Learning to Sing Like Charles Trenet - Tips, Techniques, and Resources

If you're looking to learn to sing like Charles Trenet, you have chosen one of the most versatile and unique voices of his time. Born on May 18, 1913, in Narbonne, France, Trenet was a jack of all trades, mastering singing, songwriting, and performing. His songs were romantic, playful, imaginative, and sophisticated, which won the hearts of millions of fans worldwide. Achieving his unique style requires perseverance, passion, and the right tools. In this article, we present you with practical advice, vocal exercises, Singing Carrots resources, and examples of his songs to help you learn to sing like Charles Trenet.

1. Master French Vocal Articulation

French is a rich and expressive language, and mastering its articulation is essential to sing like Charles Trenet. To do that, follow the advice of our article on articulation here. Learn to form French vowels and consonants effortlessly and with good resonance. Practice "rounding" your lips, which is a special technique to achieve a "Chanteur franco-francais" style.

2. Achieve a Sweet, Smooth Chest Voice

Charles Trenet's voice is notable for its warm, gentle, and velvety quality. His songs don't have any belting or screaming high notes like modern pop songs, but instead, they showcase his smooth and enchanting vocal range. Singing in your chest voice will give you the same quality. Use the tips in our articles on vocal registers and chest voice here, here and on the singing comfort zone exercise here.

3. Use Emotion Control

Charles Trenet's songs are emotionally sincere and charming, with perfect control over phrasing and diction. Use the tips in our article on singing with emotion here to convey the meaning of his songs. Practice the relaxing breath exercise here and sustain vocals exercise here, which will help you achieve a comfortable and relaxed singing style.

4. Perfect the Twang and Vibrato Technique

Charles Trenet's voice has a distinct vibrato that gives his songs a unique color. Use our video tutorial on vibrato exercise here to train this technique. To add more magic to your voice, incorporate the twang technique. Check out our video tutorial on twang exercises here. These techniques require practice to perfect, but once you master them, you'll be able to sing many of Charles Trenet's songs and add them to your own repertoire.

5. Sing Like a Francophile

Singing like Charles Trenet means you need to sing with a French twist. To do that, find songs that are uniquely French and make them your own. Check out the songs of Charles Trenet here and practice singing them.

6. Utilize Singing Carrots Resources

Singing Carrots has created wonderful tools and exercises to help you perfect your singing skills. Make sure to take our vocal range test here to identify your vocal range. Use our pitch accuracy test here to assess your pitch accuracy. Use our vocal pitch monitor here to see your sung notes on a virtual piano. Utilize our pitch training course here to train your pitch accuracy.