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Do you want to learn how to sing like your favorite artist or celebrity singer? I’,m sure that there must be several celebrity singers that you strongly admire. You really like their music, and when their song plays, you can’t help but sing along. I bet you’ve tried mimicking the voice of your favorite singer a number of times and sometimes it almost seems impossible that you can bring out a voice like theirs even if you are a vocalist on your own.
Of course, there are various factors that differ between the singer you are imitating and yourself; you are two different people, you aren’t singing in the same environment and the size of your voice box and even your mouth is not the same. So, the big question goes, can you bring out the voice of your favorite artist? I tell you today that the answer is yes. Here’s how to mimic that voice you envy so much.
Mimicking a singing voice takes more than just imitating a speaking voice. You have to learn the note range that the artist covers so that you can span the same. You also have to keep in mind the modifications that the artist does to his voice to come up with their mode of singing.
A Stepwise Guide on How to Sing Like Your Favorite Artist
If you are wondering whether you will ever be able to mimic your favorite artist someday, then I have the solution. Regardless of how superhuman their vocal ability is, you can sing like them to near perfection. If you are a budding singer, there must be a renowned singer that you admire and wish you could sing like them.
Singing is an art that can be developed by you. These are the steps that I use when I want to mimic an artist’s voice so you can also give it a try because I have managed to do a lot using this style. There are succinct tips on how to mimic other singer performance, even if you don’t have the same voice quality and vocal tone.
Although each voice is unique and that no two people have perfectly identical voices, one person can still mimic the voice of another person. Moreover, a person may also mimic the singing style of his or her favorite artist. Most singers are often defined early on in their careers by the musical influences they have. For this reason, whenever a new artist is interviewed, that artist is often asked about his/her influences. Many budding singers likewise start with the idea of which artists they are going to copy, and apparently, this method is one of the best ways to learn how to sing.
1) Watch Videos of the Live Performance of Your Favorite Artist
As mentioned above, there is a subconscious internal link between mimicking expressions and mimicking the artist’s voice. Hence, if you frequently watched the MTVs of a particular singer, chances are, you would end up not only imitating the swagger of the particular artist but also his/her voice. Subconsciously, you will naturally imbibe your favorite artist’s expressions and voice, and thus, you will eventually improve your vocal range by imitation.
2) Pick The Suitable Song
Pick one of your favorite songs. For a start, don’t go for the difficult ones. Just choose a song that you can sing without strain. Try to practice with the songs that are within your vocal range. And you will be more comfortable and able to sing along with the songs of your favorite artist without breaking your voice.
3) Play Over and Over Again the Song of Your Favorite Artist
You can also try to play a stanza of the admired singer’s song and then play back the stanza over and over again until you have internalized the lyrics and the voice of the singer. If you continue doing this, chances are, you may end up imitating his/her enunciation, stress, voice quality, and even the inflection.
4) Listening & Testing
Play a line or part of the selected song then pause, rewind and play again, this time, singing along. The power to effective voice mimicking is listening, so you need to listen keenly and sing just like the artist. If you are not in rhythm with the song, rewind and play again till you feel you have hit the spot.
5) Mimic Their Pitch and Modulation
Now, if you want to emulate your favorite artist’s pitch and modulation, you can observe how they sing and perform. You can also watch their pitch and modulation. Pitch refers to the quality of sound that makes you judge it as higher or lower. To learn their pitch, you need to listen to the songs of your favorite artists more often. With much practice, you can imbibe their pitch and their manner of singing.
On the other hand, modulation defines the tonal properties of a voice from smooth crooning to a roaring type of singing. Technically, it is the transition from one tonality to another tonality.
You can observe your favorite artist’s pitch by considering the range of the singer’s voice, while you can watch his modulation and match up the tonal properties of his voice. As a budding singer, you can copy your favorite singer’s voice correctly by listening to his/her recording.
I once imitated the voice of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and as a composer, I tried to compose songs that are somewhat similar to their compositions. I even ape the high notes and low notes of John. On the other hand, when singing love songs, I used to mimic Paul’s undulating voice.
6) Imitate Like An Impersonator
You can engage in practicing pitch and modulation exercises by imitating how an impersonator mimics other people. Impersonators, of course, are best in mimicking how another person speaks. For example, an impersonator can configure his mouth so that he produces the same voice as the one he is impersonating.
Of course, many factors help in the production of a voice. Yet, you should first know the range of your voice before you imitate your favorite artist. If your favorite artist is Elvis Presley, but your voice is a tenor, I think you will have a hard time imitating Elvis Presley. However, if you are desirous of imitating Michael Jackson’s voice, but you are a baritone, then you may end up sounding ridiculous while singing She’s Out of My Life or Heal the World.
The best way to subconsciously imbibe the sound of your favorite artist’s voice is to listen to his songs more often. In this way, you can learn the nuances and colors of his voice and rendition of a piece. Tom Jones, for example, exemplifies himself by infusing much emotion into his voice. So, if you want to imitate how he sings, you need to be mindful of his phrasing, diction, pitch, and modulation.
7) Mimic The Details
Finally, you need to read the details of the singer’s voice. You have to be keen on the notes, how high or how low they are. Listen to the voice, whether it is smooth or rough and check out for breathing in between the singing. You also have to listen to the pronunciation of the artist.
The exercise needs dedication. You will have to play the song over small sections so that you can pick out the details of the voice and the general singing style. You will also repeat many of the parts before you can achieve the exact quality. Despite the strain, this exercise is such taking because in the end, you will be a better singer.
8) Mimicking your Favorite Singer’s Facial Expression
This idea may seem superficial for even if you mimic the facial expression of other singers, you will surely not correctly copy the voice quality of your favorite singer. However, there is something about mimicking the facial expression that could be of great help to you if you want to like him/her. Many psychologists recognize, for example, an internal subconscious link between mimicking their feelings and expressions and being able to at least mimic to a certain level of their voice. Constant mimicking may gradually enhance your voice to the point that you would sound somewhat like them.
Pros & Cons of Mimicking Other Singers
If you are dying to sing like your favorite singer’s voice, then you must be a budding singer working to develop your name. It wouldn’t be rewarding enough if you mastered the craft of a certain singer then you started singing exactly as they do. If you want to mimic Mariah Carey, then you will probably be famed as the new Mariah Carey, and this would be a negative score on your creativity and originality. You have to sing in an energetic and youthful style if you want to sing like Ariana Grande.
Imitating your favorite singer’s style and the voice comes with some benefits. First, it can help you get rid of your bad singing habits. The key is to mindfully imitate at least copy his/her vocal tone and range. Imitating also can help you hone and improve your singing techniques and skills. You can do this by finding a vocal run that you like. Afterward, you should try singing the lines along with it so that the melody and style of your favorite artist will sink into your subconscious mind. Lastly, by constant practice, you will be able to sing and eventually learn the intricacy of musical language accurately.
My Personal Advice
Here is my advice. Learn the styles of many singers who are doing great out there and those you admire then blend their singing styles and come up with something that you can call your own singling style. It is good to develop your voice to reach high standards and then sing while including the aspects you learned from other artists. This way, you will be welcome by fans because you can give them what they can’t find anywhere else.
Funny Video on How To Mimicking Other Singers
Final Thoughts
“Imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery—it’s the sincerest form of learning,” according to George Bernard Shaw. So, if you feel like imitating your favorite artist, you should not hold back in doing so, for you can also learn while imitating. I read one time how Bruno Mars used to ape Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson when he was only a kid, and now, he is one of the most successful artists of our decade, winning several Grammy Awards. Bruno Mars real voice is also very popular.
What I’m pointing out is that you can improve yourself by learning from others. No one becomes famous without being inspired by other artists. Thus, when John Lennon and Paul McCartney were too young, they went to the concert of Buddy Holly, who was famous then, to see how he performed on stage. So, imitation is indeed one way of learning how to become great.
Thank you very much! I will try to follow your advice.