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Aside from knowing the essential vocal techniques that can make a noticeable improvement in your singing, it would help if you also chose the best songs that you are going to sing. There may be songs that are not appropriate for you at a certain time. Moreover, some songs may be difficult for you to sing. Attempting to sing these difficult songs may only cause you frustration. On the other hand, a very plain song may not push you to improve and develop your singing skills.
Advantages of Selecting Scalable Popular Songs
Songs are myriads, yet, they have patented forms. Some songs have good and catchy refrains and melodies. Some have great hooks and grooves. Some songs are also easy to remember and enjoyable to sing. Some have good lyrics you can relate to.
So, if you are going to choose a song for vocal training, then, that song should be readily available as music and that you can purchase or download it online. Some of the great song for vocal training include jazz and pop songs that are good for teaching beginners.
You should be familiar with the songs you are going to use. These songs should also be easy to sing, and with melodies that you can easily recall. Using these familiar songs, you can readily find any inaccuracies in the melody by comparing the notation with what you hear.
Your vocal instructor may also point out to you these inaccuracies. Plus, the use of familiar songs will help you understand the importance of keenness to the details embedded on the sheet music.
Moreover, to find the right and best songs as a beginner, you need to understand and know your vocal strengths. You should also find a song that suits you well.
5 Best Songs for Vocal Training To Improve Your Singing Skills
If you are looking for songs that you can use for your vocal training, you may get confused as to the myriads of songs at hand. Yet, to facilitate the process for you, you can check out these five commonly used popular songs for vocal training of beginners:
1) Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody
Unchained Melody was released in 1955, and its lyrics were written by Hy Zaret, while its music was made by Alex North. The soundtrack was sung by Todd Duncan. Since then, this song has become one of the frequently recorded and sung songs of the century.
This song is a nice practice song if you want to develop rhythmic accuracy and tone quality. As you practice it using sheet music, you will also get to learn how to stick to the correct note. You can apply the different vocal techniques you have previously learned while you sing every note of this song.
Another thing is that you can practice the Italian version of this song entitled “Senza Catene.” The good thing about practicing a song in another language is that you can do away with the emotional side of the song and simply focus on mastering the techniques that you have learned.
2) Frank Sinatra’s My Way
Another one of the great songs to practice singing is My Way by Frank Sinatra. This song was popularized by Frank Sinatra and is derived from the French song “Comme d’habitude.” Paul Anka wrote its English lyrics.
Many artists made a cover of this song, artists like Elvis Presley, Jocelyne, Frank Sinatra, and Sid Vicious. Yet, this song was closely associated with Sinatra’s version, which spent around 75 weeks in UK Top 40.
This piece has a gradual buildup, which makes this song a good choice. It starts softly and slowly builds energy along the way. It will surely let you practice a wide range. It is also delightful to sing.
3) Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud
Among the recently popularized songs that are good for vocal practice is the song “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran. Younger singers will love to train their vocals using this song. This one is also a good tenor song.
This song lets you experiment with your singing voice, specifically your falsettos and its various runs. You can showcase the versatility and power of your singing voice using this song. As you practice, your listeners will also enjoy listening to you while you take note of the unusual turns of notes.
A romantic ballad that was released on September 24th, 2014 was composed in the D major key. It also comes with a 79 beats per minute tempo. Sheeran’s vocals range, of course, is from B2 to A4. You will also find several notes sung off the given pitch. Yet, the overall vocal framework stays within the fundamental tune.
4) The Killers’ Mr. Brightside
Another great song to practice with is Mr. Brightside. This was the first single released by the rock band “The Killers.” It was first released on September 29th, 2003. The song has a dashing tune like a power ballad. It is a feel-good anthem that talks of ambition, noise, and sex. It is majestic and will provide you with a good practice song.
This is a famous karaoke song that is perfect for starters because it generally hovers over one key. It also lets you focus more on your performance because the song’s notes have limited range.
5) Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah
Another one of the great songs to practice singing is the song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. This song was originally released in 1984 under the album Various Positions. It achieves little success at the onset. Yet, it achieved great success afterward through John Cale’s recording. It was further recorded by Jeff Buckley.
Hallelujah was featured in Shrek in 2001, and it further gained more popularity afterward. Moreover, it has been performed in many concerts and recordings. It also has more than 300 known versions. This great song is perfect as a storytelling style of song. This song also allows you to gradually build power without letting things get overboard and overwhelming.
Tips on Selecting Scalable Songs for Your Vocal Training
Picking the best songs to enhance your vocal training can be a bit confusing, given the myriads of songs at hand. Yet, most students are required to choose a song for their vocal training.
In the selection process, however, it would be good to maintain a broad spectrum of choices, ranging from one genre to another.
Choosing a scalable song can also be fun likewise. Furthermore, it is good to be cognizant of the following guidelines on selecting scalable songs for your vocal training:
Figure Out Your Voice Type
Before you can figure out the type of song that fits you well, it will be good to know your voice. You should figure out your voice range. Do you thrive in singing high notes or low notes? Do you strain much when you try to hit high notes? Do you experience flips or breaks? Songs have their range of notes. Similarly, your voice has its range.
The most acceptable range for a singer is called “tessitura.” This is the range in which a singer’s voice will sound best and natural. Before you choose a song, you should know your vocal range and the tessitura of a song or musical piece.
If you are taking singing lessons in music, you can ask your teacher to figure out your vocal range because it will be difficult to assess the range of your voice on your own.
Consider the Tempo of the Song
The tempo of a song should play a crucial role in your song selection. Of course, it is better to start with slower tempo songs. So, if you are a beginner, it would be good to learn ballads for your training.
You cannot immediately leapfrog to complicated songs like the Bohemian Rhapsody or Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen.
With slow songs, you can enunciate well the syllables and lines of a song. Moreover, with slower songs, you will have an easy time figuring out the pitches and form of vowels to use. You will also figure out how to stagger your breathing throughout the song.
Through constant practice, you can improve your vocal reflexes and muscular function to prepare you for more demanding quick-tempo songs.
Become Singers also has a detailed article on how to start your singing career.
Know the Right Key
Finding songs with the right key for your vocal range is another important factor to consider when selecting a song.
If the song you will choose has too low or too high a key, then, you may end up overtaxing your vocal cords.
So, you need to find the right key for a song. If you push your vocal cords to sing songs that are not in the appropriate key for your voice, you can damage your vocal cords and shorten your singing career.
Know Your Range
As mentioned above, you should discover your vocal range. Once you have known your vocal range, you can then choose the songs that have the appropriate tessitura for your voice. Your choice of songs, of course, will play well in the enhancement of your weak points.
Other Important Pieces of Advice When Selecting a Song for Vocal Training
During the training process, you should ensure that your style coexists with the techniques you are learning. You do not need to stifle your vocal style upon learning new vocal techniques. So, in your song selections, you should follow the following advice:
- If you can sing the song, then, it can be used for your training.
- You should consider vocal exercise as if it is a song.
- Break the songs into segments of techniques and apply your style to those little segments. Then, synthesize your analyses for the whole song.
- Techniques can improve your vocal style. Style, on the other hand, can enhance techniques.
- You will find your stylized song and your technical song to be sounding differently.
- You should do away with inefficient vocal styles.
- Techniques may appear dull if you do not complement them with your unique vocal style.
- If you only rely on your vocal style without applying correct vocal techniques, you may end up damaging your vocal cords.
Conclusion
Vocal techniques and vocal style should complement each other. You have your vocal style. Complemented by good vocal techniques, you can further enhance your vocal style and bring it to perfection. If you can do that, you can carve a niche for yourself in the music industry.
