What Should I Expect During My First Voice Lesson?

If you’re getting ready to take your very first voice lesson, congratulations! This is an exciting first step towards your musical growth, and you can expect your first lesson to be a low-pressure introduction to singing, not an audition or performance test. During your lesson, you’ll meet your teacher and discuss your goals and musical experience. Depending on how comfortable you feel, you may even try some vocal warmups and exercises or sing a short song!

Before your first voice lesson, remember that students do not need previous singing experience. You don’t need to prepare anything ahead of your first lesson, because the goal is to help the teacher understand the student’s voice and help the student feel comfortable.

Meeting Your New Voice Teacher: What You Can Expect

The beginning of your first lesson will probably be more like a conversation rather than immediately jumping into singing. After you get acquainted with your new teacher, you can expect to: 

• Discuss any previous experiences with singing or other musical instruments
• Chat about  favorite singers, songs, or musical styles
• Discuss your individual goals (singing for fun, building confidence while singing, or preparing for choir, musical theatre, or auditions) 
• Talk about the your current comfort level with singing, and other questions you may have.

Do You Have to Know How to Sing Before Starting Voice Lessons?

Not at all! The entire point of voice lessons is to improve your singing from wherever you’re starting from, whether it’s a total beginner or an adult returning to voice lessons. Students aren’t expected to arrive with perfect technique (or any knowledge of technique at all!). During your first voice lesson, your teacher may listen to your natural range, tone, pitch, breathing, and musical instincts. A good vocal teacher won’t judge where you are, but they will provide pointers for how to improve your singing throughout future lessons! 

Examples of Vocal Warmups 

Vocal warmups are often one of the first practical parts of the lesson! Every level of singer, from beginner to advanced, uses vocal warmups to help prepare their singing voice in a healthy way. You don’t need to spend hours on vocal warmups, either; studies have shown that 5 or 10 minutes of warm up is more than enough to begin a practice session! 

Possible warm up activities might be:

• Gentle breathing exercises
• Humming
• Lip trills
• Vocal sirens
• Simple scales
• Pitch-matching exercises
• Easy vocal patterns

Vocal teachers will use these exercises to help students become aware of the natural range of their voices, encourage healthy vocal habits, and have fun as they warm up their voices. Vocal warmups also help the teacher hear the student’s range and tone, which better directs future lessons. 

Will You Sing a Song During Your First Voice Lesson?

Many teachers will have you sing a familiar song so that they can get a better idea of your vocal range. Students might choose a song they already know, and teachers might provide a simple song or exercise for their new voice student to do. Regardless of what your teacher suggests, don’t worry about giving a “perfect” performance; it helps your teacher more to simply know where you’re at in your current music journey! 

While you’re singing, your teacher will be observing your: 

• Pitch matching
• Rhythm
• Vocal range
• Tone quality
• Breathing habits
• Musical expression
• Listening skills
• Confidence and comfort level

Voice teachers aren’t looking for perfection; they’re gathering information that helps them personalize future lessons for you and your individual goals! If you’re a parent of a child who feels initially nervous about singing in front of their new teacher, don’t worry; many children, especially younger ones, might take a few lessons to warm up to the idea of singing in front of someone new. You can privately share with their new teacher that they’re a little nervous, and chances are the teacher has probably taught dozens of students like that before. 

After the First Voice Lesson

The first lesson should give the teacher and student a clearer idea of what future lessons might look like. You’ll go over recommended exercises, goals for your future voice lessons, and what the best song might look like for your individual voice and experience level. You’ll probably feel pretty excited after your first voice lesson concludes (as you should!) but it’s important to remember that your lessons will change as you progress as a singer, and through learning more areas to develop, you may even have more performance opportunities! 

First Voice Lesson FAQ: What Do Parents Want to Know?

Can beginners take voice lessons?

Yes! A great voice teacher will meet the student where they’re at, even if they’re a complete beginner. They will adjust the lessons to be more suitable for someone who hasn’t taken voice lessons before. 

What age should a child start voice lessons?

Most students are ready to start voice lessons around age 7, but chat with your music school and voice instructor about if they think your student is ready for ongoing voice lessons after they’ve had their first one. Readiness for voice lessons can depend on the child’s interest level, attention span, and ability to participate comfortably.

Does a beginner voice student need to know how to read music?

Not at all! A voice teacher can teach a new vocal student how to read music, and there’s no expectation that a beginner knows how to read music before their first lesson.

How often should students practice between voice lessons?

Practicing a little every day, or even every other day, is much more effective for cramming for an hour right before a voice lesson. Ask your voice teacher about their practice expectations at your first voice lessons! 

Ready for Your First Voice Lesson?

Remember, a first voice lesson isn’t about proving whether a student is a “good singer.” It’s about discovering where that student’s voice is starting off at, and giving them a supportive first step toward becoming a more confident, capable singer. It’s okay for students to feel unsure of what to expect or nervous about their first voice lesson, and Ensemble Performing Arts is ready to support new vocal students with our qualified voice instructors across the country! You can book a trial lesson and chat with your student’s new teacher about practice expectations, long term goals, and more.