Learning to Sing ‘Nine Million Bicycles’
Beloved worldwide, Katie Melua’s ‘Nine Million Bicycles’ is known for its soothing melody and unique vocal technique – Mixed Voice. This technique is a blend of chest and head voice and can also be found in ‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree’ by KT Tunstall.
Understanding Your Voice
Before attempting this song, it’s essential to understand your voice range. Use our vocal range test to find your range, then explore our artists’ vocal ranges to compare with Melua’s.
Voice Registers: Mixed Voice
Melua’s mixed voice technique allows her to transition smoothly between chest and head registers, creating an effortless and soothing sound. Learn more about voice registers and practice the mixed voice with this mixed voice exercise.
Articulation
Clarity in the song’s lyrics is achieved through apt articulation, and ours can be trained with this Finger Bite exercise and by reading our article on articulation.
Warm-Up and Practice
Effective practice involves daily warm-ups, breath control exercises, and repeatedly singing troublesome sections. This article on effective song learning and our 3-minute Warm-Up video can guide you.
Analyzing the Song
Decipher Melua’s rendition with our Vocal Pitch Monitor, which visualizes her sung notes, helping you understand and replicate her style.
Incorporating Emotions
‘Nine Million Bicycles’ is intimate and emotive. Strike a balance between technique and emotion for an authentic performance. Our article on singing with emotion may be enlightening.