Singing Guide: D'Angelo
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
D'Angelo is a neo-soul artist known for his smooth and intricate vocal style. To learn to sing like him, you need to focus on the fundamentals of soul singing, specifically, the power to convey deep emotions through vocal inflection. To do this, you need to master a few basic techniques related to breathing, posture, and vocal control.
The cornerstone of D'Angelo's vocal style is his use of falsetto, which he uses to convey a range of emotions from vulnerability to sensuality. If you're serious about developing your own neo-soul singing style, you should pay close attention to D'Angelo's use of falsetto.
Learn to loosen up your vocal cords and try to sing in a higher register with soft, airy tones. Working on your vocal range will also help you hit more notes and give you the freedom to experiment with your sound.
To improve your vocal control, practice singing with a metronome or a backing track. This will help you get a sense of timing and rhythm and keep your voice from wavering during songs. Also, be sure to practice good breath control, support, and posture. Exercise your diaphragm with vocal warm-ups, such as the Farinelli breathing exercise.
In terms of songs to study, D'Angelo has many hits that showcase his unique vocal style, including Brown Sugar, Lady, and Cruisin. When studying these songs, focus on the nuances of his phrasing, the way he emphasizes certain words, and how he uses his voice to express his emotions.
To support your learning process, you can use various Singing Carrots resources, such as:
- Vocal range test to understand your own vocal range
- Pitch accuracy test to improve pitch control
- Pitch monitor to see your sung notes on a virtual piano
- Pitch training to hone your pitch accuracy through interactive vocal warm-ups
- Song search to find songs matching your vocal range, difficulty, and genre preference
- Artist vocal ranges to discover other famous singers' vocal ranges
- Song-book to create your performance set and get linked lyrics, sheet music, chords, karaoke and YouTube audio
- Vocal health tips in the blog
- Singing course – 21 lessons to master the basics of singing
By using these Singing Carrots resources, you can get a broader insight into singing, improve your vocal range, accuracy and overall performance, and develop an effective practice routine.
In conclusion, to learn to sing like D'Angelo, you need to focus on mastering the basics of soul singing, studying his unique style and developing your own vocal inflection. Be attentive to nuances in his songs and experiment with your voice. Don't forget to practice good breath and posture, and back up your learning process by using Singing Carrots' resources. Good luck and happy singing!