Singing Guide: Cold Mountain
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Cold Mountain is an American bluegrass and old-time music band known for their captivating harmonies and unique blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. If you’re looking to learn how to sing like Cold Mountain, there are a few key techniques used by the band that you’ll want to focus on.
First and foremost, Cold Mountain is all about harmony. Their signature sound is achieved through tight harmonies and a focus on blending voices. To achieve this, it’s important to practice your ear training and work on matching pitches with others. Singing along to vocal harmonies in popular songs and practicing a cappella singing can also help you develop your ear and sense of harmony.
Another important element of Cold Mountain’s sound is their use of vocal phrasing. They often use unconventional rhythms and syncopated beats to create a unique sense of melody. To achieve this, it’s important to work on your sense of rhythm and practice singing with a metronome. Pay attention to the phrasing and timing used in Cold Mountain’s songs, and practice incorporating similar rhythms and syncopation into your own singing.
Cold Mountain also uses a variety of vocal techniques to achieve their unique sound. They often incorporate yodeling and other vocal effects into their music, as well as using extended vocal techniques like vocal fry and falsetto. To achieve these effects, it’s important to practice proper breath control and vocal technique, so that you can execute these sounds without damaging your vocal cords.
Finally, it’s important to choose songs that showcase Cold Mountain’s unique vocal style. Some great choices include “Red Rocking Chair,” “Wayfaring Stranger,” and “Oh Death.”
To hone your singing skills and achieve Cold Mountain’s distinctive sound, Singing Carrots offers helpful resources such as the vocal range test, pitch accuracy test, and pitch visualizer, warm-up exercises such as Farinelli Breathing and 3 Minute Warm Up, and a singing course that covers theory, tips and practical tasks. Make the most of these resources to improve your singing technique and expand your vocal range, so you can start singing like Cold Mountain today!