Singing Guide: Desmond O'Connor
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Desmond O'Connor's Vocal Style
Desmond O'Connor is a fantastic singer with a dreamy voice that can make anyone swoon. His unique vocal technique includes a smooth falsetto and a warm timbre that delivers his poetic songs with a gentle touch. To learn to sing like Desmond O'Connor, you need to develop your falsetto and practice singing with a delicate vibrato. Here are some practical tips and resources to help you master his vocal style.
Vocal Range Test
Before you start, it is essential to know your vocal range. Singing Carrots has created an easy-to-use Vocal Range Test to help you identify your range and compare it to Desmond O'Connor. This test will assess your lowest and highest notes and give you a range classification. You can take the test here.
Falsetto
Desmond O'Connor's falsetto is delicate and hypnotic. To develop your falsetto, you should start by practicing breathing exercises to support your voice. Singing Carrots' Breath Support article can help you learn the right breathing techniques. You can also try the Farinelli Breathing exercise here.
Once you feel comfortable with your breath support, try humming exercises to prepare your head voice. Singing Carrots' Humming video guides you through an excellent warm-up exercise here.
As you improve your head voice, start to practice your falsetto in ascending sirens. Do not push your voice. Instead, focus on a smooth and relaxed transition from chest voice to falsetto. Desmond O'Connor showcases this skill in his song "The Writer," which is a great example of falsetto technique.
Vibrato
A delicate vibrato is a crucial element of Desmond O'Connor's vocal style. To learn vibrato, start with some exercises. You can use the Beggars Bounce or the Diaphragm Bounce exercises on Singing Carrots' Vibrato video. You can find them here.
Remember, vibrato is a natural occurrence in the voice that happens when the diaphragm and abdominal muscles work in coordination. To improve your vibrato, practice singing with a relaxed throat and an open mouth, as detailed in Singing Carrots' Open Mouth & Throat article here.
Desmond O'Connor's song "Kiss Me" is an excellent example of his vibrato technique.
Additional Singing Carrots resources
Singing Carrots has many resources to help you develop your singing skills:
- Pitch accuracy test: Test your pitch accuracy and improve your skills.
- Vocal Pitch Monitor: Use the monitor to see your notes displayed on a virtual piano.
- Pitch Training - Educational Singing Game: Play interactive games to improve your pitch skills.
- Search songs by vocal range: Find songs that match your vocal range, difficulty level, and genre preference.
- Vocal ranges of famous singers: Discover the vocal ranges of over 5000 famous singers.
- Educational singing course: A 21-lesson program covering singing theory and practical tips.
Conclusion
Desmond O'Connor has a unique vocal style that requires mastery of falsetto and vibrato skills. Developing your falsetto and practicing vibrato exercises are key components to learn this singer's style. Remember to use Singing Carrots' resources to help you on your journey. Happy singing!