Your voice is your signature as a singer, but how do you find and express your unique vocal identity? Developing a distinctive sound and style is not just about technique, but also about creativity, confidence, and authenticity. In this article, we will explore some tips and exercises to help you discover and enhance your vocal identity.
The first step to developing your vocal identity is to know your voice. What are your strengths and weaknesses, your range and register, your tone and timbre? How do you breathe, articulate, and project? You can use tools like a voice recorder, a tuner, a metronome, and a vocal coach to assess and improve your vocal skills. Knowing your voice will help you choose songs and genres that suit you, as well as avoid habits and injuries that can damage your voice.
I agree. I think recording and listening to one's voice is one of the greatest tools in recognizing the identity and then finding the style. People usually underestimate how helpful it is to record, while I've also seen students who were scared to listen to their own recorded voice. I guess overcoming the fear or building the habit of recording is one of the things that should be solved in the classes as well.
The second step to developing your vocal identity is to explore your influences. Who are the singers that inspire you, that resonate with you, that challenge you? What do you like and dislike about their voices, their styles, their expressions? You can learn a lot from listening to and imitating your favorite singers, as well as from exposing yourself to different genres and cultures. Exploring your influences will help you find your voice, as well as expand your repertoire and versatility.
Algo que NADIE te dice: 1. Tus gustos y tu estilo no necesariamente son parecidos. Ya sea que cantes, seas locutor, orador o actor, tus referentes no necesariamente serán el mismo tipo de profesional. 2. Imitar es una buena forma de armar una estructura, pero debes crear a partir de eso. ?Por qué te contratarían a ti si también está el original? Todo se trata de aportar valor. 3. La mejor técnica es la que te sirva a ti. NO existen secretos ni curas mágicas generales. Si algo te funciona, es por ahí.
Each singing voice is unique. Therefore all you need to do is develop your own unique sound through steady, careful, disciplined singing training focusing on what is right fur your voice and developing your sound to it's fullest potential.
The third step to developing your vocal identity is to experiment with your voice. How do you sound when you sing in different keys, tempos, dynamics, and emotions? How do you use vocal techniques like vibrato, falsetto, belting, and growling? How do you improvise, harmonize, and embellish? You can use exercises like scales, arpeggios, intervals, and melodies to practice and play with your voice. Experimenting with your voice will help you develop your skills, as well as your creativity and expression.
The fourth step to developing your vocal identity is to sing with your heart. What are you trying to communicate, to convey, to connect with your audience? How do you interpret the lyrics, the melody, the mood of the song? How do you use your voice as an instrument, as a storyteller, as a performer? You can use techniques like phrasing, dynamics, articulation, and gestures to enhance your vocal delivery. Singing with your heart will help you develop your confidence, as well as your authenticity and emotion.
The fifth step to developing your vocal identity is to get feedback and grow. How do others perceive, appreciate, and critique your voice? How do you respond, reflect, and improve? How do you set goals, measure progress, and celebrate achievements? You can use sources like recordings, audiences, peers, mentors, and coaches to get feedback and grow. Getting feedback and growing will help you develop your professionalism, as well as your resilience and motivation.
The sixth step to developing your vocal identity is to find your voice. What makes you stand out, what makes you unique, what makes you you? How do you express your personality, your values, your vision through your voice? How do you balance your influences, your experiments, your emotions, and your feedback to create your own sound and style? You can use strategies like self-awareness, self-expression, self-evaluation, and self-improvement to find your voice. Finding your voice will help you develop your identity, as well as your satisfaction and fulfillment.
This is all wonderful advice...and of course 'finding our own voice' is key to all. It is important to recognise that within our voice we have certain resonances/frequencies that seem to accent our most 'honest' voice. Often the genre that excites us the most, and the space we want to be in will not actually bring out that magic space. As a producer who has worked internationally for many years and had the amazing good fortune to work with many different styles and artists, I am often surprised that many vocalists ignore this understanding. Time and time again I have worked with artists to find the 'sweet spot' that is their unique resonance. Once found this frequency can be transferred across genres. It's a kinda magic