Singing Workshops: Style

Pop. Rock. Jazz. Opera. Choral. Showtunes. Soul.

So many different genres of music exist. I can see why it would be difficult to let them blend into one another, certainly, but learning how to differentiate styles while singing is absolutely essential.

It is easy to get comfortable in one or two styles and let them blend into each other. I personally experience many singers who bring their brazen broadway/rock voices into a choral, classical piece. I have experienced many singers who let their pop styles slip into the same kinds of pieces, slipping and sliding around the notes, but never landing directly on the written one. I have witnessed opera singers who just can't turn of their virbrato for a brassy showtune.

With my own voice, I have only been able to sing in three styles well: choral, folk and rock, within cetain perameters. Notes in my lower range are good for the folk and rock styles. I seem to be okay with higher notes in folk, but Choral is really at its best in a song with high notes.

So, how does one learn to differentiate the styles to really create one great sound?

The key is listening, researching and listening.

1. Listening: a voice teacher or director will offer great instruction on how to sing a style properly. Take the effort to find a teacher who suits your fancy. I like to have the kind of teacher who avoids strange abstract ideas (i.e. "your voice is like a butterfly; let it flutter up..."). Your voice is a very technical instrument that cannot be explained with similes. Find a teacher who can tell you those mechanics and help you become an artist in many styles, not just a singer.

2. Research: look into the styles, taking specific notes of the differences. Read books on the styles that may need help. Look into the written differences of each style such as rythym, wording and intervals.

3. Listening: take note of the singers around you. Listen to your peers sing and their voices. Listen to artists and ask them how they sing in different styles. Ask them to demonstrate those varying styles. In a choral setting, it is absolutely essential to listen to the singers around you to accomplish blend. My first singing teacher told me, "If you can't hear the person next to you, you're singing too loud."

Take the steps to expand your musical styles and understand the differences enough to keep them seperated and your singing career will be greatly improved.