What do I want to be able to do?
Now enrolling · 8 fall coaching spots
Denver Tech Center + Zoom
Private Adult Voice & Guitar Coaching with Daniel Vigil
Finally become the musician you’re meant to be. Learn to sing, play guitar—or do both—through songs you actually want to perform, with a personal plan built around your voice, your goals, and your life.
See If One of the Eight Spots Is Right for You
The short application takes about two minutes. No pressure. I personally review every response.
Meet your coach
Adult-focused
Voice + guitar
In person + Zoom
Dear Potential Student,
Thanks for finding my page and your interest in working with me. Give me a moment, and I'll explain how I can help, and maybe…
Why Progress Has Felt So Hard
Maybe you have watched a hundred YouTube videos, saved exercises you never returned to, or picked up a guitar and wondered if maybe you waited too long.
Maybe you can already play a little—but struggle to perform full songs, find a singing voice you like, or tell whether your practice is helping.
That does not mean you lack talent.
In my experience, it usually means no one has helped you answer three simple questions:
What is actually keeping me from doing it?
What should I practice this week to move forward?
Private coaching turns those questions into a plan.
Your coach
Learn From a Working Musician Who Also Knows How to Teach
I’m Daniel Vigil—a singer-songwriter, working performer, music coach, and author of the forthcoming book The Accelerated Musician.
I started music late, and I was not a natural. Before music, I was a high-level athlete and coach. I trained for years with two Olympic team coaches, and I won hundreds of events all over the world.
Sport taught me how to break difficult skills into manageable pieces, find what’s getting in the way, and practice with purpose. I used that approach to coach myself from a struggling beginner into a musician and performer.
I’ve since coached thousands of students, including adults who started late or started over. I know how frustrating it is when the usual explanations don’t help. My job is to hear what’s happening, explain it in a way that makes sense to you, and help you build the next skill.
Performing keeps my teaching grounded in what it takes to make music communicate. I know these skills can be learned because I had to learn them myself.
The outcome
Imagine: Dozens of Songs You Can Actually Perform
I know your goal was never to collect exercises and little riffs. It’s to become a musician who can do the thing you started this for.
Depending on where you’re starting and what you want, we’ll work toward things like:
- Singing with more control, range, and confidence
- Finding and developing a tone and quality in your voice that you’re proud of
- Playing whole songs—not disconnected riffs you never finish
- Singing while you accompany yourself
- Knowing what to practice, and why, instead of guessing
- Getting unstuck the moment a song exposes a weak spot
- Feeling ready to play for friends—or step onto a stage when you want to
Your plan is specific to you. The bar is progress you can hear and feel—not busywork that fills up an hour.
Student stories
Hear What Changed for Them
Real students. Real progress, in their own words.
Othello James
“He’s given me some techniques that markedly improved my singing in only a month and a half.”
Christopher Morse
“(Daniel’s) really good at pin pointing little details that will take things to the next level.”
Hannah Jo
“There were no wrong questions, so I didn’t feel dumb, and I picked up a new skill super fast.”
Teri Froelich
“He asked what my goals were for training and he continues to be cognizant of that.”
Industry endorsement
“He's got really an uncanny ability to know exactly what song needs to move it from being a good song to a great song.”
Steven Memel is an internationally acclaimed Los Angeles voice and performance coach. He has coached artists and actors including Adam Levine (Maroon 5), Sara Bareilles, Jesse McCartney, Drew Barrymore, and Justin Long. His students have won Grammys, Emmys, and Tonys and earned Academy Award nominations.
The coaching loop
A Direct Route From Where You Are to the Music You Want to Make
Choose the destination
We start with a comprehensive evaluation of your voice, your current skills, your ear, your sense of groove, the music you love, and what you want to be able to do. Voice, guitar, or both—the goal comes first.
Diagnose the gap
I identify the specific skills standing between where you are now and the music you want to make. No generic sequence. No guessing at what the real problem might be.
Practice with purpose
We build the missing skill through music you care about. You hear what changes, understand why it changes, and see the next piece to work on.
Perform, review, and adjust
Each session builds on what you’ve practiced. When you’re ready, we test those skills in full songs and performance, then decide what to build next.
A clear target. The right diagnosis. Deliberate practice. Honest feedback. Then the loop begins again.
The coaching
What Private Coaching Includes
Personal instruction built around the music you want to make—not a generic curriculum designed for everyone and no one.
- One private coaching session each week
- Voice, guitar, or integrated voice-and-guitar coaching
- Songwriting help, if you wish
- A personalized song list built around your taste and goals
- A clear, realistic practice roadmap for the week
- Coaching by text, email, and video between sessions so you always know exactly what to practice
- Relevant concepts and exercises from my forthcoming book, The Accelerated Musician
- Your choice of in-person coaching in Denver Tech Center or live coaching on Zoom
- Access to our group open mics: perform and get coached, or come listen.
15
private clients
at a time
at a time
Why I keep the roster small
A Small Roster. My Full Attention.
Though I’ve taught hundreds of people a week through group and private instruction over much of my career, I now teach privately only a couple of days each week—and I am extremely diligent with the students I do take.
I enjoy working with people who are hungry to succeed: students making a real effort to get good at music. Inspired by that effort, I give my private coaching clients everything I have. I don’t simply work with you once a week and disappear. I stay in touch, review the videos you send me, answer questions, and even attend performances when I can.
Each private client takes real energy, so I limit my roster to about 15. That keeps me from ever becoming too fatigued to give you my best.
Beyond the lesson room
You Won’t Just Practice. You’ll Perform.
Most private coaching stops at the lesson. You get better in a room, alone, and then you’re on your own to figure out what happens when it’s real—a mic, an audience, nerves.
That’s not how I coach.
Every student has access to our group open mics. When you’re ready, perform and get coached on what actually happened—not a hypothetical, but the real thing in front of an audience. Or come listen and see what’s possible.
This is the part most coaching leaves out. It’s also usually the part that decides whether you actually become a performer, or just someone who’s pretty good at exercises.
Students doing the real thing
Watch My Students Perform
Christopher Morse
Othello James
A candid fit check
Is Private Coaching with Me a Fit for You?
This is for you if…
- When something matters to you, you look for the best coach you can find—not simply the least expensive lesson
- You genuinely want to get good. You’re not looking to dabble; you want to become a musician
- You’re willing to make practicing and playing part of your daily life
- You want to perform at some level—onstage, for friends, or around a campfire
- You want to sing and play—and this is an especially strong fit if you hope to write and perform your own music
- You value your time and would rather invest more in the right coaching than spend years struggling toward the same result
This is probably not for you if…
- You’re looking for an enjoyable hour of music each week, but don’t intend to practice between lessons
- You have no interest in performing—even if performing only means playing for friends or around a campfire
- You can’t consistently set aside time each day to practice and play
- You’re looking for the least expensive music lessons you can find
- You need every lesson to be in person; because I tour, some of our sessions will take place online
- You’re not comfortable receiving direct, honest feedback about what is and isn’t working
- You can’t commit to a weekly lesson
Frequently asked questions
The Practical Details
Am I too old or too inexperienced?
Learning music is about enjoying the process as much as reaching a destination. For that reason, 80 isn’t too late to start—and it really doesn’t take more than a few months of the right kind of teaching and practice to begin making actual music.
Can I study singing, guitar, or both?
You can study either one individually, or we can work on singing and guitar together.
Are sessions in person, online, or either?
Either. You can work with me in person in Denver Tech Center or live online. When I’m on tour, sessions may need to take place online.
How often and how long are sessions?
Sessions are weekly and last either 30 or 60 minutes, depending on what you need.
How much practice is expected?
In my book, I describe 20 minutes a day as the minimum viable amount. That’s still true. More practice—closer to an hour a day—will generally lead to even better results.
Do I have to perform publicly?
No. The group open mics are optional. I do encourage you to share your music when you’re ready, even if that means playing for a friend or family member. We can set that goal at a pace that suits you.
What does coaching cost?
Private coaching starts at $75 per session. Weekly enrollment is required, with 30- and 60-minute options available. We’ll choose the session length that makes the most sense for your goals, and you’ll know the exact investment before deciding.
What happens after I apply?
I read your application, and if I think I can help, I’ll reach out to see if we can find a time to talk about your music and your goals.
Fall enrollment · eight private spots
Let’s Find Out Whether This Is the Right Fit.
The application is not an audition, and you don’t need to already be good. It simply helps me understand what you want to do, what has been getting in the way, and whether I’m the right coach to help you get there.
1ApplyAbout two minutes
2I review itPersonally—not automatically
3We talkNo pressure and no obligation
If it looks promising, we’ll talk through your goals, scheduling, and coaching format before either of us decides anything.
See If One of the Eight Spots Is Right for You