What a voice lesson looks like!

Ever wonder what your voice lesson might be like? Here’s a sample of my lesson notes from a 60 min free mini-lesson given this week. Have you set yours up yet?

NAME: xxxxxx
3/13 Vocal Evaluation & mini-lesson:
Vocal Evaluation determined beginning range to be: Undetermined at this time.
Possible Choral Alto/Choral Mezzo Soprano
Range at first lesson : C3 – G5

Lesson Goals:

• Intro to vocal mechanics 
• The vocal registers and range
• Chest voice, head voice, whistle voice, falsetto, vocal fry
• Breathing for singing
• Recognizing and dealing with tension

Foundational exercises 

1. Isolating outer muscles of the larynx to gain control and free the vocal cords 
   1. Bubble exercise – placing finders on cheeks where teeth join to produce a loose lip pucker. Sing through the low end of your range to the high end with minimal effort without tripping over the ‘breaks’ in your range. Remember to control breath support. Avoid letting all the air escape all at once.
   2. This foundational exercise should become a daily routine. The action of the lips frees up the vocal cords by releasing unwanted outer larynx muscles and setting the larynx up for correct speech-level position. Paying close attention to all the sensations in the vocal apparatus will help you isolate the healthy vocal function needed for beautiful, free singing.
   3. What to remember – learn to recognize vocal cord adjustments by how they feel. 
2. Working towards Pure Tone
   1. Vocal fry – vocal cord vibration with no tone.
   2. Positions the vocal cords for optimum connection thereby producing a pure clear tone with minimal effort. Also foundational. While most exercises such as the Bubble, are only part of a vocal workout or warm up routine the vocal fry will remain part of how you sing.
   3. What to remember – expect progress over time with good practice habits.
3. Good breathing for singing
   1. Diaphragmatic breathing – using the diaphragm to draw air into the lungs rather than ‘filling up the lungs’ from the top down.
   2. Making this part of a daily practice routine will build the support you need to move you toward controlled phrasing and support steady well placed tone while maintaining pitch control.
   3. What to Remember – Breathing for singing is different than breathing for speech. 
4. Tension busters
   1. Relaxing in the jaw and mouth. (see blog for exercises to release jaw and tongue tension)
   2. Open relaxed jaw and mouth for better volume/diction