Frequently Asked Questions



How long will it take to learn to sing?

That depends on you. Because singing necessitates the balanced coordination of many of the muscles in the torso, throat, and mouth, learning to sing is by nature a slow process. The only way to speed up that process is by regular, consistent practice, so students who practice regularly improve more quickly than students who never or seldom practice. With regular practice, you can expect to see improvements in your singing ability within a couple of months, but understand that developing your voice is an ongoing proposition, and most singers find there is always room for improvement no matter how long they've been working at it.

How often will I need to practice?

For maximum results, practice your vocal exercises at least six days each week for at least 15 minutes per day, with one day off every week. An effective practice session consists of focused, engaged vocal exercises followed by work on songs or arias. Keep in mind that developing your vocal skill is a slow process that can't be rushed. If you are interested in faster vocal development, you can expect to invest in a significant amount of practice time. The key is to exercise consciously, and experiment and analyze what is going on in your body while you sing so that you get to know how your voice works. However, even if you don’t practice at all, you can make incremental but consistent improvement by regularly attending weekly lessons with your voice instructor.

Where do I find music?

There are a few small sheet music stores in Seattle, or you can shop online.

I don't play the piano. How can I practice at home?

Many of our students bring a voice recorder or other recording device to their lessons to record the exercises and songs. We can record the melodies of the songs you are working on to be sure you learn the pitches and rhythms correctly.

Do I have to sing in Italian?

Voice teachers commonly use Italian songs to help with the development of good voice technique, and the reasons for this are practical and well-founded. The tone of your voice comes through the vowel sounds you sing. So, it stands to reason that good voice technique is achieved by developing sensitivity to how those vowel sounds work in your voice. Oftentimes, when singing a familiar song in English, singers get so carried away expressing the lyrics that they don't pay enough attention to the vowels sounds they are making, and their tone suffers. The Italian language has only five pure vowel sounds (with an additional two slight variants) which can be considered the "primary" vowel sounds for all Western languages, very much like the "primary" colors in visual art. English has over 20 variants of those five sounds and up to 10 diphthongs (two vowel sounds that sound like one, e.g., the word "my" is pronounced mah-ee). Working on Italian songs is helpful for developing the necessary skill with those five primary sounds which can subsequently be applied effectively to any song of any style that is sung in English.

I've heard that taking voice lessons will make me sound like an opera singer. Is that true?

It all depends on the teacher. A good teacher listens to the student as well as to the student's voice. Good voice technique is applicable to any style of singing and can easily be focused toward any student's personal goals. That's why it is so important to choose a teacher who understands different styles. There are still many voice teachers who firmly believe that classical singing is the only good and vocally-healthy style of singing, so look for a teacher who is both skilled and comfortable with applying good basic technique to the style of singing in which you are interested.

I've heard that pop, jazz, and rock singers shouldn't take voice lessons, because it will ruin their style. Is that true?

This is one of the more pervasive and unfounded beliefs among established singers. We've worked with professional singers who are obsessively worried that no one find out they are taking voice lessons, because it could damage their reputation if word got out. The sad fact of the matter is that their concerns are all too often justified, because people commonly, though incorrectly, believe that taking voice lessons interferes with a singer's "natural" voice.

The fact is no great singer, no matter what style he or she sings, sings "naturally." Singers all work hard practicing hour after hour for years honing their skills. They often seek out a voice professional to help them in that process. A good teacher will not interfere with an established performer's style, because a teacher's job is to help the student develop the vocal technique that will help the singer sing more comfortably and to correct any vocal problems that might be limiting the singer’s expressive abilities. If you feel like your teacher is interfering with your style, look for another one.

Please understand that if you want to improve your voice technique, keep an open mind. While you may not appreciate or understand some of the steps along the way, your teacher probably has a method in mind that will get you where you want to be. Also, keep in mind that you have chosen a good teacher whom you trust, the teacher is a professional, and the teacher is there to help you. He or she should have superior knowledge, skill, and experience which are good reasons to choose one teacher over another. Talk to your teacher about your concerns before you make rash judgments, and try not to be suspicious about his or her techniques. You may miss a great opportunity to grow as a singer. Again, if your teacher gives you any reason to mistrust him or her, find a new one.

Will it hurt my voice to sing outside of my range?

First of all, it's important to remember that training your voice is a lengthy process of physically unleashing what is already there, a voice that has been inhibited by a lack of training or poor training. In other words, you will not be able to sing in any range other than that which your voice is physically capable. Students often come to us after having engaged in what can be called "voice shopping." That is, they listen to their favorite singers and decide what they want their voice to sound like and in what range they want to sing. Then, they are frustrated when their attempts to sound the same fail. Your voice’s range, tone, and size (big, loud voice; smooth, clear voice, etc.) are no more changeable than the color of your eyes.

As far as range is concerned, there are two elements at play: your "range" refers to all of the pitches you are able to sing, highest to lowest, and your "tessitura" is the range of pitches that you are able to sing with the most ease and comfort over the long haul. These two "ranges" are determined by the physical capabilities of your unique voice, and it can take quite a bit of time and a lot of practice before they are revealed.

After you've learned what your true range and tessitura are, you can alter your tone and even attempt to alter your tessitura a little, but your voice has its own uniqueness, and no amount of wishing and forcing will change that. That's a good thing. If you try to push your voice beyond your natural range and tessitura, you run the risk of doing permanent damage. Always follow your voice's lead, and sing music that is suited to your voice, personality, range, tessitura, and ability. To do otherwise is unwise.

Besides, as a good singer, you will always want to put your best foot forward which means singing music that is well-suited to you and your voice. If you don't embrace your true voice, you will regret it when you find yourself on stage and can't sing your best, because you're struggling to sing notes and phrases that are beyond your reach, rather than expressively singing those songs and keys that are better suited to your voice.

What key is my voice in?

There isn't one particular key that you are ever limited to; singers can sing in all keys. However, depending on the particular song you are attempting to sing, some keys will work better in your voice than others. All singers have notes in their range that give them some trouble; this is a natural phenomenon of the human singing voice and not at all unusual. As singers develop their voice technique, they can diminish and smooth out those trouble spots, but they are always there. For some, they are more problematic than for others, but all singers have them. Through study, you can learn where the spots are in your range that will help you make more intelligent choices when choosing a key for a particular song.

I usually sing classical music. Would singing in jazz, pop, rock, or musical theater hurt my voice?

No; in fact, if you are a classical singer, developing skill in jazz, pop, rock, and musical theater can be very beneficial if you do it correctly and apply good technique. Traditionally, some voice teachers have maintained that jazz, pop, rock, and musical theater singing are unhealthy and that if you choose to sing that way, you do so at your own peril. Many still believe that, but others do not.

First of all, work to develop a reliable, healthy voice technique no matter what style you are singing. It doesn’t matter whether you're singing classical, pop, jazz, musical theater, or rock music; you are using the same muscles. You are just using them a little differently for each style. For example, singing classical music requires an open throat which encourages a “darker” sound, pure vowel sounds for clarity of phrasing, and a relatively uninhibited vibrato most of the time, all of which happens because you use the muscles of your torso, larynx, and mouth in a specific way. When singing jazz and pop styles, your throat isn’t nearly as open which creates a "brighter" sound, there is a completely different approach to language and vowel sounds, and you exert more control over your vibrato.

Also, the hallmark of jazz, pop, rock, and musical theater singing is that they are styles that have evolved out of the English language and, as such, are perfectly suited to take advantage of all of the inflections, consonants, and diphthongs that cause so much trouble when attempting to sing English in a classical style. When singing classical music in English, the diphthongs and the impure vowel songs that are endemic to the language can be difficult to maneuver, so they can be problematic but not impossible to the phrasing in classical style. In jazz, pop, rock, and musical theater, those same linguistic nightmares are an asset to the phrasing. In fact, classical singers have the most difficulty learning to be "sloppy" with the vowel sounds when singing jazz, pop, rock, and musical theater.

The physical benefit of jazz, pop, rock, and musical theater singing for classical singers is in the "cross training" they get when they use their singing muscles differently, just like any other athlete. Singers work hard to develop those muscles to be used for classical singing, but they can gain a little more flexibility, control, and strength by working them differently and singing jazz, pop, rock, or musical theater. You will also benefit from understanding the phrasing, mic technique, and the way jazz, pop, and musical theater singers use language. The key is to have a strong technical underpinning, and know your voice and how it works.

Are coughing, sneezing, and clearing my throat harmful to my voice?

Coughing and sneezing are necessary functions of your body and, as such, shouldn't be suppressed, no matter how unpleasant. However, they do often cause hoarseness which is never good for your voice. The average person doesn't get hoarse from illness very often, so the long term effects on the voice are minimal. When you have to sneeze or cough, don't try to stop it. Cover your mouth and let loose, because restricting what your body needs to do will put undue strain on your larynx as well as restrict a necessary process for your good health.

Constant clearing of your throat is another issue. When you clear your throat whether lightly or heavily, you create stress in your vocal folds. Occasional clearing is not a problem, but some people habitually clear their throats from nervous habit or because of an ongoing medical problem (chronic sinus problems, for example) which can result in damage to your voice over time. See a doctor for treatment of any ongoing medical problem, and pay attention to and work to stop any nervous throat clearing.

Will yelling at a sporting event or a rock concert damage my voice?

That depends on how you yell. If you have developed good voice technique, you will likely automatically use it to support your yelling much like you use it to you support your singing. Unfortunately, the only way to judge whether or not you’ve yelled "correctly" during the event doesn't come until after it's over. If you find that you are hoarse, you haven't yelled correctly, and you've done a little irreversible damage to your voice; if you aren't hoarse, you've yelled honorably.

Getting hoarse is not a laughing matter. Every time you get hoarse from yelling or abusing your voice in some way you cause slight but permanent damage to your voice and that damage adds up over time. What's worse is there is no way to repair that damage once it's been inflicted; you have to live with it. Ask anyone who is suffering from permanent voice abuse or "losing their voice." They don't see the humor anymore. Take care of your voice! It's the only one you have.

Will singing rock music damage my voice?

It can if you don't sing with good voice technique. History is replete with former rock singers who have "blown" their voices, literally. Rock singing by nature is potentially damaging, and so great care should be taken to train the motor skills necessary to protect your voice and keep it true to the style.

Should I sing when my voice gets hoarse?

No. Ideally, when you get hoarse, you should stop using your voice completely. But that's virtually impossible for most of us, because we have to use our voices for work, and we just can't stop talking. The result is that the more we keep talking, the longer the hoarseness takes to heal. Hoarseness is a sign that the muscles in the larynx are inflamed, and they need complete rest. Singing is a very taxing use of those muscles, and even the best vocal technique can't protect swollen vocal folds. Don't sing when you are hoarse, period.

I've heard that milk is bad for your voice. Is that true?

There is a lot of mythology surrounding food and liquid intake and singing. You are the best judge of whether or not milk is problematic for your singing. Does milk affect you negatively or not at all? Then you have the answer. There are studies that show generally that dairy may cause us to develop unwanted phlegm, but each individual has to figure out what's best for him or herself. The same is true with other foods or liquids; how do you react to them when you consume them? Answer that question and you have the right answer for you.

I'm taking medication. Will that affect my voice?

Some medications will cause side effects that can cause problems when singing, mainly dryness in the throat. That does not preclude anyone from singing, however, because some have found relief with throat moisturizers. If you are taking medication, always make yourself aware of the side effects. That kind of information will help you deal with problems medication may present.

Will taking aspirin hurt my voice?

There is a fairly common belief that if a singer takes aspirin, there is a risk of vocal fold (vocal cord) hemorrhaging. However, singers with heart disease take heart. This simply is not true. The fear is that, when singing, so much pressure is placed on the vocal folds (vocal cords) that there is a risk the blood thinning effect of aspirin will make them more susceptible to bleeding. However, the vocal fold muscles are not without support; they have an underpinning (a sheath of a very strong, elastic membrane called the conus elasticus that is attached to the vocalis and to the vocal ligament (the vocal cords). The risk to the vocal fold muscles is minimal. The only thing that will cause hemorrhaging is poor voice technique, which is the main cause of most injuries to the voice. Protect your voice by developing good basic vocal technique.

Why are opera singers so fat? Does it help them sing?

This is a stereotype that is a rich resource for many comedians and comedian "wannabes." In fact, there are no more obese opera singers than there are obese people in any other profession. People who believe that all opera singers are fat are people who don't go to the opera because, in fact, opera has become subject to the same kind of beauty expectations of the rest of the modern entertainment industry. Young opera singers today are often judged not only by how well they sing but also on how they look onstage in the costumes.

The fact is that people with big voices tend to be larger body types, so they are often big people (not necessarily obese). To be sure, opera singers are susceptible to the same kinds of weight gain issues as anyone else, and some great singers are large in stature and even obese, but that isn't what's truly important about opera. Ultimately, operatic singing is about the vocal beauty, richness, skill, and expressiveness of the singer. It doesn't and shouldn't matter from what type of body that beautiful voice emanates.