Singing Guide: Bronski Beat
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Bronski Beat is a British synthpop trio that rose to fame during the 80s. Their music had a mix of various styles such as new wave, electronic, and disco. The lead singer of the band, Jimmy Somerville, has a unique voice that is both powerful and emotive. In this article, we will explore how to sing like Jimmy Somerville.
Analyze Your Voice
Before trying to sing like Jimmy Somerville, it's important to understand your voice and what makes it unique. Singing Carrots offers a vocal range test, which is a great tool to determine your vocal range. You can take the test here.
Embrace Your Falsetto
One of the most distinctive features of Jimmy Somerville's voice is his use of falsetto. Falsetto is a singing technique that involves singing in a higher register than your normal singing voice. You can practice your falsetto by humming scales or arpeggios in the upper part of your range. Singing Carrots offers pitch training, which is an educational singing game that can help you with your falsetto. You can access pitch training here.
Practice Breath Support
Breath support is essential for singing like Jimmy Somerville. To improve your breath support, focus on breathing from your diaphragm. Singing Carrots offers a breathing exercise known as the Farinelli breathing exercise, which can help improve your breath control. You can practice the exercise here.
Sing Emotional Songs
Jimmy Somerville is known for his emotionally charged performances, and singing emotional songs can help you channel your emotions while singing. Bronski Beat's most famous song is "Smalltown Boy," which has emotional lyrics and showcases Somerville's unique vocal style. You can find the lyrics and sheet music for "Smalltown Boy" on Singing Carrots' songbook. You can access the songbook here.
Open Your Mouth and Throat
Opening your mouth and throat can improve your tonality and vocal clarity. Singing Carrots offers an article on the importance of opening your mouth and throat while singing, which you can read here. The article also provides practical tips on how to open your mouth and throat while singing.
Use Vibrato
Vibrato is a technique that can add depth and richness to your singing. Singing Carrots offers a video tutorial on how to sing with vibrato, which you can watch here. The video tutorial includes exercises that can help you develop your vibrato technique.
Conclusion
Singing like Jimmy Somerville requires a combination of natural talent, hard work, and practice. By analyzing your voice, embracing your falsetto, practicing breath support, singing emotional songs, opening your mouth and throat, and using vibrato, you can develop a singing style that is just as unique and emotionally charged as Jimmy Somerville's.