Singing Guide: Chaka Khan
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
How to Sing Like Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan is a music icon, known for her dynamic voice, soulful melodies and exceptional vocal range. Her music style encompasses funk, R&B, rock, jazz, pop, and hip hop. Singing like Chaka Khan requires a lot of practice and control to master her unique vocal style.
Vocal Technique
One of the defining unique features of Chaka Khan's vocal technique is her use of vibrato. Vibrato is the rapid variation of pitch between high and low tones. It adds a sense of depth and emotion to her voice. Chaka Khan also uses a lot of belting and head voice, especially in her higher vocal range. She has a great control of her breath that enables her to maintain power and control over her voice.
Songs to Sing
- Sweet Thing
- Through the Fire
- Ain't Nobody
- I'm Every Woman
- I Feel For You
Practice Tips
If you want to sing like Chaka Khan, breathing exercises like Farinelli breathing, as demonstrated in the vocal exercise video here, can help develop breath control, strength, and flexibility. You can train your voice to match her belting technique by practicing with vocal exercises for chest voice and head voice as demonstrated in the video here.
Work on your vibrato by practicing songs that are challenging but still within your vocal range. Singing exercises like the Pitch Training tool and using the Vocal Pitch Monitor can help develop a strong sense of pitch and control. Refer to the following blog posts on Singing Carrots to learn and understand more about a few of the concepts intrinsic to Chaka Khan's style:
Conclusion
With enough practice and time, you can learn to sing like Chaka Khan. Focus on breath control, using vibrato, and developing your belting and head voice. Practice regularly with the recommended vocal exercises, use Singing Carrots resources to understand more about the specifics of Chaka Khan's vocal technique, and incorporate her signature songs into your practice routine.