Singing Guide: Clarice Taylor

Singing Guide: Clarice Taylor

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

Clarice Taylor was an African American actress and singer, who found great success in Broadway, film, and television. Her unique style of singing focused on commanding the stage through her powerful presence and emotional depth. If you're looking to learn how to sing like Clarice Taylor, here are some tips and resources to get you started.

Vocal Technique

One of the defining characteristics of Clarice Taylor’s vocal style was her ability to convey deep emotions through her powerful voice. To learn how to do this for yourself, consider working on the following points:

  • Breath Control: Mastering your breath control is crucial to achieving the kind of sustained, heart-felt notes that Taylor was so good at delivering. Check out SingingCarrots' helpful article on Breath Support for tips and exercises.
  • Vibrato: Vibrato is an important tool in any singer's arsenal, and Taylor was no exception. Work on mastering your vibrato with the breathing and warm-up exercises found in this SingingCarrots resource on Singing with Vibrato.
  • Emotional Control: Taylor's powerful performances hinged on her ability to convey deep emotions through her voice. To get in touch with your own emotions and learn how to channel them through your voice, check out this SingingCarrots article on Singing with Intuition, Skills, Emotion, and Thinking.

Songs

To get a better sense of Taylor's vocal style, listen to some of her signature songs. "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" showcases Taylor's ability to reach deep into the soul of a song and deliver a truly powerful performance. "High Hopes" is another great example of how Taylor's commanding stage presence can bring a song to life. Finally, check out "Take the "A" Train," which highlights Taylor's ability to sing in a jazzy, upbeat style.

Singing Resources

To further refine your singing skills and hone in on Taylor's particular style, take advantage of the wealth of resources available on SingingCarrots:

With these resources, you'll be well on your way to learning to sing like Clarice Taylor!

Learn more about this artist vocal range, voice type and repertoire.