Singing Guide: Al Wilson
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Al Wilson is one of the most influential soul and rhythm and blues singers, that came out in the 60's. With his powerful voice and an impressive range, he made many songs with a wide spectrum of moods and themes. However, his true mastery lies in his use of vocal control and breathing in order to achieve seemingly effortless endurance and range.
If you want to sing like Al Wilson, the first necessary step is to recognize and analyze your own voice. You can use Singing Carrots' Vocal Range Test to determine your range and compare it to that of famous singers. Understanding your falsetto and chest voice is vital and you can learn more here in Singing Carrots' blog on Voice Types.
Once you've analyzed your voice, take a breath. Al Wilson was known for his ability to control his breath and maintain notes for extended periods of time. Singing Carrots' Breathing Basics and Breath Support articles are great for learning more about controlling your breath.
Al Wilson's music is known for having a lot of soul and intensity, and in order to achieve this, you should strive to open your mouth and throat while singing. Singing Carrots' article - Open Mouth and Throat While Singing - provides you with detailed explanations on how to achieve this.
Practicing Al's music is important as he has an extensive catalog of diverse sounds. Listen to his songs, figure out where his voice is placed in each song, and practice accordingly. Repeating his rhythms in his songs such as "I Won't last A Day Without You" and "Show and Tell" will improve your vocal ability regarding timing and overall pitch control.
If you're looking to improve your overall vocal performance, Singing Carrots has vocal training tools like Pitch Training, which consists of interactive vocal warm-ups and pitch visualizers. "Sing True" is a great course for learning how to sing in tune or check out their vocal warm-up exercise - Farinelli - this can serve as a great warm-up routine.
Remember, confidence is key! Al Wilson's music was known for being passionate and soulful, and if you want to emulate his style, you need to have as much soul as him. Get into character, practice your performance using Singing Carrots' tips for performing on stage, and let your voice deliver the rest.
Overall, Al Wilson's talent was unique, however, Singing Carrots provides you with the necessary resources to learn singing like Al Wilson. With Singing Carrots' breath control exercises, working on opening up your mouth and throat, and practicing with Vocal Training and other tools like Sing True, you can hone your skills to become a soulful singer like Al Wilson.