Unlocking the Vocal Techniques in “Check It Out” by John Mellencamp
Singing “Check It Out” by John Mellencamp presents unique opportunities to improve your vocal technique. Mellencamp’s performance heavily utilizes the Heavy Modal Voice technique, which gives rock its iconic power and grit. Use this method with moderation and the right warm-ups to protect your vocal cords.
The Heavy Modal Voice Technique
The Heavy Modal technique is characterized by a full, rich, and open vocal tone. Unlike the head voice or falsetto, it involves using your chest voice. This results in a powerful and more intense sound—see this article for a comprehensive explanation. Other popular songs that use this technique include “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen and “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt.
Practical Steps to Sing “Check It Out”
Before you start singing, find out where your voice is comfortable. The vocal range test will help identify your vocal range and voice type.
Next, listen to the song carefully, particularly focusing on the lyrics’ rhythm and how Mellencamp delivers each phrase. Breaking down the song into sections, verse by verse, can help make learning the song easier. Our article on how to learn a song effectively expands on this.
Improving Your Performance
If you’re not already familiar with the Heavy Modal Voice technique, it’s crucial to practice breath management—it’s what helps supply power to your voice. Our breath support article and the Farinelli Breathing video provide useful techniques to improve your breathing.
To gain mastery of the Heavy Modal Voice technique, you can practice Singing Comfort Zone and the Chest Voice Explained exercises. Adjust the song’s key to match your comfortable vocal range using the song search tool.
To measure your pitch accuracy while practicing “Check It Out,” use our Pitch accuracy test. Improving your overall musicality, including aspects such as rhythm and phrasing – can be significantly aided by the Pitch Training tool.
Last but not least, always protect your vocal health by warming up before practicing and maintaining good posture. Use the 3-minute warm-up exercise and consider the suggestions in our posture article.
Keep practicing and remember that every song you learn and sing is a step towards finding your own authentic voice! The most important thing is to enjoy the journey.