Vocal health specialist, singing teacher, voice instructor. Using a combination of practical experience and technical knowledge, vocal coaches nurture and instruct developing singers and mentor and support experienced singers. A vocal coach, also known as a voice coach (although this term is often applied to those who work with speech and communication rather than singing), is a music teacher, usually a piano companion, who helps singers prepare for a performance, often also helping them improve their singing technique and to care for and develop their voice, but it is not the same as a singing teacher (also called a voice teacher). Vocal trainers can give private music lessons or group workshops or master classes to singers.
They can also train singers who rehearse on stage or who sing during a recording session. Vocal trainers are used both in classical music and in popular music styles such as rock and gospel. While some vocal trainers provide a variety of instructions on singing techniques, others specialize in areas such as breathing techniques or diction and pronunciation. A voice coach is another professional who helps singers with questions of musical style and performance, practice and tradition.
Often, a voice coach can be a pianist, orchestra conductor or music director, and have experience conducting musical performances in their respective styles. A vocal coach could help with issues such as pronunciation, musical phrasing, performing practice, as well as helping the singer “own” the song. Generally speaking, a singing coach is someone who “trains singing while a voice teacher” teaches singing. A vocal coach is a pianist who usually works almost exclusively with singers and who knows the repertoire.
An excellent vocal coach will not interfere with vocal technique, and if he notices any problems, he will explain to the singer what they think the problems are and recommend that the singer discuss it with his voice teacher. There is really no difference between singing classes and voice classes. Usually, the public is looking for singing lessons, as they want to learn to sing. Voice teachers call singing classes, voice classes or classes.
This is because the voice is the instrument. Just as one would call piano lessons piano, the piano is the instrument. The most significant difference between a voice teacher and a vocal coach lies in the area of teaching. A voice teacher works to improve a student's voice by focusing on vocal health and techniques.
The lessons are about note accuracy, range, singing from the head versus singing from the chest, voice control and other methods that improve the voice in general. A vocal coach works on the performance of the song. Lessons include stage presence, show, expansion of the song repertoire and how to handle the performance. A vocal coach usually works with advanced students, and a voice teacher works with singers of all talent levels.
The first difference between a singing class and a vocal training session is the focus of the lesson. Singing teachers work in vocal technique. You can do vocal function exercises, note patterns and single notes, designed to achieve a particular sound or to refine your skill in a particular part of your range. Usually, most of the lesson will be devoted to these technical exercises, although it is possible that some time will be spent troubleshooting the songs, putting the technique in context.
Sometimes you can't sing a song completely in a technique lesson, since the purpose is to figure out the things that don't work for you and fix them. A voice coach may not be comfortable in technical singing issues and, if technical problems arise, may suggest that you consult the singing teacher. With offline voice classes, if your singing teacher or vocal coach lives on the other side of town, then there is more risk of disruption to your singing lesson plan. In the music industry, singing coaches and voice teachers perform many of the same functions and can even be performed by the same person.
Working with a vocal coach or voice teacher can be a worthwhile decision for anyone who wants to improve their singing and vocal technique. Voice teachers work on things like range, note accuracy, breath control, head-to-chest voice and many other techniques vital to the singer. As you advance in your career, you may see less of your voice teacher because you are traveling, and a weekly lesson is no longer possible, and you end up registering once or twice a month or when you start working in a new position. Therefore, although a voice teacher can instruct a student of any level, the singing coach should meet with the student at the place where he or she is and work primarily to improve a singer's performance.
The distinction between singing teacher and voice coach is nebulous and can often depend on the definition of the particular teacher. A singing teacher is a professional who helps students improve the technical use of their voices. . .
