If you could afford singing lessons, what songs would you work toward learning first?

Jazz standards. Autumn Leaves. Fly me to the Moon, that sort of thing.

Ooh, good answer. I’d love to be able to scat. I know you can’t really teach that, but if they could, I would love that!

I don’t know why – I really like josh groban’s singing and songs. A lot of them. I think they’re great acoustically. I’d move on to that next before my next stop(s).

This

As someone who does take singing lessons when I’m able, I can give you a pretty accurate answer.

Songs for skill development (big and belty or just high)
Songs that suit my voice (torch songs + jazz standards, Kate Bush)
And the songs I love (well, all of them, but give me anything with a good dollop of acting on top and I’ll know it by heart by next week. Ohhh, and here’s a personal favourite :D hehehe)

Not specific songs, but just general techniques to make my voice more powerful.

I have been having singing lessons since I was about 13 years old and I started off learning show tunes (things like On My Own from Les Miserables). Now I have branched more into classical/opera.

For me, it would be Broadway show tunes.

Ooh, opera please. My friend Barry Tone tells me it’s very rewarding. “Nessun Dorma, Nessun Dorma” :¬)

Learning classical voice and opera is much more helpful for developing a voice than any other form of singing. It really expands your voice and teaches you how to breathe and support your voice properly so you don’t end up with polyps on your larynx.

I’ve been taking classical voice lessons for about three years. I’m a mezzo, and the most helpful songs for improving my technique are those from operas. Specifically, Voi Che Sapete from the Marriage of Figaro. Its range is right in my passagio (transitioning between head and chest voice), so it was extremely difficult to sing at first. Over time, though, I learned how to support my voice and now have a lot more ease singing in that range. :)

I don’t think learning how to sing pop songs like those by Alecia Keys really help you become a better singer in general, but that’s just my opinion.

If you want to take voice lessons, do it to help you sing with your own voice, not to sing like someone else. You can choose what you would like to sing after you learn some vocal fundamentals. I’d listen to what my voice teacher told me because he/she would recognize the problems I had and the order in which to try to correct them. Choosing the best teacher for you is another issue to consider.

@Sunny2 that wasn’t the point, singing a song you like, not like someone you like.