Choose Your Vocal Genre Strategically! (Vocal Style for Your Goals)
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Choosing the vocal style you should sing can be difficult if you are a new singer and have no idea what genre you should try. It's also difficult if you're a veteran singer who can sing just about any style you want, and are confused about what style is best for you. In this blogpost, I'm going to give you some help to make that choice strategically.
First, consider your vocal goals - what do you want to do with your voice?
1. Do you want to gain vocal skill, or to snap out of vocal boredom? Try singing songs in genres that are new to you.
- When you get out of the comfort zone of singing styles you're familiar with, you can expand your voice's skill set in several ways, such as wider vocal range, new vocal licks and embellishments, more precision and control, different tone colors, phrasing choices and rhythmic feel.
- Exploring styles you've never sung can help you see if you're missing another type of music you would love and could do well. Or you may find some new vocal stying you could integrate into the genre you normally sing, breathing more life, nuance and uniqueness into your singing.
2. Do you want to perform in situations that require you sing multiple genres well? Choose to get very good at singing all of the ones you'll need.
- If you want to get work as a studio session or road tour singer, you don't want to limit yourself to one choice of genre. A nickname for this type of vocal career is 'stunt singer'. You could be hired to sing on many different styles of music, and with radically different kinds of singers. If this is your goal, the more genres you can sing well, the better. You might want to get some training and/or spend quality time listening to the masters of each genre you want to ace.
- It can help to be able to cross genres if you want to compete in talent awards shows. They want you to show extreme vocal ability, often requiring a lot more showy technique than would be authentic for the normal genre of the song. Or a contestant could excel by beginning their performance in one genre and ending in quite another, such as when Christina Ramos began a stunning performance of a classical song and suddenly morphed into the rock classic 'Highway to Hell', getting her awarded the golden buzzer on Spain's Got Talent.
- You might want to be known for extreme, genre-crossing vocal ability, such as the artist Pia Toscano who placed 10th in 2011 American idol. I saw her being featured in an Andrea Bocelli concert where she began with a stunning performance of the soulful 'I'm Feelin Good', then joined Bocelli for a beautiful classical duet.
- You might want to be able to sing formal genres such as choir music or classical art songs, then be able to change musical languages and do popular genre songs.
- You might just want to sing some great karaoke, where you can jump styles of songs and have a lot of fun impressing your audience!
3. Do you need to zero in on your artistic definition?
When you're ready to drill down:
- What does my voice love?
- What does my heart love?
- What do I want to learn?
- What's commercial?
- What does my voice love?
- What does my heart love?
- What do I want to learn?
- What's commercial?
- What genre is selling and has good fanbases that...
- my voice can confidently sing or that I want to learn to confidently sing and...
- that satisfies and moves my heart and delivers the messages I want to share.
Case Studies of genre-choice outliers:
- Rejecting Genre Limitation: Eva Cassidy Story:
- Combining Genres: Julia Loewen Story:
- Crossing Genres: Songs that jump styles:
- Shifting Genres: My Story:
Bottom line:
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Labels: all things vocal, artistic definition, finding your voice, Judy Rodman, singing style, vocal genre, vocal style
7 Comments :
At March 28, 2023 at 9:51 AM ,
Desertphile said...
Thank you. Insightful and instructive blog entry, as usual. I did not choose genres to sing: they chose me.
At March 31, 2023 at 10:50 PM ,
Judy Rodman said...
Desertphile... you perfectly summed up the situation where a singer decidedly and solidly lands early on their best vocal river to swim in! It's not always so unambiguous. Very happy for you!
At April 2, 2023 at 10:51 PM ,
Elizabeth H. Cottrell said...
As someone who sings only for personal pleasure (and occasionally in a nursing home for the entertainment of the residents), I had no idea how much the choice of genre could make a difference in your career, but you made it so clear. Your case studies were extremely informative, and I'm happy to share this with the music professionals I know.
At April 6, 2023 at 9:28 AM ,
Judy Rodman said...
Elizabeth, thank you so very much for your comment, and for sharing it to those whom it can help!
At April 9, 2023 at 7:35 PM ,
Timothy McDonald said...
Great job as always! I really appreciate your insights into helping me expand my vocal pursuits in a meaningful way.
At April 9, 2023 at 10:46 PM ,
Judy Rodman said...
Thank you so much, Timothy; so happy you enjoyed this!
At April 29, 2023 at 1:46 PM ,
Anonymous said...
The great possibilities of being a "stunt" singer make so much sense!
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