Singing Guide: Greenwich Village Follies of 1924

Singing Guide: Greenwich Village Follies of 1924

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

When it comes to singing, the name that comes to mind is Ruth Etting. Fans of the "Roaring Twenties" are familiar with her work, as she became one of the most celebrated singers during that time. Her delicate voice had a remarkable ability to emote and connect with listeners, earning her prestigious titles such as "America's Sweetheart of Song." Here's how to learn singing like Ruth Etting.

To understand Ruth Etting's unique vocal technique, one must begin with her intimate and emotional delivery. It means that pronunciation and tone are critical. In her song "Love Me Or Leave Me," her voice gently stresses the 'L' when singing, "Love me or leave me and let me be lonely." This technique adds a sense of gloom and passion to the song. It is advisable to listen to Ruth Etting's music and observe her vocal inflections and how she delivers them.

Another critical aspect of Ruth Etting's voice is her vibrato. She utilized vibrato to establish the emotional, melodic, and lyrical qualities of her music. "Shine on Harvest Moon" is a classic example of how she uses vibrato in her singing. Her voice warbles on the high notes, creating a hauntingly beautiful effect. Vocal Warm-up exercises like "Beggars Bounce" and "Diaphragm Bounce" can help train your vibrato.

Ruth Etting's flawless voice control is impressive. One can hear the seamless transitions between registers in her songs. She understands the power of utilizing different vocal registers in the same song. For example, in her rendition of "You're The Cream in My Coffee," she performs an unexpected "belt" with operatic quality and transits to her falsetto in a few seconds. Practice videos such as "Voice Break," and "Mixed Voice" from Singing Carrots are excellent resources to improve vocal breaks and voice registers.

Another excellent way to learn singing tips from Ruth Etting is to perform her famous songs such as "Ten Cents a Dance." It is a challenging piece because of its intricate melody, but it's also rewarding. Ruth Etting's rendition is a perfect representation of how to sing with authenticity, skill, emotion, and thinking.

To improve one's overall singing abilities, Singing Carrots offers a plethora of resources, including Vocal Range Test, Pitch Accuracy Test, Vocal Pitch Monitor, Pitch Training - Educational Singing Game, Song Search, Artist Vocal Ranges, Educational Singing Course, and Progress Statistics. Also, Singing Carrots provides educational articles that address various singing topics from breathing to nasality, such as "Breathing Basics," "Why do we sing out of pitch," and "Nasality."

In conclusion, if you want to learn singing like Ruth Etting, listen to her music, and take advantage of the many Singing Carrots resources to enhance your vocal technique. With practice and dedication, anyone can develop and refine their singing abilities and potentially become the next Ruth Etting.

Learn more about this artist vocal range, voice type and repertoire.