Learning to Sing ‘Lions, Tigers and Bears’ by Jazmine Sullivan
‘Lions, Tigers, & Bears’ by Jazmine Sullivan utilizes the vocal technique of melismatic singing, where a single syllable of a lyric is stretched across several notes. This technique is also used in songs such as ‘Emotion’ by Destiny’s Child and ‘Vision of Love’ by Mariah Carey. Mastering this technique will add depth and complexity to your vocal performance.
Understanding Melisma
Melisma requires good breath control, a strong understanding of pitch and an intuitive feel for the melody. If you’re keen to learn how to perform Melisma, check out our article on breath support and try our pitch accuracy test.
Studying the Song
Start by getting familiar with ‘Lions, Tigers, & Bears’, listen to Jazmine Sullivan’s performance and take note of how she applies Melisma. Use our song search tool to find more songs with Melisma to compare and contrast techniques.
Applying the Technique
When singing, ensure your body posture is correct, your breath support is strong and your articulation is clear. You can refer to our posture article and read about articulation to help with this.
Practicing Your Singing
Practice the song ‘Lions, Tigers, & Bears’ by singing along and matching your voice to the melody, using our Vocal Pitch Monitor. You can see your sung notes on a virtual piano and compare them to the original melody.
Get Creative
Once you’ve mastered the song goal, consider utilizing your newly practiced melismatic techniques to explore other musical styles. Use our song search tool to discover more song choices suitable for your new skill. Remember that you can always return to our pitch training tool for further mastery of your singing skills.