Singing Guide: Holly Humberstone
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Holly Humberstone is a contemporary English singer and songwriter known for her soft, melancholy tunes and emotive, yet polished vocals. Her unique sound is characterized by her airy, delicate voice, often layered with anthemic choruses and raw, relatable lyrics. In this article, we will explore Holly’s vocal technique and discuss how to develop similar skills, as well as recommend some of her best tracks and resources from Singing Carrots.
Breath Control and Support
One of the key elements of Holly’s technique is breath control and support, allowing her to produce long, sustained notes that showcase the sheer beauty of her voice. To achieve this, it’s essential to master proper breathing technique, which involves taking deep, diaphragmatic breaths and engaging the intercostal muscles to control the flow of air. Check out Singing Carrots’ article on Breathing Basics and the Farinelli Breathing Exercise for more guidance on how to master breath control and support.
Opening the Mouth
Another hallmark of Holly Humberstone’s singing is the way she opens her mouth and throat while she sings. By doing so, she ensures that the sound resonates fully and is delivered with maximum impact. For practical advice on mouth and throat opening, as well as exercises to improve this skill, check out Singing Carrots’ blog post on the Importance of Opening Mouth and Throat while Singing.
Vocal Warmups and Practice
To develop Holly’s distinct sound, it’s important to set a warm-up routine and practice regularly. Singing Carrots’ Pitch Training tool and Vocal Range Test can both be incorporated into your daily practice, allowing you to work on accuracy and range. The Heavy Modal, Twang, and Belting vocal techniques used in Holly’s vocals are also taught in Singing Carrots’ educational singing course.
Notable Tracks
To further develop your skills, we recommend taking a closer look at some of Holly’s most notable tracks. These include:
- Falling Asleep at the Wheel : This track showcases Holly's voice higher range.
- Overkill: This song highlights her belting technique and creating emotional impact through word pronunciation.
- Deep End: This track shows her prominence in hitting high notes and sounding more present in the mix.
By taking inspiration from the techniques and emotional delivery of Holly Humberstone’s music and using the resources provided by Singing Carrots, you can develop the skills necessary to create your version of the melancholic, yet polished contemporary sound she is known for.