Singing Guide: Bobby McFerrin
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
If you want to learn how to sing like Bobby McFerrin, there are a few techniques you should focus on.
One of McFerrin's unique abilities is his use of vocal percussion. He is known for using his voice to produce a variety of sounds, including beats and rhythms. To master this technique, try practicing basic syllables like "bop" and "doo" while tapping out a beat. You can also experiment with making different sounds and rhythms with your mouth and voice.
Another important technique to practice is scat singing, which is when you use nonsense syllables to improvise melodies. McFerrin is a master of this technique, and it's one of the reasons his performances are so impressive. To improve your scatting skills, start by experimenting with different sounds and syllables. You can also try singing along with recordings of McFerrin's scat solos to get a sense of the style and rhythm.
Finally, make sure you're working on your overall vocal technique. Bobby McFerrin has a beautiful singing voice, and he's able to convey a wide range of emotions through his singing. Focus on breathing deeply from your diaphragm and supporting your voice with proper breath control. You may also want to work with a vocal coach to develop your singing voice and improve your overall technique.
For more resources on developing your singing voice, check out the Singing Carrots pitch training, which includes vocal warm-ups, exercises for range and agility, and a pitch visualizer. In addition, Singing Carrots offers interactive singing games and you can even search songs by vocal range! For further education and training, check out Singing Carrots' educational singing course. If you want to learn more about famous singers' vocal ranges, please view vocal ranges of famous singers on the Singing Carrots website.
You may also find it helpful to review the following resources:
- How to learn a song effectively
- Educational singing course
- Vocal ranges of famous singers
- Pitch Training - Educational Singing Game
- Vocal range test
- Vocal Pitch Monitor
- Search songs by vocal range
- Pitch accuracy test
You may also find the following videos helpful:
- Warm-up/Practice-starter: Farinelli Breathing
- Warm-up/Practice-starter: Twang Exercise
- Warm-up/Practice-starter: Growling Exercise
- Warm-up/Practice-starter: Vibrato Exercise
- Chest Voice Explained
- Glottal Onset
- Finger Bite - Articulation
- 3 Minute Warm Up
- Good Singing Posture
- Relaxing Breath - Emotion-control/Performing
- Sustain Vocal - Breath/Sustain
- Twang Exercise - Chest Voice/Voice Registers
- Voice Break - Voice Registers/Mixed Voice
- Mixed Voice - Voice Registers/Mixed Voice/Voice Break
- Stop Sounding Nasal - Nasality
- Soft Palate - Nasality
- Stage Tips - Performing