Singing Guide: Hair

Singing Guide: Hair

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

If you're a fan of '60s rock, soul, and musicals, you can't miss the unique style of Hair. This iconic musical propelled hits like "Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine," and "Let the Sunshine In" into the mainstream, and popularized the flower children movement.

Learning to sing like the stars of Hair involves mastering their bohemian intonation, upbeat rhythm, breathy tone, and fearless improvisation. Here's how you can get started:

  • Voice Analysis - First things first, it's important to analyze your voice and understand what voice type you have. Take the Singing Carrots vocal range test to determine your range like the Hair singers.
  • Breathing and warm-ups - Breathing is the foundation of singing, and Hair is no exception. Learn the basics of breath support, active and passive breathing with the Singing Carrots breathing basics article. Practice the Farinelli breathing exercise to prepare for singing.
  • Articulation and Intonation - Mastering the bohemian and hippie intonation is key to nailing Hair's vocal style. Improve your articulation with the Finger Bite exercise and vocalize the major and minor intervals with the Pitch accuracy test.
  • Improve your tone - Hair features a lot of breathiness in the vocals. Follow the tips in the Open Mouth and Throat article for improving your tone and learning the Head and Falsetto vocal registers.
  • Songs for practice - Hair features several signature songs that showcase the unique vocal style of the cast members. Listen to the original recording of "Aquarius," which features a 3-part harmony. Sing along to "Easy to be Hard," which will help you find your natural voice and improve your phrasing.
  • Improvise! - Hair is known for its improvised segments. Play around with your vocal expression with the Pitch Training game to help you explore and achieve more fluid vocalizations.
  • Recommended videos - Watch the Soft Palate video to learn how to overcome nasality and sound less twangy. To practice chest voice, watch the Chest Voice Explained video.
  • Final tips - Use Singing Carrots' song search tools to find songs matching your vocal range and genre preferences, or create your set-list with the Song Book feature. The Singing for Beginners course offers 21-essential lessons of singing theory and practical tips to improve your vocal technique and technique-building. Finally, use the Progress Statistics feature to track your development over time.

That's it! With these tips, you can dive into learning Hair songs and explore your bohemian, flower-power side.

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