Are Voice Lessons Worth It?
Taking a step into the world of voice lessons can be intimidating. And for good reason. The voice is a complex instrument unlike any other. In this article we’re going to answer the question, “Are voice lessons worth it?”
Before diving into why we might want voice lessons, let’s take a look at the voice as an instrument. The voice is special when compared to all other instruments. Physical instruments are external tools, but the voice comes from within our bodies. What’s more, we use this instrument every single day because we talk. So unless you lead an otherwise speechless lifestyle, you already use the instrument all the time.
Why should I take voice lessons?
Have you ever tried to sing, expecting one sound but hearing something entirely different? This is why voice lessons are necessary, so you can sing what you want, how you want, and when you want. In other words, this is why voice lessons are “worth it.”
Voice lessons are a lot like working out, only on a miniature level. The goal is to strengthen the vocal folds to close the right amount, stretch them further to increase range, and use them correctly to gain endurance. These are only some of the fundamental aspects of voice lessons. If you’ve heard vocal exercises before, they may sound a bit silly, but once you put them into practice, you will experience and understand their use. As with any discipline, diving in is the only way to understand the complexity that is voice.
What do voice lessons consist of?
Typically voice lessons consist of:
breathwork
pitch matching
vocal cord stretching and strengthening
volume control
music reading
and more as the student advances.
Using our body as the instrument, we will learn to breathe out, close our vocal folds, and shape the tone of our voice.
What if I can’t sing?
This is a frequently asked question, and one worth answering! It’s understandable to have tried singing and not believe it’s possible. An important aspect to keep in mind is that, though everyone has and uses their voice, not everyone treats it like the delicate instrument that it is. After all, you don’t walk around wondering why you can’t play the violin when you’ve never taken lessons. Voice is the same. It needs care and attention. And an encouraging thought I’d like to leave you with is, “if you have a voice, you can sing.”
What if I’m tone-deaf?
About 4 percent of people are truly tone-deaf, or have what is known as congenital amusia. It’s more likely people have not trained their ears to remember and match frequencies. That, or they don’t have enough muscle to make their vocal folds produce the pitch they want. And honestly, I feel the number may be lower than 4 percent. When I consider how far my pitch recognition has come since I was a child, I get excited to help others with their voice. At the age of seven, I was told I was tone-deaf. When I entered the conservatory in college, I still didn’t have much in terms of relative pitch (being able to tell the distance between notes). After practice and guidance, I developed relative pitch. Now I effortlessly hear when something is out of tune.
It comes down to repetition, pitch memory focus, and interval training (hearing notes against each other). I’ve worked with students who faced great difficulty, but with the right approach, they developed the skill and awareness to match and hear pitch. It’s a repetitive and tedious process, but if the student is committed, it is incredibly rewarding. In my opinion, as long as a person can hear and speak with inflection, they can learn to match pitch.
How far can I increase my range?
The vocal folds are exactly that - folds of flesh that sit in your larynx at the top of your windpipe. Think of them as rubber bands (not quite, but sufficient for this analogy). They can be stretched quite a bit by the muscles around them, and if done properly, most people can expand their range by a large number of notes in both directions. An often overlooked consideration is that you must first build the middle range by learning how to properly connect the vocal folds before expanding range. Else, you risk running in circles - straining your voice by reaching outside your range, having to wait days for it to heal, and then straining it again.
The Bottom Line
The voice is an intricate instrument that, when not handled properly, can lead to bouts of frustration. In order to sing, you’ll need to understand how to nail down the fundamentals. That is, controlling the breath, improving pitch, gaining strength, and increasing flexibility and endurance. If you’d like to learn more, we’d love to have you for a free lesson at our studio. Contact us and get started on your vocal journey now!