Singing Guide: Engelbert Humperdinck
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Engelbert Humperdinck, also known as the "King of Romance," has been known for his signature deep and velvety voice for over five decades. His style, boasting treacly ballads and crooning love anthems, has made him one of the most successful British performers of his career. Learning to sing like Engelbert Humperdinck can be a great way to not only master his smooth tones but can also help fine-tune your own vocal style.
One thing that sets Humperdinck apart from other performers of his time is his ability to add a deeper and richer tone to his songs. Listening to classic Humperdinck material such as "Please Release Me" and "After The Lovin" you will notice that he possesses a unique ability to project emotions through his singing. This is done through accurate pitch control and the use of the right vocal techniques that accurately convey the sentiment of the song. To start emulating Engelbert Humperdinck’s style, one of the most important things to learn is how to use various voice registers, specifically the ‘chest voice’ and ‘head voice’ and how to transition between them.
To imitate his smooth and authentic sound, it's important to warm up properly before trying to sing in his style. The Farinelli breathing exercise can be used as a warm-up to open and control the air passages. There are plenty of breathing exercises and vocal warm-ups you can find in Singing Carrots’ Pitch Training section.
Learning some of the icon's most famous hits can help with developing technique. Songs such as "Release Me" and "The Last Waltz" are great examples to start with when practicing how to heighten and lower your vocal range and the use of dynamics. Singing with emotion and feeling is also an important technique in reaching Humperdinck's level of performance. Humming is a great way to improve respiration, which can help you strengthen your vocal cords, open your throat, and increase the range of your voice.
To learn more about voice registers, breathing techniques, warm-up routines, and specific exercises that can help you sing like Engelbert Humperdinck, check out the Singing Carrots’ resources provided in this prompt. Use Singing Carrots in your daily training routine, and with enough practice, you may find yourself singing with the same deep emotional resonance and romantic style as the King of Romance himself.