How long should someone take voice lessons? It depends on a few factors...

TEACHER AND LESSON QUALITY AND STUDENT DRIVE AND DEDICATION

Teacher and Lessons: 

Study with a knowledgeable teacher who you “click” with.  Not every teacher is for every person. Find a teacher who is receptive to your wants and needs for your musical journey and who will work with you on discovering your path as a singer.  Be open to suggestions as you path may change as you begin study.  You may be exposed to music you never heard before and find that you sing it well!  Your vocal journey may continually evolve as you study. 

Know where you currently stand as a singer.  Do you want to just sing karaoke better, or sing opera, or just to sound better in the bathtub? You should also have an idea of what you need to work on technically. Do you have trouble holding a tune, is your breath support not very good, does your voice get tired quickly?  Communicate this at the beginning of your study and make sure you understand HOW the work and explain things. 

What do they want you to work on during the week between lessons?   If it is not clear, ask.  They will give you an idea of what should be worked on through your current lesson.  Record your lessons so you know what they expect and can refer to the recording to help you to remember. 

Student Drive and Dedication

If you are dedicated to your practice sessions, work on the technical things that the teacher addresses, and diligently make notes on things that were successful in your practice time, you will progress faster.  If you as a student are prepared to show what you worked on in your practice time, you will have more productive lessons.  If you never practice then you will make little or no progress. It is the work that you do on a daily basis at home that speeds up progress.  Just learning to play the piano or to get good at a sport, dedicated practice is essential to the progress of a student.  For tips on Effective and Efficient Practice for Voice Lessons and Singing Success , visit http://bit.ly/XUCVwX

Progress comes in two forms. There is the slow, hard way, which is the most usual thing. That is, you learn concepts and practice them and slowly develop your technique, your voice and your confidence. Going this way I would say you can expect to see progress month to month. Then there are those moments when you have a 'breakthrough'. On those rare occasions you can make a great leap forward, if only you can retain what you learn! -Donny at Pecknel Music

Continue to pay attention to what your body is saying as you practice and ask questions at your lessons.  This speeds the rate of progress by telling your teacher what is happening when you sing and you are not together.

Remember , learning how to sing is a slow and sometimes difficult process. Your instrument is your body, and unlike a guitar or piano, you have to deal with fatigue, illness, stress, other emotions, and hormonal changes. On top of that, you have to deal with muscle memory.  You need to make your muscles and your vocal instrument be in the right place, and support your vocal production yourself, unlike a piano, where you plunk a note, and the hammer hits the strings. There are many components to learning to sing and many internal forces that may change how the voice works.

What things impact your singing voice the most?