Your First Voice Lesson - What to Expect

There is often a lot of uncertainty and perhaps even anxiety surrounding one’s first voice lesson. Many first-time students have never sung in front of others, let alone a professional coach who will be listening very carefully. There is probably no way to completely eliminate any nervousness for the first lesson, but knowing what to expect will help you make the most of your time and will help you have the most fun! 

How the lesson will probably go: 

At the start of the lesson, you’ll want to chat with your new teacher about why you are there and what you hope to accomplish. My first question for new students is usually: What brings you in today? Some students have a very clear agenda - they are preparing a song to sing for a wedding or other special event, they want to sound better when singing karaoke with friends, they have harbored a secret dream to start a singing career, etc., and are now taking the first important step. Others merely love to sing and want to learn more about it, or are looking for fun hobbies to try. These are all excellent reasons to take a voice lesson. Knowing why you’re there will help you and your teacher be the most productive.

After you talk, the teacher will lead you through some vocal exercises. This will allow the teacher to begin to understand your voice as well as your range. It will also ideally give you some new techniques to work with and best prepare you to sing a song.

Note: many exercises are not pretty to listen to. Give yourself permission to make “ugly” sounds. We are stretching and finding certain sounds and feelings in the body in order to explore and strengthen your technique. 

After exercises, you will likely work on a song. This is by no means mandatory, but it’s usually helpful to have a song in mind that you’d like to sing in your first lesson. I would recommend a song that you know pretty well so that your teacher can best hear your singing style and technique. It could also be helpful to have a second song in mind that is more challenging. Perhaps one with a note that is difficult to reach or a phrase that you can’t quite get through. Sometimes a student will come in with no idea of what they want to sing, and they will ask me to recommend something based on their voice. To help narrow this down, I will usually ask the student what songs they find themselves listening to. What’s on their favorite playlists? What songs make them feel something? Singing songs you enjoy and can connect with will always be more fun and will probably allow you to make progress more quickly. If you don’t already have a playlist of songs that you dream of singing, make one now. Don’t worry about whether or not the singer on the record has a similar voice type to you, or whether you think it’s too much of a reach (or too arrogant to think you can sing an Adele or Stevie Wonder song). The sky is the limit!

How to prepare:

If possible, get a good night’s rest before your lesson, and drink plenty of water or tea in the hours before. Don’t come to the lesson hungry, but also don’t eat right before if you can avoid it. An hour or so should be enough time to let the food settle before you sing. Don’t eat anything that makes your stomach feel weird. Bring a bottle of water to your lesson so that you can hydrate in the waiting room and throughout the lesson as needed. Your body is your instrument, so the better it feels, the easier it will be to sing!

Also, bring a charged device with which to record your lesson. It is invaluable to have a recording to go back and practice with, and it will allow you to hear what your voice sounds like outside of your head. 

Lastly, know that it may take a few lessons to get comfortable with your instructor, and it may be that you need to try different instructors in order to find the right fit. This lesson is the first step in a bold and joyful journey, and it is important that you find a guide who understands and challenges you!