Singing lessons experiences please (especially if you are awful)

[PocketfulOfRye]

I've always wanted to be able to sing and have fantasised about it since I was a child. I love music and love singing and I would absolutely love to at least just be ok enough that I'm unremarkable.

I know a lot of people will say it's something you're just born with and can't be taught but I disagree. I think some are (much) naturally better than others to start with but it can be taught. From what I've read very few people are completely tone deaf and incapable of improving and those people often aren't as into music anyway.

I definitely don't think I'm tone deaf as I can literally hear the difference between high and low pitches but I think I'm worse than average. Most people seem to naturally be able to hear something and replicate it but I find it very difficult.

So I'm thinking of singing lessons but I'm embarrassed. When their website says they work with all abilities I wonder what range they've actually encountered.

For singing teachers or those who know them - how remarkable is someone who is absolutely terrible at singing getting lessons likely to be? Do you have to fight the urge to laugh?

Those who have had lessons how were they? What kind of techniques and exercises did you do? Were you embarrassed? Did you turn up and quickly have to just burst into song?

How long until you saw an improvement and how long to go from "is someone strangling a cat" to passable.

Following as I'm interested in this too. I'd just like to be able to join in a public sing song or maybe do karaoke without being embarrassed.

Your 'did you quickly have to burst into song' has made me laugh.

This doesn't really answer your question but 6 years ago I joined a choir. One that doesn't need any audition to join. I'm not a great singer but I can definitely say that I have improved immensely since starting choir. I have learned how to breathe properly, stand properly and pitch notes. The main thing for me though was being more relaxed and not holding back. I now sing with confidence and ease (mostly!). It is such a joy to be able to sing with my friends and perform for people.

My choir leader offers one to one lessons (which I haven't done so far) plus group sessions to work on vocal technique (which I have done). She would never make anyone feel foolish. If you want lessons then go for it! Singing is the best thing for improving mood and making you feel great.

Everyone has a voice… you just need help to find it!
Go to your lessons … you will be great 😉

I love teaching people who can't pitch.

In a first lesson I might get you to sing a little scale pattern with me, do some breathing work, I'd find where you can pitch in tune and sing something easy like Twinkle Twinkle maybe, work on relaxing by moving and singing.

Everyone can learn and everyone can improve!

I started lessons in my early 40s.
I'm a pretty good singer now.

One kid that had lessons right before mine, went from wailing like a cat to becoming a somewhat famous singer.

I’ll second @BartokRules I’ve only ever had one young lad I couldn’t teach to pitch, very quickly and he had other sen things going on but didn’t care and loved singing enthusiastically regardless and we had great fun.

what you need to do is put fun at the centre of your singing. Choirs can help enormously as mentioned by a pp. go find a teacher and enjoy learning wide ranges of music

I've had lessons for 5 years now. I stopped singing in Primary school after being told to mime the word, and didn't sing a single not for 20 years after.

In my early 30s I decided it might be a good idea to hold a tune, for singing along at church and events like weddings and funerals.

I now lead the church singing group and never care when there are times of group singing.

It's absolutely transformative.

I also wanted to learn to sing so recently i just decided to get on with it and booked a local singing teacher. They gave me exercises to practice at home, and i can already feel a difference when i practice after just one lesson. Life's too short to be embarrassed to do what you want to do. Get it booked!

Soooo much of singing is muscle memory, aural skills, ie things you can learn. And it’s SO good for your health. Singing in a group is good to you too so compounds the goodness. Do it!

Great to see this thread as I am also in my 40s with a love of music and a desire to sing, so wondering about lessons and joining a choir 😀 Have looked up singing teachers online but not sure what I'm looking for and what they would make of me as a student!

Look for someone whose time and place works for you basically, and then go and make sure you like them. Weekly lessons with someone good and convenient are going to be more productive than the most accomplished singing teacher who you can only get to once in a blue moon.

I chose someone very local, their website was very personal and gave me a good idea of their approach and they seemed very friendly and accommodating. They had loads of videos on social media and YouTube talking about singing techniques and i liked their style of teaching - plus they're a really good singer themselves and had been in a few bands and their videos showed a wide range of singing styles so i was fairly confident they'd be able to teach me in the type of music i wanted to learn.

I had singing lessons in my 40s to get over a phobia of singing (it was so bad I couldn't even join in a group singing happy birthday). I play the piano so could read music. I told the teacher when I made enquiries that I wanted to overcome a phobia. She took things very gradually and I found out I could sing in tune and that my voice is actually quite nice. I stopped after about a year as I realised that I much prefer playing the piano to singing and having overcome my phobia had no real desire to pursue it.

I do a lot of singing, have been in choirs and have singing lessons. My singing teacher says most people who say they are terrible are in tune, it's just the quality of the sound that they don't like. And that can be learnt! There's lots of technique in singing, I find it fascinating. Please go for it, OP!

Oh OP I’m just the same as you and really want to learn. Thanks for this thread. I’ve been toying with the idea for about 15 years now and always wish I had done it. I guess I should just go for it. I’m so embarrassed though. I was really happy to read @BartokRules saying they love teaching people who can’t pitch, that’s reassuring.

My DD had singing lessons... it definitely improved her voice and pitch.

I'd say go for it & enjoy!!

Go for it, everyone can enjoy singing . A sympathetic teacher will enjoy helping you find your voice and improve. It will have huge benefits for you.

I had singing lessons! You're right in that there has to be some kind of musical ability. On my first lesson, my tutor asked me to sing 'Baa baa black sheep'. That was to assess if I could scale my voice.

Now, I'm a mezzo soprano singing solos in concert halls internationally. Not really!! I'm just less embarrassed when it comes to karaoke or singing around the house!

I would say just be careful who you choose as a teacher. I took 3 singing lessons as an adult after being the only child not allowed to sing in the class choir in primary school and never allowed to take a grading with a musical instrument due to my voice. I am great at hearing pitch, I just can't get my voice to replicate it. As an adult I wanted to have the confidence to sing even in private. After 3 lessons the teacher told me I breathed funny and i should go away and learn how to breathe properly and then come back. Needless to say I couldn't find a breathing teacher (is that even a thing?) and I felt even worse than before the lessons.

ffs this makes my blood boil, a singing teachers job is to teach bloody breathing.

I’m primarily a piano teacher but do teach singing from time to time. The first thing i do with singers is get them to take a quick deep breath in and see how long we can take to let it out slowly to a quiet shhhh…. Teaching them how to engage with their breathing throughout their body. Then start focusing on pitch, even if just singing a simple nursery rhyme focusing on getting the first more perfect then raucous singing fir the rest and gradually improving the number of correct notes, teaching where to breath in a song etc.

I can't encourage you enough to get some lessons!!! I was in your position, and dreamed for years about learning to sing. Eventually I got it together to find a teacher, schedule a lesson, and did it. It was amazing. The teacher was focused on beginners, so totally put me at ease, and for the first few lessons I didn't even have to sing, just went over some scales, tech stuff, checked I'm not tone deaf and did some warm up and projection stuff. The results were incredible, and it's honestly one of the things I'm most proud of doing, just for myself. Can't wait to see where I am after a year!!

I had a year of lessons (birthday present plus)and knew nothing about breathing for singing, anatomy for voice etc and had a weak voice. It was one of the best things I have ever done, totally inspiring and uplifting. I had a fantastic teacher who spent a lot of the first lessons making me lie on the floor and learn to breathe properly as somehow my whole life I have been doing it weirdly. She found loads of tense areas I was completely unaware of.

She made it fun but was very demanding and serious about helping me which was so motivating for me and I practised every single day. Now I’ve joined a choir and have a much better tone and support for my voice with much more breath control. still always so much more to learn and improve, but now I have some knowledge to help me improve further.

Just go for it! Cast your inhibitions aside and decide not to focus on what others think (a singing teacher should be full of positivity and help you release your voice). You will enjoy it so much more if you focus on the goal of making a lovely sound and lots of the exercises I did required me to look and sound very funny but so worth it to be liberated and enjoy the process fully. Good luck OP and anyone else.

So tempted to get lessons now! What a joyful thread.

I could cry waking up to these encouraging replies. Thank you so much everyone. About to start work but wanted to say that you've really made me feel more positive and confident and giving it a go.