Singing Guide: Falsettos
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
If you're a fan of musicals, you've probably heard some of William Finn's work. Falsettos is a Tony Award-winning show by William Finn, which first premiered on Broadway in 1992. The show's score is a beautiful mix of contemporary music and classical elements, making it accessible to singers from many genres.
If you're looking to learn singing like someone from the show, it's best to start with analyzing their vocal technique. Two characters from the show, Whizzer Brown and Marvin, have distinct vocal registers and vocal styles.
To learn to sing like Whizzer, I recommend taking Singing Carrots' vocal range test and then using the pitch training tool to hone your skills. Here are some practical tips to help you develop a clean and clear falsetto voice like Whizzer:
- Practice breathing techniques to support your voice. Check out Singing Carrots' article on breathing basics to learn more.
- Use Singing Carrots' Vocal Pitch Monitor to see your pitch and ensure that you are hitting the correct notes.
- Work on your vowel shape and mouth position when you sing. Singing Carrots has an article on opening your mouth and throat while singing, which can help you produce a clean and clear sound.
- Embark on Singing Carrots' singing course to learn more about your vocal range, how to maintain healthy vocal cords, and how to develop a unique style of singing.
- Learn music theory and how to read sheet music, so you become more confident during performances. See Singing Carrots' article on how to learn a song effectively to learn how to read sheet music and improve your music theory knowledge.
To learn to sing like Marvin, you can use Singing Carrots' vocal range test and pitch training tool. Here are some practical tips to help you develop a rich and raspy chest voice like Marvin:
- Focus on breathing techniques to develop breath control. Singing Carrots' breath support article is a great resource for this part.
- Experiment with resonance and vowel shape to develop a warm, rich sound.
- Work on your chest voice, so you gain confidence and presence. Pay attention to Singing Carrots' voice registers and vocal break article for more information.
- Learn about vocal distortion and growling, which can add an element of grit to your voice. Singing Carrots' vocal distortion and growling article can help you with this.
- Experiment with your sound in different genres, like jazz, pop, or rock.
Finally, one of the best things you can do to learn to sing like the characters from Falsettos is to practice, practice, practice! Singing Carrots' progress statistics feature is an excellent way to monitor your improvement and set goals for yourself.