When parents consider music lessons for their children, most of them gravitate towards singing lessons. But what really is the right age for a child to start voice classes? While there’s no definite answer for this, there are appropriate lessons and exercises that should be taught in every age and stage of the development of the child’s vocal cords.
Ages Zero to Five
Exposing your child to music at a very early age is one of the best early steps you can do for your child. Think of learning music as like learning a new language. Your little kid is like a sponge that absorbs new knowledge that he can later use in learning new techniques as well as developing good musical ear.
Before a child reaches the age of five, general musical lesson is a great option. The focus on this is to expose your child to music and its basic concepts. A general musical lesson lets your child sing, dance, and play instruments. Every child in Singapore must try singing lessons because it is a perfect time to start incorporating music into your little tot’s life.
After the age of five, you may want to transfer your child to a private music class, since general music lessons are like group classes and are more focused on musical enjoyment.
Ages Five to 10
Kids who are more interested with voice lessons will greatly benefit from learning how to play a keyboard. Playing the keyboard or piano is the perfect foundation to learning any musical instrument, most especially the voice, as the fundamentals and theories of music are universal to all instruments. Learning those things through keyboard or piano lessons not only makes singing lessons Singapore easier, but also gives your child vital piano and keyboard skills.
As your child learns piano, it’s also ideal to have him learn basic vocal techniques. The additional lessons should focus more on proper breathing techniques to prepare your little one for more serious singing lessons as their voice and body matures.
Age 10 to 12
Once your child reaches the age of 10, he can start learning more deeply into vocal lessons. Continuing the piano lessons is still recommended but in addition, your 10-year-old should also learn more about breathing techniques, how to correctly open the mouth when singing, how to hold out phrases and notes, and how to practice properly.
Age 12 and Older
At this age, a child’s voice starts to mature and is now more prepared for in-depth voice lessons. He has also has also matured emotionally, which is great for signging. Emotional maturity is just as important as physical maturity when it comes to vocal lessons. Singing is a very personal expression of art since your instrument is yourself.
Stages of Vocal Cord Development
Vocal Cords Before Puberty
The vocal cords of a young singer before reaching puberty are thin and small. When adults sing higher notes, their thick vocal cords stretch thin. Because of the naturally thin structure of your child’s vocal cords, his or her tessitura (the vocal range where it feels the most comfortable and natural to sing) is higher, the reason why young singers can easily hit higher notes.
Vocal Cords During Puberty
The puberty stage is the most dramatic and the most sensitive stage of development for teenage singers. It is because they undergo significant changes in their bodies, including the vocal cords. A female singer starts going through changes from the age of 10 to 14. During such time, the vocal cords slowly thicken, resulting in a bit of unsteadiness and huskiness in her voice. Same thing with a male singer—his vocal cords thicken, which results in the deepening of his vocals. However, if he wants to keep his ability to reach higher notes, he should continue singing songs in higher pitch levels.
Singing During Puberty
To carefully and successfully get through the puberty stage of her vocals, your pubescent female singer should practice singing lightly—not loudly—and learn to explore the low, middle, and high vocal ranges. You may start to notice that there’s a bit of breathiness in her voice, which is likely due to her developing cords and can be corrected with the right techniques that targets vocal control.
Same goes with male singers. To fully maximize his range and keep his ability to hit higher notes, he must constantly practice singing low, middle, and high range notes. To maintain healthy transition into the more mature voice, he should sing in constant volume—not too soft nor too loud.
Vocals After Puberty
Although the vocal cords fully mature at the age of 18, vocal progress shouldn’t stop there. It’s imperative to continue learning more techniques and enhancing your vocal abilities for as long as your child wants to pursue singing. One of the key techniques to learn and to constantly enhance is vocal breathing to support the produce of quality vocal sounds.
So, What Is the Appropriate Age to Start Vocal Training?
Successful Singapore singers start taking voice lessons at a very early age. As long as they’re correctly coached throughout the development of their vocals, it will result to a healthy, strong, and beautifully sounding voice.
Singing lessons has so many benefits. More than acquiring great singing voice, it also teaches self-discipline, commitment, positive social skills, and improves self-confidence. Singing lessons Singapore is special. They give students a chance to find their own sound and express themselves in a melodic manner like no other instrument can.
