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Advice & Tips for
Beginning Singers
REPRODUCTION:
Permission not needed to reproduce this article if you quote this website as the source, and Katherine M. Thompson as the author. Confidence makes all the difference How do you gain confidence? Practice is the only way to improve Learning to sing takes time Other benefits from singing lessons, beyond an improved voice Liking your singing teacher An exercise for vocal beginners: Evaluate a singing performance CONFIDENCE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE! My job is to teach people to sing. How can I teach someone if they're afraid to sing in front of me? I have actually had students come for singing lessons and then in the first lesson, they refuse to sing anything. They're too frightened to make a sound. That's like going to a social worker and refusing to talk or going to a dentist and refusing to open your mouth! I totally do understand that fear. I had a first time, too. We all have. Some at a young age and some older. For those of you who are too "shy" to sing but you want to learn, think of these similar common-sense scenarios for beginners of any kind:
If you are learning to sing, it's not usually recommended that you get on a stage unprepared, never having done it before. But there are no dangerous consequences to singing compared to improper skydiving or surgeries, though. It's much safer! Life is about taking chances and risks. It's often best to take a calculated risk where your safety is of primary importance. Of course, never endanger anyone or risk finances, etc. Singing in front of your new vocal coach is not a big risk. That person is there to help you in a non-judgmental way. You're in a safe environment and you trust their opinion. The fear of singing in front of anyone is based in ego, meaning that the consequences of not singing "good" might result in shame or embarrassment for you. But believe me, we've heard it all. It's not a judgment of your personality at all. We need to hear where your voice is "at" and your current level of ability when you come for lessons. That way, we can assess where to begin in a way that will best benefit YOU. Another way to look at it is: Imagine someone singing for YOU who has little confidence and an untrained voice. Would you laugh at them if they sounded less than good? Of course not! That would never even occur to you, right? You'd want to get busy and help them. So: let the learning begin! On the other hand, if you are a confident, determined person who wants to sing, then congratulations! 
Confidence is a must
whenever you're in front of an audience.
That was before the days of computers and I didn't go out to network because I wasn't good at taking the initiative to meet new people. Gigs always kind of came to me and I didn't have to worry about doing the business for about the first 10 years of my career, age 15-25. It's a different world today and there are tools such as MySpace which lets you showcase your talent 24/7, literally around the world. You get a free web page with most e-mail accounts, but be careful of pay-per-click traffic or other hidden costs. Read the fine print. You guys are sooooo lucky to have this ability to network! PRACTICE IS THE ONLY WAY TO IMPROVE My goal is to teach you to sing. An integral part of that is to motivate you to practice. Details about practice, warming up and working out with your voice are things you learn during singing lessons. There are many ways to practice singing but the most important thing is to use your voice in a specific, controlled way with an element of consistency and structure. PRACTICE TIP: Get into the habit of really looking forward to your personal vocal practice time. Imagine that you're as disciplined as any other musician or athlete and adopt practice routines as a daily lifestyle. LEARNING TO SING TAKES TIME Please have realistic expectations about singing lessons and how long it takes to learn to sing. It's great to be super enthusiastic about starting lessons, but be sure you have the fuel to maintain your commitment and enthusiasm about growing as an artist and musician. If you make it about the music, the voice and the joy, then you will be able to thrive throughout the process rather than focusing on the "end game". If becoming rich and famous is your only exclusive goal, I don't believe that your experience will be fulfilling. Love of music comes first and everything else follows after that. Be patient with progress. You're learning, practicing and developing a physical and artistic skill. Singing is a process - and cannot be forced, nor done overnight. QUOTES: "Learning to sing is a slow and patient undertaking, in which a good ear is the prerequisite, the imagery is an aid supplied by the teacher, and the experience is gradually accumulated until it is so powerful that merely calling up the memory will reproduce it." William Vennard from his book, Singing: The Mechanism and the Technic "One of the most important things to learn about the process of singing is that it does not happen overnight." Bruce Schoonmaker, Baritone, Voice Teacher, Actor, Stage Director, Furman University "How long will it take (to learn to sing)? Until you're ready. I'm asked this question more than any other and the answer depends on where you are when you start training, how hard you work, and how much you want it. Most classical teachers advise a 14 year developing period before beginning your career. Most rock and rollers begin and retire in that amount of time. I tell my students to look for advances in 6 month intervals and expect great changes to take 2 - 3 years." Mark Baxter from his book "The Rock-n-Roll Singer's Survival Manual" As with any athletic or artistic craft, it takes time to do it well. Nothing ever happens overnight and it's all a process. The whole secret to developing great technique is to be patient, and to enjoy the process. Look forward to your time to master your singing voice. Make it special, and most of all - you must make it consistent. OTHER BENEFITS FROM SINGING LESSONS, BEYOND AN IMPROVED VOICE! Take a look at the many benefits there are to studying singing.
…and the list goes on and on! Many of these benefits to studying voice through music will also contribute to improved grades at school. LIKING YOUR SINGING TEACHER I think it's essential that you are comfortable with your vocal coach, whomever that is. Be sure to give your new singing teacher a chance. Every teacher has a different style and personal energy. If you are uncomfortable with the singing teacher you're studying with, it can get in the way of your progress. Don't be shy to tell your teacher what you are experiencing, as it's important to communicate. They may not be aware of something they're doing that is bringing you this feeling. But trust that they have your best interest in mind. You can always try working with other singing teachers - but again, give it a chance; at least a few lessons. AN EXERCISE for VOCAL BEGINNERS: EVALUATE A SINGING PERFORMANCE Visit one a singer you're interested in on YouTube. As a learning experience, evaluate their vocal performance. Try to be factual about their performance rather than judgmental on whether it was 'good' or 'bad'. You'll be surprised at the new way you are able to think about voice as it is related to art, and your way of appreciation may broaden. GUIDELINE: Here are things to listen for and ponder as you listen and evaluate any vocal performance:
A final important question is: "Is this singer I'm listening to trying to make their voice be something it's not?" Good luck and I hope you decide to try singing lessons. For more inspiration and info, visit: Purevoice Power - Teaching Methods 
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