Singing Classes, Private Voice Lessons Or Online Training? What's Right For Your Voice?

Before becoming a vocal coach eighteen years ago, I was a voice student for fifteen years, beginning at the ripe young age of seven at Lincoln Center in NYC. I know what it is like to try to find the best vocal training and seek out the best vocal coach and I have the experience from the other side of the search, as a singing teacher, fielding the questions of those who are looking for the same. There are exponentially more choices today than when I sought it out decades ago. Costs vary widely and there are more options for study at your fingertips due to technology than ever before.

How do you know whether to begin with a singing class, private singing lessons from a professional vocal coach, instructional videos, DVDs, CDs or even online training?

A few basic questions can help break it down, keep it simple and fun.

Singing for beginners:

Are you a beginner? When you want to learn how to sing for the first time and you have no prior vocal training or if you want for your child to learn how to sing, you may find yourself googling up "singing lessons," "vocal coach," even "how to learn how to sing." You will come up with many options including local private singing teachers, voice classes, singing schools, instructional DVDs and CDs, books, and online voice training.

For an absolute beginner, young or adult, go for a singing class and a couple of quality instructional DVDs at first. Your local library may have some DVDs available or if you buy a few online, you can usually return any you are not satisfied with. The DVDs will familiarize you with basic singing technique and help you assess a vocal coach. A singing class is an economic and fun way to meet a singing teacher and other voice students. You'll find others to work with and stimulate you in the early days of practicing your solfege (do-re-me-fa-so-la-ti-do). If the vocal coach is inspiring and erudite, you will know who to go to when you are ready to invest in private voice lessons.

Singing for the professional or semiprofessional:

Have you studied voice before, had some experience or even extensive experience as a singer? Are there certain vocal challenges you are eager to address? If you are a professional singer or a semiprofessional singer with particular vocal challenges, you should seek out the best vocal coach in your area and have private voice lessons. If the singing teacher offers an instructional video, review the video beforehand. It is often an economic and risk-free way to evaluate a vocal coach and you will walk in the door understanding much of what the singing teacher's basic philosophy and technique is, so you will save time and money in the long run. Once working together, if the singing teacher does not address the vocal challenges you brought in within a few lessons, try an alternative voice coach.

When you have a good grasp on the vocal coach's technique and you feel the basic philosophy and approach to the voice works for you, you can eventually work your way into an advanced group class to stay on your game for less cost. You will also learn more about the voice by observing the coach working with the vocal challenges of other students.

The process is in mirror opposition depending on your level. The absolute beginner should start with a class and some instructional DVDs, eventually finding his/her way to private lessons. The professional or semiprofessional should start with private voice lessons (perhaps reviewing the vocal coach's work on DVD beforehand) and once acquiring an understanding of the vocal techniques, s/he can move into a singing class for maintenance, vocal upkeep, and new discoveries observing the vocal coach working with others.

Singing for the "non-singer:"

Do you have trouble carrying a tune? Do you think you might be "tone deaf?" The one exception to the above process would be the beginner vocalist without any ear training. Chances are you are not deaf to the differences in tone, but that you lack ear-training and have not learned to physically associate the sounds you hear with the sounds you make. Nearly all the time, young or old, this ability can be learned. However, it does need to be learned one-on-one with a patient, encouraging vocal coach and you need to be prepared to commit approximately an hour every day for six to twelve weeks to learn this before you will be ready to join a singing class. It is an investment of time and money, but for the eager singer who thought it would never be possible to sing in tune, it is worth it. You have to start with one-on-one private ear-training lessons with an experienced vocal coach before you will be ready to join a class that focusses on singing technique. (Tip: Refrain from singing out loud with headphones on. This further disassociates the sounds you hear with the sounds you make!)

Online training:

Online training is generally unnecessary for the beginner, but possibly worth it for the advanced student in two ways. If you already have a vocal coach you trust, who effectively helps you with your voice, absolutely try working over video conferencing rather than messing around with unknowns. If there is a vocal coach that has been recommended to you, but you cannot get to them physically and s/he is willing to work over video conferencing, it is worth it to try the online route. Otherwise, the technology for online work is not yet at a place where it seems to measure up to working in the same room with many available, educated, talented teachers all over the country.