Singing Lessons.How can we help you?

We offer singing classes to anyone looking to improve their voice.

We offer classes here

Amsterdam

Online

Singing lessons at Zangstudio Roel Bakkum

Singing lessons provide you with the tools to strengthen your voice and improve your musicality. In a singing lesson everything revolves around your development and growth as a singer.

Curious about what you can do with your voice? Want to improve your singing technique? Excited to work on singing and improving songs? Then singing lessons are definitely for you! Already have singing experience? We are happy to help you expand and deepen your knowledge & skills.

Our team consists of coaches with diverse backgrounds. They teach or have taught at conservatories in the Netherlands and abroad. They can be found on stage in various genres, are speech therapists, and/or are qualified in singing methods used worldwide.

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Classes
Skill levels
Training topics
Locations
Estill Voice Training
Universal Voice System

Classes

Classes

Skill levels

Training topics

Locations

Singing methods

Classes

Private Singing Lessons

Private singing lessons are suitable for everyone, regardless of your starting level. It's a place where you can develope your voice with great detail and attention of your vocal coach. Whether you're just starting out or have been singing for years, in a private lesson we can offer training tailored specifically for you! How to best use private lessons depends on your level. You can read more about training topics within these lessons on this part of this page.

Locations

Amsterdam Online

Duo- & Trio Singing Lessons

Many people enjoy taking lessons together or in a small group. Often these lessons focus more on singing together and less on individual development within specific singing skills. This doesn't necessarily have to be the case, especially if you are all starting to sing together; the lessons can be very valuable on an individual level. If your levels are quite different, private lessons might be more suitable for personal development, but they're still great for enjoying singing together!

Locations

Amsterdam

Skill levels

Singing Lessons for Beginners

Where to Start?

Starting with singing lessons can be a big step. Many people think singing isn't for them? Have you been told you can't sing? Or instead, have you been told you really should do something with your voice? Whatever the reason you're looking for singing lessons, remember that singing is for everyone.

Everyone can learn how to sing, hit the right pitch, get perfect control over their breathing, and expand their vocal dynamics. Without proper guidance, bad habits can develop, so singing lessons help you avoid this and start off with a strong foundation.

Navigating through the complexity of singing techniques on your own, without professional guidance, can lead to frustration and a feeling of stagnation.

Your Possibilities Will Amaze You!

Zangstudio Roel Bakkum offers customized singing lessons for beginners, led by experienced coaches who have extensive expierience on how to train a voice.

In the lessons you will learn essential singing techniques, breathing exercises, pitch controland a wide range of exercises, focused on what you need. With personal attention and expert guidance, we help you develop your voice and build confidence.

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Singing Lessons for Intermediate Singers

Continue Where You Left Off!

You've already taken some lessons, but do you feel stuck or want to pick up singing again? Every singer often struggles with refining their techniques and applying techniques in interpretation and musicality. Without professional guidance, it can be hard to make that next step. You train with your body and muscles, and these improve gradually, so sometimes it seems like there's no progress.

Your voice can become stronger, your interpretation deeper, and your performance more convincing! For many singers, it's a challenge to take their skills to the next level. They look for ways to expand their range, convey their emotion better, and develop a unique voice. Without the right direction, this process can be confusing and demotivating.

Singing Lessons Work!

We understand the specific challenges of singers. Our lessons are designed to help you to develop your voice, refine your techniques, and improve your artistic expression. We offer advanced coaching in breathing techniques, vocal health, interpretation, and stage presence. In your singing lesson, you work together with experienced singing coaches who provide you with personal attention and guidance. Our methods are based on the latest techniques and insights in the singing world, combined with a deep passion for music. We are here to support you in achieving your singing goals, whether you are pursuing a professional career or want to refine your art for personal pleasure.

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Singing Lessons for Advanced Singers

How Can You Continue Growing?

You are already an experienced singer, but are you looking for ways to further develop your artistic expression and technical skills? Advanced singers can often get stuck in their growth, struggling to discover new techniques or find their unique artistic voice.

The journey of an advanced singer is about refining subtle nuances. Without targeted coaching, it can be difficult to realize your full potential and refine your unique art.

Deepen Your Knowledge!

We value the ambitions of advanced singers and offer tailor-made lessons to achieve your specific goals. Our coaching includes advanced techniques, provide an understanding of vocal health, dynamic vioce use and interpretation.

Together with our experienced coaches, you will explore new ways of using your voice, develop unique expressive styles, and take your singing to a higher, more professional level. We are here to guide you on your path to artistic excellence.

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Singing Lessons for Professionals

Elevate Your Voice!

As a professional singer, you are constantly looking for ways to surpass yourself and elevate your career to new heights. However, the challenges of consistently delivering top-quality and refreshing your repertoire can be overwhelming.

Imagine refining your voice even further, experimenting with innovative singing styles, and taking your stage presence to unprecedented levels. For professionals, it's all about constantly renewing and refining your art.

Keep Your Voice in Top Condition!

We offer coaching for professional singers, focused on developing high-quality technique and personal artistic development.

Our coaches, with extensive experience in the music industry, provide personally tailored guidance and advanced training to realize your artistic vision. Whether it's preparing for major performances, recording albums, or developing your brand as an artist, we stand by your side.

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Vocal Training

Singing Technique

Singing technique is essential for every singer. During a technique lesson, you focus on the parts of your body that produce your voice. There are various methods for this. Within our studio, we work with Estill Voice Training and the Universal Voice System.

Professional singers dedicate many years to refining their vocal skills. Effective voice technique is essential not only for producing beautiful sounds but also for protecting the voice from damage and fatigue.

It also allwos you a choice in timbre. This is really important for every singer. Voice quality goes beyond just technical skills; it's about discovering and developing a unique style or making your voice adaptable to different styles.

Performance

A strong performance requires more than just technical singing skills. Performance is about connecting with the audience, your story, and your body.

Developing the “x-factor” is a learning process. This includes working on self-confidence, musicality, audience interaction, and improvisation. It's advisable to work with coaches who often perform or have performed on stage for a long time.

Want to work on your performance? Send us an email to see if we can help within your style! If we think our team isn't suitable, we always know someone who can help!

Interpretation

Interpretation is mandatory for every singer. It's about telling the story and making musical and stylistic choices. These choices are often, if not always, imspired from the story you want to tell.

Musical choices include, for example, rhythmic decisions, both in placing words and sounds and in lengthening or shortening them. But it also concerns making stylistic choices in the music.

In style, you look at different factors, of which timbre is one. How do you want your voice to sound? Dark, light, loud, or soft? There are endless combinations possible. The timbre of an opera singer, for example, is totally different from that of a pop singer or rapper. Depending on the style you want to sing, you adjust your timbre.

We also look at factors like diction, vibrato, and many others. The technique you have built up is crucial. It ensures that you are free in your artistic choices in terms of style.

Timbre

Training timbre is quite specific and heavily dependent on the singer.

If you like to sing pop, jazz, rock, then developing an unique sound is often very important. Do you like to sing musical-theatre? Then your own voice sound is still important, but it also has to be able fit within all the styles that musical-theatre offers these days. For musical-theatre, you have to be able to transform from one style to another.

Breath & Voice

Breath is inseparably linked to singing. 'You must have excelent breathing control when you sing'. It's one of the first things people say when they think about singing, and that's certainly true.

Breath is the fuel of your voice, just like gasoline or electricity is for a car. It enables you to use your voice, and is best used "passive". By allowing it to react to how you use your voice, you allow function to thrive.

For example: adding more gasoline to your car doesn't necessarily make it drive faster or slower, taking more breath doesn't necessarily allow you to sing louder or higher.

Control over breathing shouldn't be about 'How can I control the breath?', but rather about 'How can I allow the breath to react to my voice use'.

Locations

Amsterdam

open 7 days a week

singing lessons voice training Location Info

Online

open 7 days a week

singing lessons voice training

Singing Methods

Estill Voice Training

Understanding Your Voice

Estill Voice Training is a model of function, outlining the function of each body part involved in voice production. We believe it to be the most transparent model available, clearly describing both the workings of the voice and effective training methods.

This unique model identifies the structures that produce the voice, as well as the structures in and around the throat (vocal tract) that further shape and modify the sound. This leads to a consciously chosen, reliable, and predictable control over voice production.

Developed by Jo Estill, a singer and scientist, Estill Voice Training divides voice training into two levels. Level one covers exercises for voice control, while level two deals with timbre and voice qualities.

Exercises for Voice Control

In Level One, the voice is divided into 13 trainable components of the body that are responsible for producing sound. This level also offers insights into breath control and delves into the training and effective monitoring of muscle control.

The 13 components are: The vocal folds, the moment of breath to sound, the false vocal folds, larynx, thyroid cartilage, the AES (also known as 'the twanger'), cricoid cartilage, the larynx, the tongue, the soft palate, the jaw, the lips, and your head, neck & torso stabilization.

Timbre

In the second level, you apply the skills trained in the first level to give your voice 'color', often described as voice qualities, timbres, or vocal characters. By applying the training from level one, you can create one of the six voice qualities proposed by Estill: Speech, Sob, Falsetto, Twang, Belt, and Opera.

These six voice qualities offer each singer an accessible way to become familiar with the idea that you can color your voice as desired. Fortunately, it's not limited to these six voice qualities; you have the freedom to make your voice sound the way you want.

Ultimately, good control of your voice, and understanding how a vocal color is produced, allows you to develop your own sound.

Coaches Who Work with Estill Voice Training

Docent zangtechniek, vocal coach & stemtraining bij Zangstudio Roel Bakkum

Roel Bakkum - Estill Figure Proficiency

Roel on Estill Voice Training

"Estill Voice Training is undoubtedly the best out there in terms of information and transformation. It not only teaches you how your voice works but also how to use your voice in ways you have never done before."

Docent zang & stemtraining Anne van Zandbergen

Anne van Zandbergen - Estill Figure Proficiency

Anne on Estill Voice Training

"As a vocal coach and speech therapist, I find Estill Voice Training to be a model that provides each student with an insight into their vocal use unlike any other technique I have worked with."

Universal Voice System

Understand Your Voice

The Universal Voice System (UVS) is an approach to voice training that simplifies the complexity of vocal production, making it accessible to every singer. Developed by voice experts, it is characterized by its clarity in improving and understanding the voice.

Together with the teacher, you create a so-called Personal Voice Plan. This gives you a clear picture of what you want to achieve and with which exercises from the UVS system you will succeed.

Eight Sound Characteristics

UVS identifies eight key characteristics of sound that can be manipulated to change vocal quality. These include pitch, loudness, timbre, and vibrato, among others. Understanding and mastering these characteristics enable a wide range of vocal expressions.

Four Pillars

The system is built on four fundamental aspects of vocal production: breath (support), vocal cords (source), resonance (filter), and posture. These pillars work together to produce various vocal qualities and are considered crucial for healthy and effective voice use.

Four Vocal Characters

UVS defines four primary vocal characters - Speech, Belting, Whisper, and Classical. Each character has a unique combination of the eight sound characteristics and is associated with specific vocal techniques.

UVS in a Singing Lesson

The system is designed to be versatile, suitable for different styles of singing and speaking. Whether it's classical music, pop, rock, or speaking, UVS provides tailored techniques for every style.

The Universal Voice System is widely appreciated for its comprehensive yet simple approach, offering tools and knowledge to everyone who wants to explore and improve their vocal potential, regardless of their level of experience.

Coaches Who Work with Universal Voice

Docent zang Fréderique Sluyterman van Loo

Frédérique Sluyterman - UVS Master Teacher

Frédérique on Universal Voice

"Universal voice is a simple, concrete, and insightful system to maximize your voice's potential. Whether you sing for a full audience or just in the shower."