Teaching the Art of Singing: Do You Have What It Takes To Be a Vocal Coach?

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Everyone has that friend who thinks they know how to sing and keeps saying "I should try out for American Idol." Well, singing is a skill like any other. Not everyone is born with the gift. To master it, you need patience, training, hard work, and a great vocal coach. And a shower with great acoustics.

In this quiz, we'll test how much you know about how singing and whether you have what it takes to be the next coach to the stars. Once you ace this quiz, you'll be able to help that friend realize his dream of becoming the next Kelly Clarkson. 


I'm a 3-time Emmy-winning game show producer, writer, director and published author. I dig traveling, watching hockey, photographing wildlife and exploring the cultural and social fabric of society.

This quiz is about: music song singing vocal coach vocal voice

DIY Vocal Coach Quiz Questions

20 Questions · 95 Plays · No comments

Question 1

Known as "Mama Jan," Jan Smith is one of the most famous vocal coaches around. Whose voice was she famously hired to guide through puberty?

  • A
    Shawn Mendes
  • B
    Nick Jonas
  • C
    Justin Bieber
  • D
    "Weird Al" Yankovic

Question 2

For any singer looking to improve the quality of their sound, this question will resonate. Which of the following is NOT a form of vocal resonation?

  • A
    Chest
  • B
    Stomach
  • C
    Head
  • D
    Nasal

Question 3

Any good vocal coach will explain that how fast your vocal cords vibrate is instrumental in determining your what?

  • A
    Stamina
  • B
    Volume
  • C
    Pitch
  • D
    Rhythm

Question 4

For better or for worse, the celebrity mentors on the series The Voice have become symbols of what vocal coaches do. Which of the following singers has served as a coach on the show?

  • A
    Miley Cyrus
  • B
    John Mayer
  • C
    Harry Styles
  • D
    "Weird Al" Yankovic

Question 5

As Simon Cowell would say: "it's all about song choice." About how many octaves does a typical song cover?

  • A
    One-half
  • B
    Just five notes
  • C
    Three
  • D
    One and one-half

Question 6

Understanding your anatomy can help you become a better singer. While they're more commonly called "vocal cords," they are more accurately what?

  • A
    Vocal pools
  • B
    Vocal ridges
  • C
    Vocal folds
  • D
    Vocal clips

Question 7

If you don't start with the basics, you can't learn to sing. What specific part of a person's anatomy is known as the "glottic chink"?

  • A
    A small airway in the nostril
  • B
    It's another word for the larynx
  • C
    Opening between vocal cords
  • D
    Notch in the diaphragm

Question 8

As laid out by Voices.com, which of the following is NOT a good way to protect your voice from getting damaged?

  • A
    Avoid smoke
  • B
    Go fragrance-free
  • C
    Wear a scarf
  • D
    Drink carbonated beverages

Question 9

To help a singer hit a convincing high note, a vocal coach might steer them to a combination of a chest voice and a head voice. What is this voice called?

  • A
    Double voice
  • B
    Between voice
  • C
    The sweet spot voice
  • D
    Mix voice

Question 10

A good coach will tell you that your diet can affect the quality of your singing. According to Soundfly.com, which of the following is acceptable for a singer to eat before he or she sings?

  • A
    Caffeine
  • B
    Dairy products
  • C
    Nuts
  • D
    Fried foods

Question 11

When men sing, they can be in one of four ranges - bass, baritone, tenor, or alto. Which of the four is the "average" range for a male singer?

  • A
    Baritone
  • B
    Bass
  • C
    Tenor
  • D
    Alto

Question 12

One technique your vocal coach might suggest is that you lower your larynx and increase space in your pharynx. What does this do to the sound of your voice?

  • A
    Increases vibrato
  • B
    Makes you sound like Michael Jackson
  • C
    Makes you sing louder
  • D
    Darkens your tone

Question 13

The best coaches teach their clients how to read sheet music and about music theory. If you're singing in the key of C major, how many sharps or flats does it have?

  • A
    0
  • B
    1
  • C
    3
  • D
    7

Question 14

To quote the Beach Boys, it's all about "good vibrations". About how many times per second do a soprano's vocal cords vibrate when she's belting out a "high C"?

  • A
    5000
  • B
    100
  • C
    1000
  • D
    1 million

Question 15

As with anything, practice makes perfect. Which of these techniques do most vocal coaches agree is recommended for people who want to learn to sing?

  • A
    Sing as loud as you can
  • B
    Practice in front of audience
  • C
    Copy a singer you like, not specific songs
  • D
    Always sing into a microphone

Question 16

According to the School of Rock website, one of the best ways for a singer to warm up is a technique called "Yawn" what?

  • A
    Yell
  • B
    Sigh
  • C
    Yodel
  • D
    Weep

Question 17

As seen in The Sound of Music, what is the term for the method of assigning syllables to notes, as in "do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do" to make sight singing easier?

  • A
    Suffrage
  • B
    Sonessence
  • C
    Sufjan
  • D
    Solfege

Question 18

Seth Riggs is one of the most famous vocal coaches of all-time, having taught Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. What type of singing is Riggs famous for trademarking?

  • A
    Stutter Singing
  • B
    Falsetto Singing
  • C
    Speech Level Singing
  • D
    Singing in the Rain

Question 19

We all know about bass, alto, tenor, and soprano, But only the truly educated singer can pull off "coloratura soprano," which is what?

  • A
    It's nothing - we made it up!
  • B
    A soprano who sings higher than normal
  • C
    A soprano who uses runs, leaps, and trills
  • D
    The cousin of Tony on The Sopranos

Question 20

William Hung proved that even if you're pretty much tone deaf, you can still make waves in the music industry. What is the scientific name for "tone deafness"?

  • A
    Tonal amorphia
  • B
    Amusia
  • C
    Tonapathy
  • D
    Melody lackadasica

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