Recently I received this question from one of my subscribers.
As I recall he sent me a recording of his singing voice.
He asked how I thought his voice was doing.
I responded that it sounded good.
Then he wrote back and asked: “Chuck, don't I need some coaching so that I can sing better
than the level I am now?”
That’s a great question!
Let’s dive into it!
Hi, I’m Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing.
Should I Take singing lessons to improve my voice?
Basically he was asking, “even though I sound pretty good, would voice lessons make
me even better?”
The answer is yes.
You take voice lessons to improve and keep taking until you’ve achieved your goals.
Those who perform at the highest levels take lessons, hire coaches, have mentors and teachers
that help them improve.
And not only when they’re beginning their training and performing.
But their whole careers.
For example: Usain Bolt.
Before the 2016 Rio Olympics, Bolt had won gold medals in the 2012 and 2008 Olympics.
Why does the fastest man alive need a coach?
Can’t he do it on his own?
No.
He needs his coach, Glen Mills.
The following is from a piece by Claire Thomas writing for The Telegraph, of Telegraph Media
Group.
It’s about Usain Bolt and his coach Glen Mills.
“After a disappointing showing at the Athens Olympics, crashing out of the heats in the
200m, Bolt sought out Mills as the man who might enable him to finally fulfil his youthful
promise.
Mills was well aware of Bolt’s natural ability, but also of his poor technique - a backwards
running style and lack of core strength triggering a series of hamstring problems.
He undertook a two year project of pulling apart the sprinter’s technique, painstakingly
breaking his bad habits, and then reassembling it all into today’s world-beating form.
It was a repetitive and challenging process, often requiring hours of video analysis to
help correct the minutiae of Bolt’s individual race stages.”
Bolt’s a world class runner, with world class speed.
And yet 12 years ago he sought out a coach to help him eliminate bad habits and shape
him into “world-beating form”.
Why do world-class performers and competitors seek out coaches, and teachers, and mentors?
First, to help us eliminate our weaknesses.
We can only do so much from the inside out.
We need a trained eye and in the case of singing, someone with a trained ear, to watch and listen
from the outside of ourselves.
We’re often blind to our shortcomings.
We have blind spots we cannot see or hear.
We need help from skilled and gifted teachers to help us eliminate both the obvious and
subtle weaknesses we miss.
Second, to help us develop new and better skills to lift our performance.
Great teachers not only help break our bad habits, they help us develop “world-beating”
technique.
Third, to shorten the time to become our very best.
This does not mean with a great teacher it’ll be fast and easy to reach your potential.
As in the case of already world class Usain Bolt, helping him improve was a repetitive
and challenging process.
However, it’s likely he never would have won his olympic medals, never would have become
the fastest man in the history of running, without a coach, teacher and mentor.
A great teacher provides a developmental map that shortens a long and difficult trip.
With a great teacher, it’s not quite as long or quite as difficult.
Fourth, to help us maintain and exceed our highest levels of performance.
It’s hard work to constantly improve.
High level performers don’t stop striving to be better.
There’s no standing still.
Either you’re getting better or you’re getting worse.
You may be unaware, or you’re ignoring your back sliding.
Teachers, coaches and mentors help us stay focused on our goals.
They challenge and continually refine our skills.
They help keep our edge sharp and momentum forward.
They help us stretch and reach higher and higher goals.
This level of work can be lonely, but not as much with a great teacher.
Whether you’re world class or just beginning your singing journey, a good teacher, coach
and mentor will move you forward.
If you don’t get the results you’re seeking, change teachers.
No matter how long you’ve been singing, it is very helpful to know and understand
your personal vocal type.
Knowing your vocal type is the first step in eliminating vocal limitations and replacing
them with vocal strengths.
Do you know your vocal type.
That’s not whether you are soprano, alto, tenor or bass.
Your vocal type is what you tend to do when you sing.
Watch the last video, Q&A 1 and Episode 18 for more information about vocal types.
To discover your vocal type, go to PowerToSing.com and take the vocal test which I call the PowerTest.
Take the quiz and discover your vocal type.
Then visit the Knowledge Center and watch the videos about your vocal type.
Download the free exercises for your vocal type and start improving your voice immediately.
I’m Chuck Gilmore with Power To Sing.
You can sing higher, with beauty, confidence and power.
I’ll see you inside the next video.
Subtitles by the Amara.org community