I'll never get the appeal of singing classes. Don't you think it'd be more fun, interesting and satisfying to discover your own voice, no matter "shitty" (by academic standards) it might sound? As long as your voice can carry enough emotion and has a very distinctive personality (which is not hard and you can develop it on your own much like you develop a drawing or speaking or writing style which is unique to your own person), then you're a good singer.

I get that you might learn useful tips like respiration techniques and whatnot from singing classes, but I can't shake the feeling that by abiding to those classes you're missing your chance of finding yourself, and you're kinda dooming yourself to sing like someone else sung some time ago and the Academia thought that's how singing should be.

Since you play the piano, you have a huge advantage over most people. The piano is a great instrument for training your ear to recognise notes, and with practice (say, slowly playing a scale and singing each note until it sounds right) your ear should be well enough tuned to allow you to sing in key. Other than that, you need to experiment with your own voice. Reach its limits, test its abilities, discover the textures and tones your chest, throat and mouth can create and then, once you get a good feel of your own voice (which is an instrument and therefore requires familiarity much like a piano or any other instrument requires you to become familiar with its physical aspects), you should be able to either design the type of voice you want (within your own abilities) or simply let it form on its own.

Without singing classes, you probably won't become the next Pavarotti. But I feel having a unique voice with a strong personality that's able to transmit feelings is far more important than technical prowess. Just like with any instrument.

I mean, Tom Waits and Mark E. Smith would get laughed out of Academia (or, say, American Idol), yet their voices are extremely expressive, unique and personal, and in my opinion those are the abilities and characteristics on which any musician should focus.


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Recording yourself would probably help.

Go on YouTube and search "singing lessons." There are YouTube channels that are specifically made for singing lessons. They have videos on how to increase your vocal range, how to breathe properly, how to develop your vibrato, and so on... And it's all FREE. Since you play piano and have a good knowledge of music theory you already have a headstart, now you just need to develop your voice. Good luck!