Singing Guide: A King in New York

Singing Guide: A King in New York

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

A King in New York is a satirical comedy written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. It features Chaplin himself in the lead role of the exiled king who visits New York. With his unique style of humor, Chaplin explores the struggles of an out-of-place royal in a foreign land. As a singer, Chaplin's talent lay mostly in his ability to write and perform comedic songs that added to his movies. However, there are a few lessons one can learn about singing by examining Chaplin's performance.

Chaplin's characters were always known for a childlike playfulness, and his singing is no exception. He utilizes his higher register when he wants to come across as sweet or naive, as we can see in the song, "The Spring Song," which he sings with a group of school children. However, when it comes to more mature themes, such as his character's exile, he switches to his lower register.

Another technique he uses is enunciation. Throughout the film, Chaplin is very careful to pronounce every word clearly. This is especially noticeable in "The Spring Song," where he emphasizes each syllable as if he is teaching the children how to enunciate.

In terms of choosing songs to sing when learning to sing like Chaplin, you can take inspiration from his original music in the film. The charming "The Spring Song," which also has an instructional video on singingcarrots.com, is a great place to start. But if you're looking for something more emotional, "Weeping Willow" is a solid choice, which can be found in the singingcarrots songbook.

To learn more about singing like Chaplin, Singing Carrots' How to analyze your voice and Voice types articles will give you an understanding of how to use your voice and what your strengths are. Open mouth & throat and Breath support articles will teach you how to use your breath and mouth to control your pitch and tone. Vocal ranges of famous singers can help you compare and match your range with Chaplin's. Furthermore, Singing Carrots' How to overcome stage fright and Tips for performing on stage articles will give helpful advice on how to deliver a great performance just like Chaplin.

Learn more about this artist vocal range, voice type and repertoire.