Learning to Sing: “The Wind Cries Mary” by Jimi Hendrix
The unique vocal style in “The Wind Cries Mary” is a perfect example of Jimi Hendrix’s soulful, expressive approach to singing. To proficiently perform this classic, it’s helpful to understand its specific vocal technique—speech-like singing. This technique, also frequently used by Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan, requires a natural, conversational style.
Understanding Your Voice
To start, take the vocal range test. Having a clear idea of your vocal range will enable you to adapt the song to suit your voice best.
Speech-Like Singing
Singing in a speech-like manner is more about interpreting the lyrics and expressing them convincingly. To develop this technique, one method is to speak the lyrics first, focusing on the emotional content. After that, add melody to your speech, maintaining the conversational style. How to find your authentic voice can provide more guidance.
Pitch and Breath Control
The pitch accuracy test can help improve your pitch control. For breath control, practice active and passive breathing methods explained here.
Articulation
To bring out the emotive quality of Hendrix’s lyrics, good articulation is essential. The article about articulation provides great insights into perfecting this skill.
Practice Singing Song Parts
Try to monitor your pitch while you practice singing, it would help you recognize where you tend to skew off the pitch.
Learning to sing “The Wind Cries Mary” can be an exciting journey! Not forgetting to mention, the developed speech-like singing technique can also serve towards songs like “Piece of my Heart” by Janis Joplin and “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan.
Final Thought
Remember, singing comes from the heart. So, keep feeling the music, and your voice will follow. Further your singing journey with more interesting song ideas and educational resources from Singing Carrots.