In a world consumed by free user-generated content you may be wondering whether paying for those weekly singing lessons is worth it.
And the answer is yes! If you want to improve or develop your singing voice you’ll need expert advice, tailored to your individual vocal needs. And that, my friend, costs a little time and a little money.
I’ve put together a list of 6 reasons why singing lessons are worth it and why you should invest your time and money in private one to one singing lessons.
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Hi, I'm Rebecca! And I truly love everything about the art, science, and teaching of singing. If you're looking to build an effective and healthier singing technique so that you can sing with more ease and confidence, then you're in the right place! Here's a few other blog posts you might also like to read:
And of course, grab a copy of my ultimate vocal health starter guide where I'll share how to create a vocal health routine and reset your voice in 14-days!
ONE TO ONE SINGING LESSONS ARE TAILORED TO YOU
Taking one to one singing lessons might seem like an unnecessary expense when you have free access to the internet and all its user-generated content.
But unlike a YouTube tutorial, a one to one singing lesson will first and foremost address your individual vocal needs.
Because not everyone has the same issues when it comes to learning to sing.
In those one to one singing lessons, you’re essentially paying for the time, knowledge and advice of an experienced singing teacher who will assist you in developing your unique voice.
Think of it like this. You notice a leak in your roof. Pennies are tight and it seems like a simple job. So, you hop on to YouTube and find a quick fix.
Great! The job only took you a couple of hours and cost you next nothing.
But then the same thing happens again a couple of months later because you what you didn’t know, and what YouTube didn’t tell you, was that little stain on the ceiling was connected to a much bigger problem.
So, you now have to employ a qualified roofer to fix what was a small problem but has now become a much bigger problem at ten times the cost.
Do you see where I’m going with this?
Save yourself time, money and distress by getting off on the right foot. Don’t wait until the problems worsen before taking that expert advice.
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T WASTE YOUR TIME ON YOUTUBE
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional or amateur singer, sing in a band, your local choir, or just by yourself in the shower you can’t actually hear yourself.
We hear our own speaking and singing voices through a combination of air conduction (via the ears) and through bone conduction. It’s also the reason we don’t like the sound of own voices when we hear a recording.
It is for this very reason why a YouTube tutorial can’t help you improve your singing voice.
Singing is more than mimicking what your hearing.
You need to be able to objectively, subjectively and accurately diagnose the problem, cause, and solution all at the same time. If you can’t hear yourself, not to mention see what you’re doing, how do you know if you’re doing it right?
You can’t! And that doesn’t just apply to beginners. Even the most experienced singers can’t do this. Remember that issue with the roof?
WHAT ELSE IS YOUTUBE NOT TELLING YOU
I’m not bashing YouTube, honest! I love it! But YouTube doesn’t help you build that technique nor does it help you with maintenance.
Yes, maintenance. Singers (both professional and amateur) often learn good singing habits in their one to one singing lessons but without regular monitoring all too quickly can those habits stray from the track. This is another advantage one to one lessons have over YouTube.
It’s impossible for you to keep track of everything you are doing and do it right all of the time.
It’s like driving, you take lessons to pass your test. You turn your head the required number of times for that three-point turn or you manoeuvre carefully around that corner.
But then you pass your test and you’re unleashed on the roads and those habits gradually start to slip.
Having one to one singing lessons means that the singing teacher can spot those unruly habits as they are forming and nip them in the bud before they get too deep- rooted. This applies to professional singers as much as it does to beginners.
WHAT ARE YOU PAYING FOR?
If I’ve now got your thinking about investing some of your hard-earned cash on singing lessons, what are you going to get for your buck?
You’re essentially paying for the time, knowledge and advice of an experienced singing teacher who will assist you in developing your unique voice.
Lesson structures vary from teacher to teacher but should consist of warm-up exercises that are designed to build vocal technique, and repertoire practice.
Over the course of your lessons you’ll work on breathing techniques, resonance, extending your range, improving pitch, musicianship, performance, interpretation etc. that’s specific to your needs, at your pace.
The key to success in singing is not to expect too much straight away. Basic vocal technique can take 5 years or more.
This does seem like a long-term investment. But if you really want to sing, then it’s an investment worth making.
The reason it takes so long can be explained by comparing learning to sing with learning to play the piano. In many ways, they’re very similar except imagine if you had to build the piano before you can learn to play it.
That’s what it’s like to learn to sing. You have to learn to build the instrument before you can play it.
ARE ONLINE LESSONS WORTH PAYING FOR?
Online singing lessons have definitely become more popular during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Mostly this is out of necessity rather than advancements in singing teaching.
Whilst technology is improving in this area it has yet to replace the quality you get from a face to face lesson and they aren’t necessarily cheaper.
Online lessons can be a great alternative if you live in a remote area (provided you have a good internet connection) and want to access a particular teacher in a different city or country.
But the major disadvantage of online lessons is the lag time, which means a teacher can’t accompany and/or sing along with you.
If you can, face to face is best but online is better than nothing, if you have no other choice.
HOW MUCH DO SINGING LESSONS COSTS?
This is a tricky question. There are no set guidelines for how much you should spend on singing lessons. Lesson prices vary depending on location and experience of the teacher.
The Musician’s Union recommends that music teachers charge a minimum of £34 per hour for a lesson, but this does not take into account areas with higher living costs. So, you may find a singing teacher in London, for example, has a higher hourly rate than a singing teacher in rural Lincolnshire.
Experienced and high in demand singing teachers could charge over £100 per hour.
Do your research into both the genre you want to sing and your local area to find a teacher that suits your budget and needs.
Remember that roof I told you about? Don’t fall into the trap that you can use YouTube tutorials to improve your singing voice because it saves you money.
If you really want to sing, whether that’s professionally or for pleasure, then invest a little money and a little time in singing lessons that are tailored to your vocal needs. Singing lessons are definitely worth it the investment. I promise!
If this has got you thinking about trying out some singing lessons, why not nip over to another of my blog posts What to look for in a singing teacher to get you started on finding the right teacher for you.
