Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.
How much are singing lessons?
Singing lessons cost $50 per hour, on average. Hourly rates can range anywhere from $40-$80. However, some vocal instructors may charge flat rates or offer packages. They may also offer 30-minute lessons for a lower price. Or, they might require monthly tuition for ongoing classes. It depends on the voice coach.
Every voice coach may have a different style of teaching, but here are a few things you'll likely experience during a singing lesson:
Explaining to the instructor what you want to improve on.
Going through a few breathing and riff exercises.
Receiving constructive feedback and criticism from the instructor.
Before your first voice lesson, you can ask your instructor what you should expect and how to prepare.
How many singing lessons do I need?
It depends on what you’re hoping to accomplish with your singing lessons. Consult a highly rated vocal instructor to determine how many lessons you should take — and how often you should take them.
Do singing lessons actually work?
Yes, many students who’ve taken singing lessons say that their singing has gotten better. To find out if voice coaches near you have successfully taught others how to sing, read their customer reviews on Thumbtack.
What is a good age to start vocal lessons?
Whether you’re a novice or experienced singer, it’s never too late to start taking vocal lessons.
If you’re thinking about signing up your child for voice lessons, keep in mind that some instructors recommend waiting until their voice settles after puberty. Talk to voice coaches near you to find out if now's the time for you (or your child) to start taking lessons.
Where can you get singing lessons?
You can receive singing lessons from a vocal instructor or voice coach on Thumbtack. Some instructors offer virtual lessons, while others may require you to come into a studio for instruction.
How can I find a good voice teacher?
Use Thumbtack to find a good, top-rated voice teacher near you. With Thumbtack, you can view the teachers’ profiles, read their client testimonials and check their ratings. To ensure you hire the best instructor, ask them questions about their credentials and success with other students. You should also get cost estimates from at least three instructors before you make your decision.
Reviews for Houston voice instructors
Shannon W.
My daughter loves taking voicelessons from her voice coach, Ms. Elyse.
Lift Every Voice
Catherine R.
She is currently giving me voicelessons.
M.E.T. Vocal Coaching
Diana S.
I highly recommend Teacher Sarah to anyone that wants to have voicelessons and really wants to learn and invest in his/her voice.
I am super grateful with God to have the opportunity to have teacher Sarah as my teacher, she’s so patient and also very professional, always on time and much more to say but you have to try it by yourself, I am having voice lessons since November 2023 and I can see the improvement so far and I am so happy!! Absolutely satisfied!!
if you are looking for a really professional and good vocal coach and you want to investing in your voice do not hesitate to have voicelessons with teacher Sarah.
Sarah Crider's Vocal Studio
Julie C.
Ben LeClair is amazing! He is very caring and patient. He has excellent energy. Since starting classes with him, I have noticed that the quality of my voice has improved. I trust him with my voice and my future career. He gives excellent advice, that’s a plus. If you are looking into starting voicelessons, this is the place to do that.
The Lyric Voice Studio of Houston & the Woodlands
Martha M.
Dr. Zachary Bruton is an excellent vocal coach with great techniques that improves the voice. His knowledge within music is very evident and helpful for anyone needing voicelessons, whether you are a beginner or an advanced student. I would definitely recommend him to anyone seeking vocal guidance.
Dr. Zachary Bruton Voice and Acting Studios
Thumbtack Customer
I have learned a great deal in my voicelessons after only three weeks. Lucy is easy to work with. She is very personable and can get her point across well. She knows her subject. I would highly recommend her as a voice teacher or coach.
Hargis Voice Studio
Thumbtack Customer
My daughter is taking voicelessons from Lucy Hargis. Lucy is knowledgeable, supportive and an experienced teacher. She seems to get genuine joy from teaching and seeing a student succeed. After only a few lessons, my daughter is already singing better and is more confident in her abilities. I would highly recommend Lucy Hargis.
Hargis Voice Studio
Elm V.
Meg was a wonderful instructor. She was very positive but constructive. I was definitely nervous as this was the very first time taking voicelessons, let alone singing in front of someone who sounds great. Chelsea was also very professional and extremely nice. Definitely recommend even the first lesson and see how it goes from there. Thank you both!
Online Voice Lessons | Voice by Chelsea
Thumbtack Customer
Lucy is wonderful!
She is very kind and patient and fun to get to know. She listens to find out what your experience level is and what type of music/singing you would like to become more proficient in, and then she shapes the lessons based on that. I think she's very reasonably priced for the quality of the lessons. You get all of her considerable experience and expertise and she helps you learn and progress at your own pace. I started taking voicelessons with her in late February and in August I am already noticing how much my vocal range has expanded and the quality of my voice has improved, and she gives me great advice for auditions and general knowledge for singing. She is a great teacher and a blessing!
Hargis Voice Studio
Thumbtack Customer
an't say enough good things about Ms. Lucy! To start, she is the sweetest person and so, so patient! :) Not only does she have a beautiful voice, but her knowledge of music is vast and she taught me how to sing notes and songs I never thought I could. She is encouraging and honest. If you're not using your voice correctly or perhaps, not breathing properly...she ever so kindly lets you know and patiently explains to you how it should be done. I am so glad I hired her as a voice instructor and would whole-heartedly recommend her to anyone wanting to take voicelessons! She will make you fall in love with the wonderful world of music and singing!
Hargis Voice Studio
Lauren D.
My son has been doing voicelessons with this group and he's absolutely loved the experience. In the beginning, I wasn't too sure what to expect but after each week, my son has been looking forward to the lessons and finding himself improving and loving music more and more. The quality of teaching that the coach provides his top notch. I'm now recommending this group to my step son who wants to get better at piano and bass guitar after teaching himself for so long.
Sam, StookU Team Leader
Nestor C.
Amazing! Simply amazing! I've taken lessons before, but none have ever stood out as much as this first one. Over the last 2 years I've built up bad habits that have left my voice strained after singing just one song, but with Bulent's guidance and knowledge, I was able to immediately feel the difference in my vocal stamina and range. Furthermore, Bulent emphasized the importance of proper breath control with simple but effective techniques - something that I essentially lacked. It was overall a wonderful experience!! Can't wait for the next one!
BÜLENT GÜNERALP ONLINE VOICE STUDIO
Mrs. R.
I contacted Voicercise back in January just about 1 month ago. It is true you notice an immediate difference in using their method! That is wha the cited me and made me keep singing. It’s been a month and just from their exercise book and my practice singing I have a great amount of difference already. My initial appointment was with Roxy. She paired me with Jordan and I have only had one lesson. That is due to the pain form vocal fatigue turning into a sore throat and inflammation. I guess my chords were very weak to start with. I had a very interesting experience. My pain started during my first lesson. I have always experienced this and thought it was because I was singing from the wrong place or something. Which is why I wanted to pair with a coach. I now know it is vocal fatigue thanks to Roxy! I couldn’t sing past 3-4mins before pain hit. It was frustrating as I really wanted to sing because I was enthusiastic about the immediate difference in my singing voice. I had to rest longer than typical and listen to my body during the first 2weeks. After that I had to take note how long I can sing before pain.. I started to break it up. Sing shorter times but multiple times during the day.. I am now on a regular. singing a song 3x and more with no pain each day.. I do stop when I notice hoarseness and fatigue. I have really worked with myself and notice my limits. Originally Roxy did encourage me to keep my weekly scheduled vocal lesson but the pain became unbearable. That honestly did alarm me some but nevertheless I did choose my own pace and glad I did. Using my regular voice at a higher note without singing was even painful. It was an interesting experience. I am ready to get back up to singing. I contacted Voicercise ready to schedule my next session. I got so busy and didn’t schedule. Contacted again and no response. Not sure what that means. Eek my journey was probably the messiest they’ve experienced! Thank you so much Roxy, Jordan and Voicercise! Truly am grateful!!! 5 stars because I’ve learned so much and their system is the real deal!
Roxy Miller’s - Voicercise Voice Studios
Della L.
I wish I could give this review 100 stars! In a nutshell: Bulent is the whole package! His knowledge, expertise and in-depth teaching style surpass that of any teacher I have ever worked with and I couldn’t be more grateful to have found him. In one lesson with Bulent I have already learned more than I had learned after almost 3 years with 4 other teachers!!! In addition to that, he is such a kind and wonderfully positive human being and will offer you SO much more than just “singing exercises”. Bulent will – if you’re interested - teach you ideal nutrition, healthy lifestyle habits and positive attitude about life to make you a healthy, well-rounded singer inside and out! Whether you are a novice singer or an established professional, please give Bulent a try! Let me explain why:
BEFORE Bulent:
I was not born a gifted singer. I couldn’t even sing Happy Birthday on pitch, and I didn’t know what correct singing technique feels like. But I loved writing songs and lyrics and wanted to be able to sing and record my own material. That’s how my search for a skilled voice teacher began. Almost 3 years and 4 other voice teachers later I was incredibly frustrated. I had followed all the instructions, did my exercises every day and worked hard on getting better. Yet, I had only made a little bit of progress here and there but still experienced a sore throat every time I’d sing and the quality of my voice and upper range actually got worse as time went by. I just couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong despite all my efforts!
You see, a singer heavily relies on internal “feelings” and “sensations” when trying to sing correctly. And a skilled teacher needs to be able to explain to you what those correct internal sensations should feel like. Most teachers will tell you to “tense your abs” or “place the sound somewhere in the middle of your face”. These instructions are WAY to crude and partially even wrong / not detailed enough! It’s no wonder my voice kept getting worse.
I FOUND BULENT ON THUMBTACK:
Bulent will teach you about the body’s anatomy in great detail (actually really important to know for proper technique!!), he will tell you how and where sound is generated and every single exercise has a distinct purpose! His exercises are unlike anything I have tried before – he ISN’T just your average “sing up and down the scales” kind of teacher - everything he teaches makes so much sense (And I’ve finally understood where my technique had gone wrong all these years!) and he does it with a lot of patience, kindness and compassion!
SKYPE LESSONS:
I live in Houston, TX, and therefore Bulent and I go through our lessons via Skype (this is my 3rd month with him). I had no idea how convenient it would be to work over Skype. I really save a lot of time not having to drive anywhere (which I previously did with other lessons) and I know that no matter where I travel or live, I can keep on learning with Bulent, which is really neat!
VOCATHLETIC SYSTEM:
This was also totally new to me and the coolest thing. Bulent has a precise, written-down (see his website) strategy for how to get you from point A to point B in your vocal journey. As mentioned earlier, there are numerous teachers that will simply throw random exercises at you or worse, not give you any exercises and simply have you sing up and down the scale and emphasize singing higher and higher notes, regardless of whether you are using correct technique, whether it suits your vocal range etc. In Bulent’s view (and I share it 100%) a singer is nothing less than an athlete predominantly using the muscles surrounding the vocal chords, lower abs (and a symphony of various others) to perform. A runner – also an athlete – trains and uses his leg muscles etc. you get the idea, and as a singer we are no different other than that we use a different subset of muscles. And athletes need a proper training plan and regimen, which is exactly what Bulent’s Vocathletic System encompasses. Once you view yourself as an athlete, you realize that proper nutrition and lifestyle choices might also be necessary for ideal performance and Bulent provides countless resources, pointers and information for these areas as well. By the way, Bulent is also a successful bodybuilder (just check out his Instagram page) and you’ll see for yourself that he knows how to train as an “athlete” in general. Last but not least, to me it was important to find a teacher who has had a professional singer career in the first place, because singing for fun and singing on stage professionally are two very different things and having a teacher who can provide real life experiences and stories from being on stage, is another must have!
I know my review is super long but I’m just immensely grateful for Bulent’s knowledge and ability to finally explain so many “vocal mysteries” to me!!!
Bulent, THANK YOU for all that you have taught me already and I can’t wait to see what more progress we can make during the upcoming years!
BÜLENT GÜNERALP ONLINE VOICE STUDIO
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