Introducing Singing Things: A Vocal Lessons Blog by John Dilley
Welcome! I’m John Dilley, your vocals coach. I created this blog to share my insights about singing with more people by providing some tips and answering some common questions. This first post gives a general overview of my philosophy on singing and teaching. This brief summary only scratches the surface. I will write more detailed posts about most of the topics this overview touches on. I listed some of the upcoming topics at the bottom of this post.
Singing Is a Skill
Singing is a physical skill you can improve through regular exercise. I learned it myself. And in over six years as a singing instructor, I have helped dozens of students develop better singing techniques.
Just as guitarists need to develop muscle strength and control to place their fingers on the fretboard with precision, vocalists need to build muscle strength and control to generate, feel, hold, and shift sounds with precise pitch and tone. This ability comes mainly from controlling airflow and creating space for the sound to resonate in places that help you sound your best.
Interior muscles control both the airflow and the shapes of the cavities inside your head where the sound needs to resonate. Like with most muscles, working out these muscles develops strength and dexterity, thus improving the two main aspects of singing.
Vocal Training
I often refer to myself as a vocals coach instead of a vocals teacher because I don’t use books or lesson plans. Instead, I guide you through weekly workouts for your vocals like a physical trainer. Then, I help you apply your new skills to the songs you want to sing.
Learning To Sing with Emotion And Expression
As your physical strength develops, you may discover that applying the emotion necessary for a performance that connects with the audience causes you to revert to your old habits. Many students run into this block. It may take some time to overcome, along with effort and a willingness to be vulnerable.
Once you can rout your emotional expression through a physical expression that resonates, the subtleties in your voice become more audible with less strain—so you explore and express even more nuanced emotional tones.
Schedule a Free Consultation
Come learn how to use your body as an instrument and express yourself to your full potential.
Schedule your appointment today!
Follow for more insights, including upcoming posts about the following topics.
How do online lessons work?
Singing is exercise.
Singing with emotion: Is learning to sing “faking it”?
Tone Comes Last - Sound “bad” until you don’t.
(Almost) Anyone can improve their singing.
