I am in a local band and was originally playing drums for our first 6 months as a band. I write all of the lyrics to the music we make and usually start the melodies for the songs.

I always wanted to sing in a band where I wrote the music I didn't really ever want to play drums for it so me and our current lead singer switched roles, we can all pretty much play each others instruments.

The thing is that my voice was never quite as good as his, I have been practicing singing a lot on my own for the last 6 months to get good enough to be the front man.

But I want to take it to the next level.

How much can vocal lessons really help me out with this dilema or are we doomed to have good music and only "decent" vocals, because ultimately that is not what I want.

If you have a good vocal teacher you can strengthen your voice, and widen your range with lessons. Not only that, but vocal lessons can teach you breathing exercises and voice exercises. Why don't you try it for a while just to see if you would benefit from it?

What style or styles of music are you singing and/or want to sing, drinkmenow8?

For information about my background in music, please read my profile.

Thanks!

I have a lot of indie and indie rock influences I sing like say anything death cab for cutie incubus I guess even fall out boy would fall into the category of music that I am trying to sing like.

Range, strengthening your voice are big ones for that kind of genre. These days the average male singer's range goes almost as high as the average female singer. For a punk rock sound, you'll want to have a higher range. Vocal lessons can help you to sing higher or lower as you please.

Yes, the most famous singers all use vocal coaches when doing videos or singing tours

Hi again, drinkmenow8!

For the styles of singing that you want to do, you'll want to find a teacher who's skilled with teaching people in the techniques of the proper use of a microphone in performance. Such a teacher might be hard to find, since most voice teachers are classically trained and generally teach people the techniques to utilize their voices to the utmost potential without the use of a microphone.

If I were you, I would be approaching personnel at music stores for the type of teacher that you need. If you approach music teachers at schools, you'll be less likely to find the type of teacher that you need, since the teachers at schools are also trained to teach in the classical way.

You'll also be wanting to find someone who is both a voice teacher as well as a coach. A voice teacher is someone who teaches a person how to utilize their singing voice to the best of their ability. Whereas, a vocal coach usually just teaches singers how to interpret the music that they're singing. For you, I think a combination of those two types of "teachers" in one would be the best, since you'll be wanting to learn about voice training as well as the techniques involved with using a microphone.

Thanks!

How much of an improvement in my singing do you think I could see being self taught to be being professionally taught assuming I find a great teacher?

For you to improve the best, you'll need a teacher who can meet with you in person, drinkmenow8.

Your improvement won't be as much, if you try to do it on your own.

Are you trying to emulate the sounds of other professionall singers that you hear?

Thanks!

Well not exactly emulate I just want to be up to par with these singers who have made it in a band. I Want to utilize my voice to its best potential and maybe even learn how to control my voice so that when people hear me sing they will be in awe by the way I sing I would like to be unique but also respected by people who understand music.

I'm glad that you're not trying to emulate other singers that you hear. All voices are different. Each type of voice can take a different type of approach to training.

It's very much like going into a gym and expecting a certain regimen of weight or other types of training. Each body is different, just like each voice is different.

I direct a large singing group of men each week. All of them have different voices, different sizes of skulls, different mouths - not one of them is the same as the other. They all require different approaches to training them so that we can have a unified sound.

You want to utilize your voice to it's full potential. Would that just be concerning the music in which your most interested or other types of music, please?

Most people that sing pop or rock styles of music, don't utilize their vocal instrument to it's full potential.

When you can be heard and sound vocally pleasing in a large hall without using a microphone, that is utilizing your vocal instrument to it's full potential.

My group doesn't use microphones. I rarely use a microphone when I sing, unless I'm facing away from the audience because I'm accompanying myself and the instrument happens to be facing in the wrong direction.

But, I'm still not exactly sure what you want here...

Thanks!

Hmm well to be honest I do not have the amount of time it would take to become a "true professional singer"
I want to be able to do justice to the words I write I want to turn heads and a lot of vocalists in rock bands have a generic voice because a lot of them were just born with a pleasing voice but have no vocal skill.

I want to develop vocal skills no matter what style of music that may be.

Are there voice teachers around where you live who could teach you the skills that you want to learn?

I do know, that not all areas will have an abundance of qualified vocal instructors.

Thanks!