Learning to Sing Like Héctor Lavoe

Héctor Lavoe was a salsa singer from Puerto Rico who revolutionized the genre with his unique vocal style. To learn how to sing like Héctor Lavoe, you must first understand the building blocks of his unique sound.

Vocal Registers

Lavoe's signature sound was his ability to transition seamlessly between vocal registers, from chest voice to head voice. To replicate this, you must work on your vocal range and master voice transitioning. Use the Vocal Range Test tool on Singing Carrots to discover your vocal range and practice transitioning between the different registers in Pitch Training.

Phrasing

When Héctor Lavoe sang, he had an almost conversational style, similar to how someone would speak in Spanish. To achieve this unique phrasing, practice singing a song as if you are speaking the lyrics. You can develop this skill through listening exercises of Lavoe's performances and reading texts aloud to understand the rhythmic structure of your native language. Practice singing the famous songs of Héctor Lavoe like El Cantante, a prime example of conversational-style singing.

Emoting

Héctor Lavoe was known for his ability to embody a song's lyrics and convey intense emotion through his singing. To develop this ability, try visualizing and connecting emotionally with the lyrics of a song. Use the tips from the article on Singing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking to understand how emotions trigger the voice. Discover how to interpret a song effectively and express yourself through the lyrics.

Additional advice

As you train your voice, take care to avoid damaging it. Singing Carrots has a plethora of help articles and videos on vocal health and breathing techniques. Learn from the articles on Voice registers and vocal break, and Breath support to prevent injury while singing. Watch videos on posture, chest voice exploration, withholding, and releasing sound, such as Singing Comfort Zone and Good Singing Posture, to learn how to use quick vibrations, grunts, and staccato sounds to develop a unique sound like Lavoe's.

Singing is a journey of self-expression, and finding your unique voice takes time and practice. To improve your skills, train in Singing Carrots, where you can explore articles on Why do you sing out of pitch and How to find your own authentic voice. Sing with confidence, believe in yourself, and enjoy the process of discovering the unique sound that makes you who you are.