How to Learn Singing like Herbie Hancock

Herbert Jeffrey Hancock, also known as Herbie Hancock, is a legendary composer and pianist best known for his innovation in jazz music. His career spans over five decades, during which he received 14 Grammy Awards, including for Album of the Year (1984).

What makes Herbie Hancock unique is his ability to blend modern jazz and electronic music, while improvising and experimenting with harmony and rhythm. In this article, we will explore the essential techniques that can help you sing like Herbie Hancock, and showcase some of his songs that demonstrate his style.

Essential Techniques

Ear Training

Herbie Hancock's music is a blend of improvisation and experimentation with harmony and rhythm. To sing like Herbie Hancock, you need to develop your ear-training skills. One of the best tools to aid you in this technique is the Singing Carrots pitch accuracy test.

Improvisation

A key element of Herbie Hancock's songs is his improvisation, where he experiments with harmony, rhythm and melody. To develop your improvisation skills, try Singing Carrots' pitch-monitor tool. This tool displays the notes you are singing on a virtual piano, helping you improve your improvisation skills while singing.

Technology

Herbie Hancock was one of the pioneers in combining jazz with electronic music. To learn the technology he uses, try the Singing Carrots pitch-training tool. This tool includes interactive vocal warm-ups and exercises for range and agility, which can help you improve your ability to sing like Herbie Hancock.

Showcase Songs

Watermelon Man

"Watermelon Man" is a classic Herbie Hancock song that showcases his unique style. The song's melody is based on a blues progression, and Herbie's improvisation experiments with rhythm and harmony, giving the song a funky feel. You can use Singing Carrots' song-search tool to find songs of a similar level to Watermelon Man.

Chameleon

"Chameleon" is a complex song that showcases Herbie Hancock's ability to blend jazz and electronic music. The song features a funk beat and synthesized sounds, with Herbie improvising over the top, adding to the composition. To learn how to sing like Herbie Hancock in "Chameleon," try Singing Carrots' song-book tool, which links lyrics, sheet music, chords, karaoke tracks and YouTube audio for your convenience.

Practical Advice

To learn how to sing like Herbie Hancock, we suggest the following:

• Listen and analyze Herbie Hancock's music to develop your ear-training skills.
• Experiment with improvisation and different harmonies
• Use Singing Carrots resources such as the pitch-monitor, pitch-training tool and the song-book to hone your skills.

Now that you know the essential techniques to sing like Herbie Hancock, start practicing and experimenting with your favorite songs. With time, you can develop your skills and become the best version of yourself as a musician.