, if a teacher is more comfortable with modern genres they probably won’t be the best person to teach you opera. Your teacher should be able to suggest material within your genre of choice but never impose it.
If your genre of choice happens to be rock or metal then it is doubly important to ensure that they are teaching safe, sustainable singing methods or you will lose your voice faster than you can say Metallica. Make sure they are teaching safe distortion which should never be painful and is not the same as constriction i.e. dragging your chest voice so high that it sounds like distortion. Also be sure that you are not shouting your way through higher notes.
“What are the principles of your teaching methods? How will you deal with my specific vocal problem?”
The sort of things you DO want to hear:
- Singing should be easy, comfortable and sustainable
- Vocal problems will be diagnosed and corrected with a bespoke set of exercises, a lot like how a personal trainer works with clients
- Sessions are recorded so you can improve outside of lessons
- Lessons will show you how to navigate your bridges easily, safely and sustainably
- Even though you will feel an improvement straight away, there are no quick fixes and you must be prepared to put in a great deal of passion and dedication in order to improve at the optimum rate
- Interpretation (putting emotion into a song) will be worked on alongside technique
Also, if you are equally as keen to work on your performance skills as you are on technique, make sure that this is offered as the average coach almost always focuses on technique. Unless you are already a confident performer or have no desire to perform, make sure this service is offered.
The sort of things you do NOT want to hear:
- Anything about lots of breathing exercises- very outdated technique and no modern singing techniques use them very much
- Anything about singing from the diaphragm- physically impossible and only useful as a visualisation exercise at best
- Anchoring or supporting the voice by tensing any muscles or using core strength- it really isn’t necessary and can encourage strain
- Any promises of quick fixes- even though you should be able to feel an improvement from the first lesson, it will take time to ingrain those changes into how you sing permanently
- Anything about how Singing should feel like lifting a weight, the higher the note the heavier the weight- terrible advice which is actually dangerous if listened to
Also, be wary of teachers using lots of big words you don’t understand without an immediate and understandable explanation as to what they mean TO YOU. Do not be seduced by charismatic individuals who use long ‘science-y’ words unless they can back them up by showing you an improvement in your voice from Session One. For instance I could try to impress a client by saying ‘Ah yes, your vocathyroid glands are restricting the necessary airflow from your larangael tract muscle in order to produce a sustained, even true fold sob quality’ with so much authority and conviction that one would be forgiven for assuming that they simply aren’t knowledgeable enough to understand me…but that I sure know my stuff! Well, the truth is that I just made all that up and that most of the terms aren’t even real words. Of course i am not saying that a teacher would deliberately make up words to impress you, only that they could use complicated lanuage to make an impression and still not necessarily understand exactly how your equipment works or what is right for you and may win your trust nonetheless unless you are on your toes.
*One more thing that is a bit controversial and you will need to make up your own mind about by doing your own research is my negative view of The Estill Method which is often inaccurately described as the ‘industry standard.’ To my knowledge The Estill Method has damaged more voices than it has helped including my own so please use caution and skepticism when engaging with an Estill Method teacher as much of what they did to my own voice were impressive quick fixes rather than sustainable techniques. That said, you absolutely must make up your own mind as there are some who swear by it and I may have just been unlucky.
“What are your qualifications?”
This is the most complicated section as, in my experience, subscribing to a certain technique and swearing by it can be dangerous. Therefore, ‘qualifications’ can be as much of a blessing as a curse. The reason I do not have any specific qualifications in singing is that too often in the past I have held as gospel the teachings of whatever style I had committed myself to at my detriment and, it shames me to admit, the detriment of my students as an extension.
- I have had teachers with degrees in music who have been a joy to train with and clearly have learned a lot from brilliant individuals and have a lot of useful wisdom to pass along.
- I have had teachers with degrees in music who teach methods that are (and this is fact, not just my opinion) totally wrong such as ‘singing from the diaphragm’ because it is what they were taught and they’ve never questioned it.
Therefore a qualification in music or performance is no guarantee that they are the right teacher for you, nor a reliable way to tell that they know their stuff.
- I know of very experienced, busy professional singers who teach whose methods are reliable and have an excellent track record of successful students.
- I know of very experienced, busy professional singers who teach who haven’t a clue what they’re doing.
Therefore a wealth of practical experience is no guarantee that they are the right teacher for you, nor is it a reliable way to tell that they know their stuff.
- I have had respected teachers who are qualified to teach a certain established method (and charge the earth) who have done wonders for my voice and, in some cases, rescued my poorly voice in time for an important gig against the odds.
- I have had respected teachers who are qualified to teach a certain established method (and charge the earth) seduce me with charisma and big words who have wrecked my voice.
Therefore a qualification in an established teaching method is no guarantee that they are the right teacher for you, nor a reliable way to tell that they know their stuff.
The only exception I can think of here is Speech Level Singing as I’ve never encountered a qualified SLS teacher who teaches damaging technique- and as someone who has no affiliation with SLS I have no ulterior motive for saying so. However, due to past experiences of subscribing to a certain method to my detriment my advice is still to always question whether or not you are improving and learning sustainable technique.
Some final points
- Good teachers never exercise their own ego at your expense and are never mean or cruel. Ever. You should never feel intimidated or criticized by your coach. Someone who gets a kick from being in a position of authority or, worse, from imposing that authority is the worst kind of teacher.
- A good coach finds a way of giving honest critique and correcting mistakes without making you uncomfortable.You need to like your teacher and find lessons with him or her fun, rewarding and something to look forward to. So much of singing is simply about being relaxed and creative and to do that you will need to feel that you have a safe space in which to practise with a teacher who believes in you.
In Conclusion
There is much to consider when choosing the right coach for you. Here is my summary:
- Make sure the teacher understands you, your goals and your musical style.
- Ask questions about how he or she will deal with your vocal problem. Can they answer in a language you can understand?
- Make sure that their teaching methods come down to singing safely and sustainably. If they’re encouraging shouting, belting or using lots of breath their technique could even be damaging to the voice.
- When it comes to experience and qualifications, keep an open mind when finding the right coach for you and, if you’re convinced that they could really teach you something worth knowing, give them a shot. If after the first lesson you feel a marked improvement, while bearing in mind the above advice regarding big words and quick fixes, stick with them.
- A good teacher makes lessons fun, rewarding and something to look forward to. They provide a safe environment where you can work on your craft without fear of criticism or ridicule.
- A good teacher believes in you even when you don’t.
Hope you have found this helpful. The best of luck on your musical adventure!
Olivia. xxx