What Should I Expect During My First Singing Lesson?

Written By Matt Dell

What if they don’t think I’m a good singer?

At Registers Music we are focused on one thing. Your needs! However, a student’s needs will vary drastically from person to person. For some singers, they may be looking for a voice teacher who can help them understand the basics of their own voice. For others, they may need more specified and professional help. Every singer has their own unique goals and pathways required to achieve them. Our focus is to identify those goal(s) and create a personalized plan to reach those achievements.

To get started, you’ll be sent an intake form before your first lesson that will ask you about your:

  • Vocal history

  • Singing Experience

    • how long you’ve been singing

    • any formal training/education

    • types of singing styles you’ve practiced/studied

  • Achievements

    • performance history

    • Awards

    • Competitions

  • Goals and Aspirations

    • Building confidence

    • Live performance

    • Expanding range

    • Developing a richer tone

    • Preparing for auditions

    • Learning to sing a particular style

  • Areas of Concern

    • What specific areas of your voice you’d like to focus on

      • pitch

      • strain

      • belting

      • distortion/screaming

      • vocal stamina

  • Relevant Medical History

    • Vocal injuries

    • Speech issues

    • Tension related issues

      • jaw

      • shoulder(s)

      • back

      • abdominal

    • reflux

    • allergies

These questions are designed to paint a clear picture of the type of singer you currently are and who you’d like to be while also maintaining safety and efficiency in our lessons going forward. You will never be asked to disclose more than you’re comfortable with and your personal information will always remain private.

In your first lesson we’ll review the intake form, assess your vocal range and abilities, and cover basic vocal anatomy and function as they relate to your singing. The first lesson is intentionally structured to be both informative and low-pressure. We’ll begin by talking through the intake form together. This conversation gives us a chance to clarify your answers, ask follow-up questions, and hear in your own words what you want to accomplish.

Next, we’ll do a vocal assessment. This is not an audition or a judgment of your worth as a singer; it is a technical snapshot. We’ll go through simple exercises to find the usable range of your voice—your lowest comfortable notes through your highest reliable notes—and take note where transitions or breaks occur. We’ll listen for proper breath support, vowel clarity, resonance placement, pitch accuracy, vowel modification, and any tension issues in your jaw, tongue, neck, or shoulders. These observations form the foundation of your personalized lesson plan.

We will also cover basic vocal anatomy and function as they relate to your singing. Understanding what the voice is doing physically helps demystify many common instructions—like “placing sound forward” or “open your throat.” We’ll discuss proper breathing techniques, how the vocal folds come together, how resonance spaces shape quality, and how coordinated muscular control enables range and stamina. Our lessons won’t be a deep dive into a complicated medical lecture, but instead be geared towards practical, applied information delivered in plain language so you know what sensations to feel and what to aim for in your practice.

At the end of that lesson you’ll be asked to sing a short excerpt of a song. This is a crucial but gentle element of the first session. You don’t need to prepare a performance-ready piece or pick something that highlights your best notes. Choose a short passage—eight to sixteen bars, or even a phrase—that feels familiar enough to sing without worrying about remembering words or melody. The purpose of this excerpt is to establish a baseline: how your voice sounds when you sing naturally in your current habits and technique. It gives me a real example to compare against after several lessons, so we can track measurable progress in range, tone, control, and expression.

Many students feel anxious about singing in their first lesson worrying that they may sound “horrible.” That reaction is very common and completely understandable. The purpose of voice lessons is for discovering your voice, including the parts that need work. Hearing both your strengths and weaknesses lets us assess your voice fully and plan clear steps to improve your technique and expand your potential. View the first lesson not as a moment to be embarrassed but as an opportunity to see what your voice can become.

Matt Dell