How to Approach Singing Lessons as an Adult

Starting anything later in life is always a challenge, singing is no different.

A lot of adults, and even people in their late teens are timid about approaching learning this new skill.

It can be intimidating, but it’s all about starting small.

Like learning a new language, one starts with learning vocabulary and slowly adds on until there are full sentences and conversations.

Starting Singing as an Adult

When I work with adult students who have not yet had voice lessons I reassure them that while it seems like a goal that is hard to reach, with the correct steps it is possible!

One thing that is important to note is that bodies and voices are forever changing.

Even if someone has been singing their entire lives it is important to check in on how they feel in relation to their voices.

Generally speaking, we speak about puberty and the voice dropping of men.

Women actually experience a “voice drop” as well during puberty.

Women and men’s voices change again during their mid-twenties, which is subtle but still present.

Throughout our lives there is a hardening of our laryngeal cartileges, which creates a better support for the tension in our vocal folds.

There is also a vocal shift in women during and after pregnancy, as well as during and after menopause.

For each woman it is different, but this is important to note, considering the change in sensation when singing but also speaking.

All of this to say, don’t be discouraged. No matter what age you are, it is never too late to begin singing.

It is only a plus to be aware of the shifts in your voice and muscles that support it.

Understanding the Mechanics of Singing

Before diving straight into actually vocalizing, it is important to understand the mechanics of singing.

What are the body parts and muscles that make up a voice?

There are three separate Systems to focus on.

We have the Respiratory System (or Air Pressure System), the Phonation System (or Vibratory System), and the Resonating system.

In the Respiratory System we focus on diaphragm, chest muscles, ribs, lungs and abdominal muscles.

In the Phonation System we focus on the larynx (the voice box itself) and the vocal folds.

And in the Resonating System we have the pharynx (throat), oral cavity, and nasal cavity.

Everyone has a different facial structure, which means everyone has a different resonating system.

This is a major factor in why everyone’s voices are so different.

Already this is a lot of new information if you were not already previously familiar with the anatomy of the voice.

Think of it this way; learning how to sing from scratch is like starting at the gym.

I think it is important to start with talking about this so that rather than thinking of the voice and singing as a new alien feeling, we can dissect and isolate each sensation and look at singing more scientifically.

Everyone has these muscles, and has the potential to learn how to better control these muscles.

Connecting Breath and Body

After introducing the technical idea of singing, I like to work on connecting the mind to the body.

Working on controlling breath is a great way to do this.

Many people when they start to sing believe that it only has to do with their throat- but to sing comfortably and correctly, we must connect to our whole body.

Breathing correctly is a great first step.

To breathe deeply we take in air and our stomach expands, it feels low in the body.

I have discovered that a lot of new students when asked to breathe deeply actually suck in their stomach.

Our stomach comes out because our organs make room for the lungs to expand, and when breathing and sucking in, we prevent the lungs from properly taking in sufficient air.

When students have trouble with this sensation, I have them lie down on their backs and breath naturally- the stomach expands as they inhale, and collapses slowly as they exhale.

If uncomfortable with lying down, leaning up against the wall with the entirety of the back in contact and aligned can be just as effective.

Developing Healthy Vocal Sensations

The next step after working on correctly breathing is adding vocalization.

First I like to take a big yawn. When we yawn, our larynx lowers and our soft palette rises, while also loosening up the tongue.

While I yawn I take a nice big vocalized sigh.

This is a great way to make the connection in our brain between what it feels like to create space in our throats and heads for sound to come out.

When the larynx is lowered and the tongue is loose, this is the perfect situation for healthy singing. And everyone yawns!

Adults sometimes have trouble getting used to singing because it can feel strange and foreign, but it is just a combination of many normal human functions – it’s just a matter of putting them together.

All singing really is, is an extension of speaking with melody and breath control.

We have to remember that singing is not just a special skill that some people either have or don’t have, it is a human ability that everyone has the potential to hone.

Only 4% of the population has congenital amusia, or “tone deafness”.

Many adults think that they are tone deaf when they actually aren’t, it is just a lack of training that can make singing feel more difficult than it actually is.

Many people also have trouble matching pitch with musical instruments but have an easier matching pitch with another human voice. This just takes some ear training and patience.

Choosing a Style and Building Confidence

There are many styles to choose from, classical voice, jazz, musical theater, pop, rock, metal, punk… the list goes on.

I like to advise those who are just starting out to stick to one style or technique and practice that, before moving on to other styles.

It can become overwhelming to try learning many styles at once.

I also advise that those who want to learn specific vocal styles like “vocal fry” or “screaming” wait to do this when they feel more comfortable with the basics.

There are many steps in between doing vocal training and warm ups, and being able to sing an entire song the way you envision it.

Remember that everyone’s voices are different based on their resonating system; the nasal cavity, throat and oral cavity – so trying to sound exactly like another singer is not an optimal goal.

Singers do sometimes focus on singing “from” different parts of their voice, for example a singer who sings very “nasal” is Britney Spears, and a singer who uses their chest and focuses deeper in their throat would be Adele.

Try listening to different singers and analyzing what resonators they are using as you explore using your voice in new ways.

Start with choosing which style you’d like to focus on, and picking simple songs from the genre to learn.

I like my students to memorize the lyrics of whichever song they choose so that when they sing they can focus on just the singing, rather than looking down at the page.

Listen to multiple different singers singing that song, sing along and have fun with it.

Singing is meant to be fun, not stressful- ease your way into it.

Progress Takes Patience and Consistency

If you’ve never had a voice lesson before and you are trying to learn, it is hard not to skip a bunch of steps to try and reach the finish line.

First of all, there is no “finish line” in singing, it’s a never ending ladder.

Just as you can learn a language but there will always be more words to learn.

Adults usually have trouble learning something and not being able to perfect it in a certain period of time, singing takes patience.

Try not comparing your progress to others’, we all have our own way.

Citations: The Voice Foundation