An 8-week course of basic singing technique and voice physiology to help a beginner take care of their voice, to find and begin to develop their voice's range and potential, the basics of tone and singing styles, unlocking high notes and solving common vocal "problems".
Singing for Beginners
Course Description
Discover the joy and benefits of singing in this supportive beginner level course designed to help you explore and develop your unique voice.
You'll learn the fundamentals of singing technique and voice physiology, gaining a clear understanding of how your voice works and how to take care of it. From discovering your vocal range to improving tone and tackling high notes, this course will give you practical tools to begin unlocking your voice’s potential.
Singing is not only a creative outlet but also a wonderful way to support both mental and physical well-being. It can boost mood, reduce stress, and improve posture, breathing, and focus.
Throughout the course, you'll explore a range of singing styles while building confidence and addressing common vocal challenges in a fun, relaxed environment.
Whether you're just curious or looking to begin your musical journey, this course offers a great starting point for anyone ready to raise their voice.
Course Structure
Lesson 1: Getting Started – Warm-Up and Vocal Foundations
In the first session, we introduce a daily warm-up and vocal preparation routine that will serve as the foundation for all future work. We’ll explore two key concepts: head resonance and the open throat, both in theory and through guided exercises. You’ll begin building healthy habits and start developing vocal awareness.
Lesson 2: Breath Support and Bracing
This week begins with a review and repetition of Lesson 1's warm-up and exercises. We then introduce two vital singing tools: breath support and bracing. You’ll learn how these work together to stabilise and strengthen your voice. Exercises will help you feel the coordination between breath and body.
Lesson 3: Vocal Folds and Class Song
We continue building on your warm-up routine and begin to extend it for greater vocal flexibility. This session focuses on the vocal folds – how they function, how to care for them, and how to engage them through exercise. We’ll introduce a class song and begin applying the four foundational techniques (resonance, open throat, breath support, bracing) while working on phrasing and volume.
Lesson 4: Exploring Vocal Modes
After the usual warm-up and extended vocal workout, this lesson explores the four basic vocal modes or "colours" of vocal sound. You'll learn how to recognise, develop, and sing using each mode, and start playing with them to explore your vocal personality.
Lesson 5: Developing Advanced Modes and Forward Vowels
Following the warm-up and extended workout, we dive deeper into Modes 3 and 4, building control and expression. You'll also learn about forward vowels (“i” as in "ink" and “e” as in "egg"), why they matter, and how to use them effectively. Exercises will guide you through both technical precision and creative experimentation.
Lesson 6: High Notes and Singing in English
This session focuses on unlocking your higher vocal range by learning to safely raise the larynx – a critical skill for accessing high notes. You’ll also practise singing in English using forward vowels, integrating vowel work into the class song.
Lesson 7: Smoothing Transitions and Register Shifts
After the warm-up and review, we revisit raising the larynx with new exercises to help eliminate “sticking points” and make transitions between vocal registers smoother. We also revisit Mode 3 and introduce the idea of combining Modes 2 and 4 for a playful “yodel” effect.
Lesson 8: Final Touches and The Big Sing
In the final session, we review all key techniques and exercises from the course. We introduce the concept of the soft palate and how it impacts resonance and tone, then put everything into practice in “The Big Sing” using opera mode. If time allows, we’ll also explore “Broadway Belting” for fun and variety. This celebratory session ties together everything you’ve learned and gives you a chance to enjoy singing with confidence and expression.
Course Learning Outcomes
By completing this course, students will:
- Learn safe, effective warm-up and vocal preparation techniques
- Understand how your voice works and how to care for it
- Discover and begin to expand your vocal range
- Improve tone, breath support, and vocal control
- Learn to sing using different vocal modes and forward vowels
- Develop confidence singing high notes and transitioning between vocal registers
- Explore a variety of singing styles and techniques
- Build overall vocal awareness in a fun, supportive environment
Your Tutor is Lyndon Piddington, B.Mus. Hons., Dip. Ed.
Lyndon Piddington started teaching at WEA in 1997.
An experienced professional singer in Australia, UK and Eire; founder of many choirs and vocal ensembles and teacher since 1974 of singing, Music Theory and History, Lyndon's WEA singing classes are a basic physiological singing technique compatible with speech pathology, applicable to all types of singing styles.
Lyndon is also an amateur painter but has done some tertiary study of Art History and enjoys comparing and contrasting that with Music History.
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