What is the difference you may have been asking yourself?  You hear these two terms, but it can be confusing to know whether they are just different ways to describe the same thing or really different things.  Well, the mystery shall now be solved:

Voice teachers and Voice coaches are two different things.

There is a lot of spilling over from one to the other though and some people do a both.  But in general this is the deal.

The Voice Teacher

Your Voice Teacher is your vocal technician.  Their job is to teach you the mechanics of the voice and how to use it properly by using the correct technique to get it out of your mouth in the most beautiful, freest way possible.  This will be done through vocal exercises,  (Vocalize!- my book filled to the brim with Vocalizes).  They will discuss and work with you on proper jaw and tongue release, body support, connection, posture, breathing etc…Their job is to teach you how to sing your best technically.  How to get the sound out of you in the best and freest way.  If you are looking on improving your voice and or learning how to sing your best, you want to start with a Voice teacher. (like me )

The Vocal Coach

A vocal coach’s job is to teach you how to approach, interpret, and perform a song.  This has nothing to do with your vocal technique, that is separate. They are usually great pianists, that can play through any of your music.  Their job is to discuss with you your “styling” of a piece.  Kind of like an acting coach for singing.  But this is not about stage direction, more about your approach to a piece of music.  So for example a classical vocal coach would know the difference between different composers and the styles in which you sing them, they would be able to help you develop your cadenzas, help you with your pacing of a piece, your translations, your interpretations.  They would be familiar with the many ways to sing a piece, the history behind the music.

A coach can bring you to that next level of performance.  I had the most amazing coach for years.  I would study with a voice teacher separately and then go to him to learn how to really sing my songs.  He would always give me ideas on the interpretations and styling of my pieces.  He was also great at helping me to add new repertoire.  The man could play the piano just AMAaaazingly.  He gave me the professional level of experience that I was looking for as a singer who was a performer.

Now that you hopefully understand the difference between coach and teacher there is more to be said. Many voice teachers do coach during their lessons.  I know I do,  I discuss interpretation of music, work on performance skills with my students etc…  And many Vocal coaches dabble in technique.  I know my coach did a bit because he had such a fabulous ear for music.  So these two teachers are not a black and white divide.

Some teachers and coaches can do both better than others.  But, the big issue with having both a voice teacher and vocal coach is that you have to PAY FOR BOTH OF THEM.  This is very expensive.  These people (should be) very well trained and worth their fees, but for a singer who has not hit the golden gig yet, it is a tough expense to fork out week after week.

So you need to figure out what is right for you.  If money is not an issue, then go for both.  But if it is, (which it usually is), you probably do not need both unless you are really training at a high level.  Get your voice down first.  Learn from other great singers and allow them to be “your coaches”.  You can also coach once or twice a month while keeping up regular weekly voice lessons, or save your coaching sessions for big performances.  I think coaches come in as you become more professional. They are a fabulous thing to be able to do as a singer, but you need to start by getting your vocal technique together first.

Hope that helped clear it up.

Ariella Vaccarino

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written by Ariella Vaccarino creator of  Voice Lessons To Go(singing lessons on CD) and author of Vocalize!

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal Assessment. Then send me a link or mp3 of you singing (audio/or audio visual) with your questions and I will get back to you with my feedback right away.

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Confused by varying vocal techniques? - 10 tips to evaluating which vocal technique is right for you.

As a voice teacher for over seventeen years, I’ve had a lot of singers confide in me about their confusion on vocal technique.  How are they supposed to know as novices of the voice what singing technique and voice teacher to study with?

I may be a bit of an odd bird in the vocal teaching profession with my views on this subject, because I often find that I like many different types of singing, styles, genres, even techniques.  I may be solid on my own teaching ways but I appreciate that every voice and singer is different, and different techniques and variations there upon work for different people.

All I care about it that the final outcome is healthy singing- the variations in which to get there are all interesting to me as well as inspirational.  There are many teachers that are extreme about their opinion on their own technique being the only option period, which can be a tough bit of brain washing on the novice singer who may not be getting the results they want from their training, but yet are afraid to try anything else that their current teachers may have told them is awful.

Vocal technique is the way in which you produce your sound.  There are different schools of thoughts and teachings on the “ultimate technique”.  Some push out the diaphragm and lock, others try and hold the larynx down, some want you to sing through a ‘honk’ ( a nasal resonator), others build off of a belt or head voice, some teachers tell you to do sit ups to strengthen your support, while others think sit ups will lock in your muscles and hold in your sound, some people like a dark sound, or a warm sound, others only want to hear a bright voice that pokes out at you like a pin, sometimes people use covered vowels to attain vocal beauty throwing away diction for the sake of sound while others do the opposite for the sake of diction.

It is all very overwhelming, and no matter what you choose to do, there will probably always be someone out there judging your technique and thinking you could be singing better if you studied with them or their teacher.  It is actually a real bummer that singers are put through all this pressure to make the correct decisions for their technique and teacher, it really can effect their own future in singing.  If you are studying voice in a college and you do not get put with “the right vocal teacher”, you can often times miss out opportunities ( I’ve seen it happen).  ”Well, how do I handle this and what choices do I make?”, you may be asking.

Rather then look at all these techniques as black and white, think of them in shades of gray.  What works great for one voice and one body may not be good for you or vice-versa.  You also may need to pull a few concepts from different sources to blend the perfect “technique cocktail” for your voice.

Someone with a natural forward placement in sound may do much better with a certain teacher then a warm toned voiced person.  TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!  You will never please everyone.  The sooner you as a singer stand up for your voice and figure out what You Need for it, the less of a student and more of a professional you will become.

Here are 10 tips for evaluating your Vocal Technique:

1. If it hurts- its bad.  (period)  There is no “sing through the pain to get a result” in singing.  If you are hurting your voice, you are putting undue pressure on muscles, which could be putting pressure on your vocal chords.  This would not work for any athlete on any muscle. (There is a difference between pain and a challange, I am speaking of pain or strain- don’t do it).

2.  Does it feel natural to you?-  Beautiful singing should not be produced out of trickery.  You have the voice, someone just may need to guide you on how to get it out beautifully and easily.  Your singing voice should come out like a natural extension of your speaking voice, not strangely affected.

3.  Does you technique make sense to your brain? – Many teachers and techniques are explained differently;  some teachers are perceptual-  ”imagine your voice is free like leaves in the wind”, others have a number system-  ”I need you to turn on 4, and 7 hold back 3 (referring to different areas of resonating”, others clinical- refering to specific muscles by name in the body, while others teach by vocal example.  They can all great for certain people.  Make sure which ever technique you are in speaks and rings true to your brain.

4. Is your stamina improving?-  Can you sing a bit more everyday, challenging (not straining or hurting yourself) further with positive results?  Are your correct muscles strengthening to support your larynx which should feel free as it releases sound?  Are you tired by the end of a song, a few songs, or the end of a performance?  Do you find that you are ready to sing the next day or do you need a day of vocal rest in between?  As the student of singing you need to learn how to monitor your own progress or regress.

5. Is your range extending? – The stronger and freer you become in singing, meaning that you are using the correct support system physically through muscles in your body to protect your larynx from any vocal strain, the easier the next quality note down or up should become.  You will never be able to sing the whole keyboard but a good 1 1/2 ultimately to 2 octaves would be fabulous.

6. Are you getting good feedback?- Do people like what they hear?  Are you being complimented in your vocal improvement or singing beauty by others? Are you being asked to sing more often?  Getting more roles, gigs?  (Step outside your parents and teacher for an accurate call on this one).

7.  Do you like what you hear? – Are you playing back recordings of yourself and liking your sound? Are you surprising yourself by new things that you can sing, or lines that you can add beauty to?

8.  Are you better than when you started?-Did this technique, teacher do anything for you?  Has the money and time been well spent?  Do you feel on your way to your goal?

9.  Do you feel more confident?-  Are you finding that you are volunteering to be heard more often or are you still hiding that voice out?

10. Do you feel in control of your voice?-  This is your voice.  Not your teacher or techniques voice.  You would not have it without your own vocal chords in there and remember that. Your technique should only help you to be in charge of your own sound.  Your technique should give you the tools to control what comes out when you go to sing.  If it is still unpredictable, your technique is not working for you.

Sing well people!!

Ariella Vaccarino

Thank you for subscribing to my blogs!  I am working hard to bring you great content and free singing advice.  Please take a moment to spread the words via the social book marking links below to help me build my readership.  Thank you!

written by Ariella Vaccarino creator of Voice Lessons To Go(singing lessons on CD) and author of Vocalize!

Want a professional opinion of how you sound?  Sign up for myVocal Assessment. Then send me a link or mp3 of you singing (audio/or audio visual) with your questions and I will get back to you with my feedback right away.

Friend me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/voicelessonstogo

Follow me on twitter:http://www.twitter.com/voicelessons2go (I love a good retweet!)