Transcripts
1. Introduction: On the journey to discovering
and uncovering your sound, we believe that staying open
and versatile is essential. We want you to activate your best unapologetic cell and be fearless on
this journey to finding and using your voice. [MUSIC] Hey all, I'm Neka. I am Denise. We are professional vocalists
and songwriters. With over 15 years in
the music industry, we have collectively and
individually toured with major recording artists
such as Coldplay, Usher, Anita Baker, Demi Lovato, and Jessie
J, to name a few. We've learned that
diversifying, and studying, and learning different
music and singing styles has helped expand and deepen
our pool of opportunities, and being in much
more control of our voices and vocal delivery. Today we will be diving into various genres and
styles of music, from classical styles to
musical theater and jazz. [MUSIC] Having the ability and
knowledge to create and safely deliver different sounds require stretching your voice. Even if it's not a style, you would usually sing. We ask that you
submit a recording of yourself singing a warm
up to a provided MP3. Whether your goal is
to go platinum in the shower or on the
Billboard charts, this class is for you. Let's get into it.
2. Exploring Classical Music: [MUSIC] There are
numerous periods in the history of Western music, and each period had a
specific sound from the early 1800s to
the early 1900s. The romantic period consisted of composers that
prioritized creating music that was inspired by emotional expression
and individualism, which challenged the rules of classical composition
from the previous period. When we think of
classical singing, it is an approach that uses all the important
elements of singing, which are breath, relaxation, support, posture, and so on. If you were to warm up in
the style of a romantic era, it would sound
something like this. You're my sunshine
my only sunshine. Some vocal elements to
apply when approaching classical singing are
working on phrasing. This style normally
requires long phrases, as you can hear, even
at the end of the first warm-up I was winded. Words flow into one another. Being extra mindful of your
breath support is essential. Consonant work and
enunciating are vital in classical music due to it originally being performed
in amphitheaters, where the acoustics supported
the vocalist enough to not have any
electronic amplification. Another vocal element
to apply is vowel work that we mentioned in one
of our other classes. Classical music tends to have a more darker and rounded sound. Be sure to keep these
notes in mind if you have an interest in
performing classical music.
3. Exploring Gospel Music : [MUSIC] Gospel music
can be traced back to the early 17th century. During the slave era, Africans sang
traditional hymns and spirituals as a means of
communication and coping, thus making them the founding
fathers of this sound. It is rooted in religious
Christian lyrics and spiritually paired with powerful vocal presence
and prominent harmonies. The sound started
with just voices, no instruments were needed, and our hands and
feet kept the beat. As the years went on,
gospel music transformed, making for elaborate gospel
choir arrangements with broad elements of
secular style music merging the two as one. There are many different
sub-genres of gospel, urban contemporary
being the most current. You'll hear an innovation of soul urban music,
syncopated rhythms, strong lead vocals
accompanied by drums, bass, guitar, organ, and keys. While over the last
century gospel continued to grow and evolve, it's never lost its roots. The theme that should
come to mind when connecting with this
style should be hope, deliverance, healing,
love, and strength. Now I'm going to do some
warm ups with runs going up, and runs coming down. [MUSIC] Practice with the
warm-ups we provided in previous classes with a
straight tone into vibrato, showcasing vocal
control and range. Of course we love
in embellishment. Practice incorporating
the riff exercises we shared with you
into other songs. Experiment with
singing in a group and learning how to blend
with other voices.
4. Exploring The Blues: [MUSIC] The blues emerged
from the deep South in the late 1800s, carrying an iconic sound of
African-American spirituals, field hollers, European
hymns, and folk ballads. This genre of music is said
to be the most communicative as it pertains to raw emotions
and its genuine delivery. When you think of the blues, what comes to mind? What comes to mind
is misfortune, sadness, betrayal, and
maybe even regret. Though the music derive
from a place of sadness, the blues still provided opportunity for
freedom of expression. There are many layers to uncover when approaching music theory, and we could be here all
day teaching on this. To simplify for you, we'll be sharing a warm-up
using the blue scale. Four little monkeys jumping
on the bed one fell off and bumped his head. Thank you Ryan. Some vocals stylistic elements
to incorporate when singing the
blues are somewhat parallel to the same
approach to gospel music. Other important elements
are rhythmic phrasing, remembering to respect
the space in the music. Belting notes that are at the top of your
voice register and using your ability to transition from head
to chest voice. Keep in mind that when
performing the genre, it's okay to have flaws. There may be vulnerable moments which can lead to
your voice cracking, but don't be alarmed. It can make for an
honest performance.
5. Exploring Jazz: Jazz originated right here in America during the early 1900s. Derived from the blues this
drama which was birthed from African American
culture and community, has a mixture of
European structure in harmony with African
rhythmic percussive styles. What makes this jazz is so
unique is that it continues to evolve due to the influences of many other cultures
and communities. The style we are about to
explore has a swing jazz feel. Ready Brian? 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. [MUSIC] Thanks Brian.
That my friends is what you call a nursery
rhyme turned jazz standard. Some vocal elements to
sit with when singing and practicing jazz are exploring
inflected speech tones, which goes back to our
diction and vowel work, conversational
rhythmic phrasing, and remember to be
distinctive and personal. We suggest for you
to not only study some of the old and
new jazz singers, but also instrumentalists
as they can have an influence on your vocal
choices when singing.
6. Exploring R&B: [MUSIC] The first official
mention of the genre R&B was in the late 1940s
by Billboard Magazine. Rhythm comes from
the steady pulse and a four beat measure, emphasizing beats 2 and 4. Blues comes from the lyrical and melodic
approach to blues music. We like to think of R&B as an infusion of jazz, blues, pop, rock, gospel, and hip hop
with a smooth, funky beat. Every era of this
genre takes from the previous one and
adds to the next. It's the gift that
keeps on giving. A personal favorite of ours and one of the most special periods of R&B was the late
'80s and early '90s. It was during this
time that Teddy Riley pioneered what was known
as New Jack Swing, giving a sound of contemporary
R&B while adding up tempo, explosive tastes of hip hop. This sound still heard
today was reintroduced to a new generation by the likes of Bruno Mars and some of
his contemporaries. Now we're going to do a
warm up in an R&B style. [MUSIC] Thanks Brian. When you think of R&B, it has a lot to do with the
vibe delivery and emotion. Vibrato can be used
as a vocal element to enhance performance
singing this style. You are normally given
full permission to experiment with riffs and
runs at your own discretion. Just make sure you
don't overdo it. Placement is everything
as it pertains to when you decide
to riff and run, how you sing a phrase
and of course, how you yield to
your vulnerability while singing with skill. And don't forget,
have fun with it.
7. Exploring Music Theatre: [MUSIC] Musical theater
is quite the genre. It involves acting, singing, spoken dialogue, and sometimes
movement or dancing. Most historians trace
the earliest forms of musical theater back
to ancient Greece. Over centuries, the style
evolved many times over, carrying itself
into Great Britain, France, Germany, and the US. The style we are going
to explore is from the contemporary musical
theater of time period. It generally has a contemporary
pop-rock influence with a bright-sounding tone, high belting and
is speech-driven. Here's an example of
something you would hear in a musical
theater setting. For this one, we
are going to sing the first line of Bingo, the nursery rhyme, up until O. [MUSIC] Thank you, Ryan. Musical theater is
associated not only with music but with acting so take the opportunity
to characterize your performance with a
mindset of thinking big, even when sounding small. Vocal elements to apply
here would be to really dig into consonant
work and vowel work. Being able to shift
gears with your chest from mix and then to falsetto is essential due to
musical theater being dramatic and needing to
express emotions through song. Remember that your whole body is at work when
performing and singing, especially when it comes
to musical theater. Tapping into your emotions is a part of the essence
of this genre so really connecting with each part of the
performance is vital.
8. Exploring Rock : [MUSIC] Rock and roll
made its public debut on mainstream radio by a DJ in
the US during the 1950s. The fundamentals
of this genre are found in African-American
blues and R&B music with an accompaniment of gritty vocals and guitar. Crashing symbols,
energetic vocals with the fine lyrics from
artists that did not like the color
inside the lines. The 80's rock era came
post disco era and made room for various rock
styles such as glam metal, shred guitar, soft rock, synthesized music,
and so many more. Today, we'll focus on
the style of soft rock. [MUSIC] Thanks, Brian. Some vocal elements
to consider when singing rock is glottal onsets. Now, you don't want your
vocal chords always hitting together so hard during
your entire set or song. Making choices on where
to use it would be key. Preferably certain
words that are meaningful in the song lyric. Most people think that
in order to sing in this style it requires you
to sing high and loud. Although being able to build
in high notes is a plus, the solid foundation of
a rock singer should be their chest voice
with the ability to move into their
mix voice fluidly. Let's rock.
9. Final Thoughts: [MUSIC] Guys, we made it
to the end of the class. We hope that you enjoyed
exploring the genres and styles that were broken
down for you today. We shared some fun facts
and basic helpful tips on how to apply our
previous teachings to many different
styles of music. Even if it's something
that you don't typically listen to or naturally
got to sing, we encourage you
to step outside of the box and welcome versatility. While you're taking the time to learn and be imposture
of humility, as you explore different
parts of your voice, once you retain and reach
a place of comfortability, it's just as important
for you to tune in and turn on your confidence. This will translate to your audience and
provide an experience. As always, be sure to
spend time with your voice and do warm-ups 20-30
minutes minimum a day. Hydrate, that's very important. We encourage you to go to
live performances with the mindset of observing the
way the vocalist delivers. Something that Denise
and I are adamant about is studying those
that came before us, even if it's a genre
that you aren't initially familiar
with or drawn to, stepping out of your
comfort zone is where you'll truly
find yourself. In this case, find your voice. For your class assignment
please submit a recording of yourself of any three of the
warm-up styles we showcased. There are MP3s available
in the class resources. At the end of each class, we
like to do an affirmation. You can repeat after us or just listen and absorb
the positive vibes. I am capable. I am patient with myself. I gave myself
permission to learn. If it's meant to be, it is up to me.