Skill One: Dynamics Crescendo means to get louder, and decrescendo/diminuendo means to get softer. We want to be able to do either of these without adding extrinsic interfering muscle. Increasing volume requires “just enough and not too much” increased air pressure and a corresponding increase in vocal fold tension. Decreasing volume involves a decrease in… Read more »
Breathing is one of the most controversial and hotly debated topics in vocal pedagogy, second only to the debate about chest voice and belting. When we interview students and ask them what they think they need to improve most about their singing they often list breathing as their most important challenge. While breathing is not… Read more »
When we discuss breathing we must include posture. Without the correct posture for singing breath management is impossible. For optimal singing the chest must be high, the shoulders relaxed and back, and the body aligned. the head should be comfortably back (gently moving toward the back wall), the neck log, the knees slightly bent to… Read more »
Most of the students who come to us are interested only in singing popular music – which is often sadly limited to what they are exposed to on the radio and T.V. This is totally understandable. I remember starting voice lessons as a young teen and being very disappointed that my teacher had no idea… Read more »
Every vocal style has its own language of inflections, riffs, mannerisms and traditions that you can only acquire if you immerse yourself into it. In all styles of music, spending lots of time listening to and imitating artists of all eras – not just the current stars – will help you build and develop your… Read more »
Continue learning about the different styles of singing in the third part of our series “Singing Authentically in Every Style”. Before you start reading Part III, refresh yourself on Part I and Part II. Pop Style Pop is short for popular, the style of music that most of the general public tends to listen to… Read more »
Earlier this month, we shared some tips on singing authentically in every style. Here are some further words of advice on the subject: Diction and dialect also contribute to making the sound more authentic. Country Style Country singing is filled with dropped final consonants such as G; in country music you would say singin’ rather… Read more »
Practicing singing in different vocal styles will help you to develop a unique style of your own and will widen your scope of potential paying gigs as a singer. Learn how to sing authentically in every style with advice from Sing Like a Star! Listen to singers in various vocal styles: R & B Country Pop… Read more »
Once you have learned the basic elements of good vocal production and have learned the basic components of improvisation, the best way to improve your library of potential style elements is imitation. Just as we learned to speak as babies by imitating single words, then phrases, eventually learning to creatively form our own sentences, we… Read more »
Riffing, like any other musical skill, can be learned. Just like we learn to speak as babies by imitation, we can learn the scales that riffs and runs come from and then learn the language of riffs by memorizing and practicing some of the more common riffs. After awhile you realize that most of the… Read more »
