For anyone that’s searching for online singing courses, there is a high chance that you’ve come across Christina Aguilera’s MasterClass. However, you might not be 100% certain that this is the right class for you and that’s why you’re here.
Well, it is safe to say that you’ve come to the right place because this in-depth review of Christina Aguilera’s MasterClass will help you make a more informed decision.
What you will learn about in this Christina Aguilera MasterClass review is a little background about the world-class singer, Christina Aguilera and also the reputable platform for online courses, MasterClass. After that, we will dive right into the review of the Christina Aguilera MasterClass.
At the end of this review, you should be able to decide easily whether the Christina Aguilera MasterClass singing course is the best singing course for you. That said, let’s begin our detailed review of the Christina Aguilera MasterClass singing course.
About Christina Aguilera as a Vocal Coach
The name Christina Aguilera doesn’t require too much introduction. Aspiring singers who have experienced the world of pop music are most likely to have heard about Christina Aguilera. She has won multiple awards including the Latin Grammy Award and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She is also a five-time Grammy winner and was on the list of “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. Christina Aguilera is one of the most important singers in the music industry for close to 30 years. With such an impressive background, Christina Aguilera is undoubtedly one of the best teachers to learn singing from.
About MasterClass
If you have been taking online courses then you might’ve heard of MasterClass. This platform became live in 2015 and has since gained immense popularity for having famous people who are the best in their field to teach people about what made them so good.
MasterClass is unlike other online platforms because most of the instructors on MasterClass have reached celebrity status and can certainly provide you with valuable knowledge. Besides the singing course that we’re about to talk about, you will also find courses for other fields like chef Gordon Ramsay’s culinary course and Samuel L. Jackson’s acting course.
Christina Aguilera Singing MasterClass Review
Now that you know a little more about the instructor of this singing course and also the platform it’s on, let’s have a look at what’s included in the Christina Aguilera MasterClass.
What the Course Comes With
In this MasterClass course, you will receive 23 video lessons, giving you a total class time of 3 hours and 43 minutes. The 23 lessons are as follow:
- Introduction
- Christina’s Inspiration
- Warming Up
- Protecting Your Voice
- Range
- Student Sessions: Pop Style
- Student Sessions: Simplify
- Student Sessions: Rock Style
- Diction
- Mastering Vocal Techniques
- Playing With Textures and Tones
- Duets Part 1: Rehearsal Prep
- Duets Part 2: Perfecting the Performance
- The Beat
- Live Microphones
- Studio Microphones
- Performance Anxiety
- Singing It Live
- Overcoming Mistakes
- Advice for Artists
- Self-Expression
- Christina’s Journey
- Closing
The lessons listed above make up the entire Christina Aguilera MasterClass and we will give you a more comprehensive review of the lessons in a while. Besides the lessons mentioned, there are also other materials that come with this course. The additional materials include a PDF workbook, homework assignment after each lesson, and takeaway notes.
The videos range from as short as 2 minutes for the intro, to as long as 16 minutes for an in-depth video lesson.
Before enrolling in this singing course, you can also have a look at the trailer first to decide if this is the right one for you. It might be difficult to really grasp what you’ll learn in the Christina Aguilera MasterClass course, which is why we’re going to break it down further so you can have a better idea of what kind of singing techniques and skills you’ll learn.
What You’ll Learn in the Christina Aguilera MasterClass
From the 23 videos included in Christina Aguilera’s singing MasterClass, there are many concepts, skills, and techniques that you will get to learn. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what Christina Aguilera will be teaching.
The basics of singing
Christina Aguilera’s singing MasterClass is a great choice for beginner singers because it covers the necessary knowledge for you to start singing. The essential knowledge that Christina touches are topics like inspirations, warming up, and being familiar with your voice.
Before moving on to any form of technique, it is important that singers are familiar with the warm-ups and Christina teaches the students of MasterClass the warm-ups she uses. In addition, she will also cover different warm-up options for different situations like practice sessions, recordings, and live performances, so you will know when to use which warm-up technique.
As a singer, you might have a busy schedule and might find it difficult to make time for warm-ups. Thankfully, Christina will teach you how, as a successful performer, you can fit warm-ups into your busy schedule. She is also teaching from her experience, proving that warming up can be done, no matter how packed your schedule might be.
Whether it’s doing sports or singing, warming up is an essential process because you will work your muscles when you sing. It also helps you stretch and build up your throat muscles safely and the more you train it, the better you’re going to be. Christina also shares about the things she does to improve her voice.
Vocal techniques and protection
Since this is a singing course by one of the best singers of this generation, the content certainly isn’t shy of singing skills and techniques that make you a better singer. In Christina Aguilera’s MasterClass, students will be taught the different vocal techniques that Christina regularly uses.
Some of the content includes diction, playing with textures and tones, and various vocal techniques like belting, vibrato, slides, and ad-libs. When she teaches specific techniques, she also uses her own work as examples so it’s much easier for students that are big fans of her songs to understand the concepts.
But even if you are unfamiliar with her songs, you can still gain a lot from her teaching.
Unlike some singing teachers that teach hypothetical sounds or situations that aren’t always logical, Christina uses her own songs to share specific examples for the students. This is why Christina Aguilera’s MasterClass would be a much smoother and easier to understand course if you know how to sing Christina Aguilera songs.
In this Christina Aguilera online singing course, you will also learn to own a song by changing the beat. Not only does Christina Aguilera demonstrates this lesson, but it is also helpful for you to practice making it happen. This lesson equips you with the technique you need to become an artist in your own right, not just a copy of others.
Other than the vocal techniques lesson, you will also learn to expand your vocal range as a singer. According to Christina Aguilera, the vocal range of every singer is something mental. In order to expand your vocal range, you must first believe that you can hit notes beyond your comfort zone. Only then, will Christina Aguilera’s MasterClass be one of the best courses a singer can ask for.
Many singers firmly believe that beginner-intermediate singers should stick to a certain vocal range, but Christina has her own style that impresses many and students can rely on her professional take on vocal improvement. Christina Aguilera also includes some tips to make it happen physically and students can also try out the range tester included on the page of this lesson.
Besides warming up, you will also learn to protect your voice by protecting your vocal cords. Unlike some courses out there that just briefly talk about vocal protection, the Christina Aguilera MasterClass will provide you with more detailed knowledge on the protection of your voice. It almost feels like Christina believes in you and wants to see you become a successful singer.
To protect your voice, Christina highlights why it is important to constantly have a water bottle within reach so you can stay hydrated and protect your singing voice. Besides that, she also shares with students that she prepares a plate of honey off stage for all her performances.
What Christina does with the honey is that she will dip a finger into the honey and eat a drop or it between songs to keep her throat lubed.
Performing for duets and live performances
While many other singing courses will end after the necessary techniques are covered, the Christina Aguilera MasterClass goes on to teach students about singing for duets and live performances. This is part of the performance section of the singing course where Christina shares with students about the important details for performing well during a live performance.
Special skills are required to sing with another person and/or in front of a live audience. Most professional singers learn these skills by doing and it is often difficult to find teachers for them. But in the Christina Aguilera MasterClass, Christina Aguilera teaches students how to sing well in a duet over 2 videos. It will include everything from pre-rehearsal prep to getting the timing and emotion right.
In one of the video lessons, Christina does an actual duet performance with her live duet partner where both of them point out things that could possibly go sideways in a live performance. She also shares with students that it is normal to make mistakes, but most importantly how they can overcome those mistakes.
Additionally, Christina Aguilera’s singing course also teaches you how to plan a live show. There are many details to consider when it comes to planning live shows and many of them aren’t considered most of the time until it’s too late. But with this lesson, you will be able to prevent any major mess-ups before they happen on stage.
Working with microphones
In this MasterClass, Christina Aguilera teaches about microphones as well, ensuring her students become the best singer they can be. She will teach you about live and studio microphones and it starts with the foundations of using a microphone and the expectations for each type.
The lesson about the studio and live microphones includes Christina demonstrating how to out a mic check in both situations. After that, she teaches you how you can alter the way you perform to get the most out of the acoustics.
Christina also talks about why the sound engineer will be one of your best friends and to have whatever you need in the recording studio that makes you feel comfortable and creative.
Student sessions
In Christina Aguilera’s MasterClass, she addresses her key points by going over what she taught with other students in the videos. This is an effective teaching method as it allows you to understand the struggles you might face when you’re learning what Christina taught.
The student session in this MasterClass will cover how you can project your voice and enhance how you perform, performing pop music, and also the proper way to perform rock music. Christina Aguilera shares some useful tips in this section that can enrich your singing.
One of the most helpful tips that she covered was how you can push your breath out to moderate your voice. She explains to the three students how this method of moderating her voice has helped her sing more clearly in the mid-range. This skill had also made her the world-class singer she is today.
What is it like being an artist?
Towards the end of the Christina Aguilera MasterClass course, Christina shares with you her journey of being a musical artist. The videos aren’t exactly lessons, but more like encouragements from Christina regarding surviving under pressure and keeping character during your journey of becoming a singer.
Christina talks about her own experiences and life as an artist in this section, so there isn’t anything related to improving your singing. The topics covered in this lesson include Christina’s advice for artists regarding adjusting to life as a performer, how to utilize your voice as an expression of your true self, and also Christina’s journey and lessons that she picked up along the way.
Moreover, a performance anxiety lesson is also included where Christina will be talking about how a professional singer handles it. This is an important lesson because it is one of the key factors that separate a star from the rest of us. Christina Aguilera’s MasterClass covers the tips and tricks you can use to manage your anxiety.
Remember, even professional singers have stage fright too. However, they manage it in a much more effective manner, making them better than most people.
You will like this if:
You want to be a better singer and improve your performance skills
This singing course by Christina Aguilera provides you with all the necessary knowledge that will make you a greater singer. With Christina’s experience and expertise, she is able to deliver something for every singer to learn and apply in their singing career. Both beginners and advanced singers will learn and grow from Christina’s insights.
One of the most important things in the music industry is your performing capabilities and with the Christina Aguilera MasterClass, you will be able to excel. The MasterClass lessons by Christina don’t just cover performance skills, but also the necessary preparation before going on stage.
You want to learn from someone reputable
Your singing teacher for this course is none other than the famous Christina Aguilera. She has been in the music industry for many years and her experience allows her to provide helpful insights and industry advice. While one-to-one coaching is the preferred choice, having an experienced singer as your teacher is much harder to find and more expensive.
Christina’s lessons will not bore you either because she teaches with examples that can help you learn easier. She is also very encouraging which will leave you feeling confident and ready for a successful singing career.
You are looking for a short online singing course
The length of this course is on the shorter side as it only lasts for 3 hours and 43 minutes only. This is perfect if you have a tight schedule because the 3 hours and 43 minutes are spread out across 23 lessons which you can watch whenever you’re free.
Unlike some courses out there that last a lot longer, the Christina Aguilera MasterClass is just enough to make you an improved singer in the shortest amount of time possible.
You prefer to learn more than just singing
Other than the basic singing knowledge that Christina Aguilera covered in this MasterClass course, Christina also covers other useful knowledge for you to excel in the music industry. Some of the examples include Christina sharing her tips to keep your voice protected, how she deals with her anxiety as a performer, and many more.
Most vocal training is just that, vocal training. They don’t include other insights that can make you a better performer. But with the Christina Aguilera MasterClass course, you will certainly become a better singer.
You want a course that gives you the best value for money
The Christina Aguilera MasterClass is one of the cheapest online training available and taking what you’ll be taught into consideration, it is the course that will give you the best value for money.
Many courses out there charge a very high price, but their quality is only comparable to the Christina Aguilera MasterClass. So instead of breaking your bank on a singing course, you can opt for this MasterClass that gives you great value.
You will not like this if:
You are unfamiliar with Christina Aguilera’s songs
As we’ve mentioned earlier, most of the teaching by Christina Aguilera includes examples. However, these examples are her own songs and it can be difficult for you to relate if you are unfamiliar with her songs. While Christina Aguilera is well-known, not everyone has heard of her songs before so it might be hard to understand certain concepts that she is trying to explain.
Thankfully, the course isn’t entirely about her songs only, Christina Aguilera also includes tips and tricks of her own that can help with your career. You can also familiarise yourself with her songs beforehand if you’re interested in this course.
You prefer a course with more technical training
Right from the start of the course, Christina Aguilera gives a heads up that she focuses more on passion over technique and as a result, the technical aspects of singing are lacking in this course. She is great at demonstrating them, but not exactly the best at teaching them.
If you are an inexperienced singer, you might find this to be a little frustrating because when Christina Aguilera demonstrates a certain technique, she doesn’t really explain how you can achieve that technique. As such, this would not be the best course for beginners with zero singing knowledge, but recommended for performers with some experience and intend to improve their singing.
You have difficulties accessing a recording studio
In some of the lessons, Christina Aguilera discusses what she does while recording. However, not every student has access to a studio with proper equipment so it might be hard to learn what Christina is trying to teach.
While there is a link included in the lessons to set one up “affordably”, you will still need to get equipment such as a microphone, an audio interface, Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software, a digital keyboard, studio monitors, headphones, and cables. All these things added together will be quite costly, but it does allow you to practice with more ease.
You are looking for the most comprehensive course
Sadly, the Christina Aguilera MasterClass isn’t the most comprehensive course on the market. With only 3 hours and 43 minutes available, each of the 23 lessons is just a short video of Christina explaining certain concepts. This course doesn’t provide too much explanation but does have incredible examples that can be helpful.
Improvements To Be Made
“Nothing is perfect” and this saying applies to this course as well. Here are some aspects of this online training course that can be done better.
More technical knowledge
The first improvement that can be made to this course is to include more technical knowledge. Currently, Christina only talks about certain techniques but doesn’t go on to provide a more in-depth explanation, making it difficult for newbies to understand what she’s talking about.
With the inclusion of more technical knowledge and explanations, this course would be much more valuable for both new and experienced performers. The compromise for including technical knowledge in the course is longer duration. But if you get to learn more, we don’t see why not spend that extra 1 to 2 hours.
Include more resources or cheap equipment to practice with
Although this course provides you with the necessary information you need for a successful career in singing, it does lack the extra resources for you to practice. As such, we think this course would be more preferred if there are more available resources included in the important lessons so every student can practice what they learned.
It would also be great if there are recommendations by Christina Aguilera regarding the right equipment to practice with. After all, performers need to be familiar with singing equipment too for a smoother journey in their career.
Explaining concepts with other songs
The Christina Aguilera MasterClass focuses on providing examples to explain certain concepts, but all the examples used in the lessons are songs by Christina Aguilera herself. Because of that, it can be quite difficult for people who are unfamiliar with her songs to understand what she’s trying to teach.
One way to make this course better is to include songs from more than one artist so it can be easier to relate to and understand the lessons.
This Course is Suitable For
Now that you have a better idea of what the Christina Aguilera MasterClass entails, it’s time to find out if this course is suitable for you.
Singers in all genres and at all levels
This singing course is not exactly focused on a specific concept for a specific level. Instead, it covers the basic information every singer needs in order to succeed in the industry. Thanks to that, this singing course is suitable for singers of all genres and at every level because they are bound to gain some valuable knowledge from this singing course.
Those who perform live
One of the key topics covered in this MasterClass is about performing live and because of that, any performer who intends to sing live will find this class useful. This is especially true for those who sing pop or rock music because Christina’s background revolves around this musical genre.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve come to the end of the Christina Aguilera MasterClass review, we hope you have a better idea of what the classes offered in this MasterClass are able to provide. Christina offers incredible value in her classes thanks to her experience in the industry and because of that, you can expect to receive great advice from her.
All in all, this is an amazing course for every performer out there because of how much valuable knowledge you are able to gain for such a low price. If you need that extra boost of confidence, we would tell you to just go for it because you are bound to learn something useful.
FAQ
How much does this MasterClass cost?
To purchase Christina’s singing course, there are two options for you to choose from. The first one’s a one-time purchase, while the other is a subscription to the MasterClass platform.
The one-time purchase will cost you $90 and after purchasing it, it will be yours forever. Even though it may seem expensive, you should keep in mind that you are essentially buying 4 hours of lessons from such a famous performer. If you were to break it down, that’s $22.5 an hour for a MasterClass with a Grammy-winner singer.
The other option to access this course is with the MasterClass All-Access Pass. This is a yearly pass that costs $180 and while it may seem more expensive than the previous option, it actually isn’t. With the MasterClass All-Access Pass, you are not only allowed to access the Christina Aguilera MasterClass, but other exceptional classes offered by MasterClass too.
What do I need to complete the Christina Aguilera singing course?
When you purchase this course, the workbook provided includes a list of things that MasterClass had put together that could be helpful to complete the course. But most importantly, you should at least listen to some of Christina’s songs first before you go for this course.
The songs that we recommend you to listen to are Beautiful, Fighter, Say Something, Ain’t No Other Man, and Genie in a Bottle. It will be helpful to know these songs beforehand because Christina uses them to discuss certain concepts.
Can I get a refund if I am not satisfied with her MasterClass?
Yes. MasterClass offers its classes with a 30-day refund policy. So if you have tried the Christina Aguilera MasterClass and it isn’t what you’re expecting or you’re dissatisfied, you can get a refund from MasterClass. However, this might not apply to other providers as they may have their own set of policies for returns or refunds.
What are the alternatives to Christina Aguilera’s MasterClass?
Besides the Christina Aguilera MasterClass, you can also consider other MasterClasses under the music category. You will find many more talented musicians such as Alicia Keys, Usher, Tom Morello, Herbie Hancock, Hans Zimmer, and many more in this category providing great singing lessons. If you have the MasterClass All-Access Pass, then you will be able to learn from all these great musicians.