Recently, I’ve come across several people (both musician and not) who have told me, “Oh you sing?! I’ve been wanting to learn how to sing. Teach me how to sing like Beyonce,” or “Can you make me sound more like him/her?” I’m always left not knowing what to say because on the one hand, these individuals want to learn how to sing–meaning learning how to breathe, have proper posture, produce an efficient sound, etc.–yet, they are clearly wanting to sound, stylistically like someone else, an aspect of singing that is different from vocal technique. To be fair, some instructors use these names conversely, making it hard for new singers to find an instructor who fits their specific needs and goals. This confusion has led me to want to clarify the difference between a voice teacher and a vocal coach.
A vocal coach is an instructor that focuses on musical style, performance tradition and practice. They help singers with things like diction, pronunciation (especially when the song is in a different language), melodic phrasing, riffs, melismas, and where to breathe throughout a song. They also frequently suggest musicians or groups to listen to for the student to get a better feel for the genre or style and also suggest songs to add to the repertoire of that student. Another key component that a vocal coach works with students on is the act of visualization and internalization of a song–aspects that really help you to almost “claim the song as your own.”
A voice teacher is an instructor who focuses more on the technical aspect of singing. They help singers with things such as breathing technique, learning and maintaining proper posture, becoming aware of and expanding vocal range, understanding the anatomy of the voice and how to sing more efficiently. They teach how to utilize all of these different elements of technique in different vocal exercises that include scales and intervalic leaps or skips. Voice teachers usually have specific genres of music that they specialize in and have basic piano skills.
It is crucial that anyone out there looking to take vocal lessons do their research because many instructors cover much of the criteria listed above. Make sure to have a positive working relationship with your instructor as well because not only will this person help shape who you are as a musician and person, but you want to make sure that you enjoy your musical experience during each lesson. I hope that this helps to clear up some of the confusion that people out there may be having and that this helps you in picking an instructor more tailored towards your specific goals.