Singing Guide: Jimmie Vaughan
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Jimmie Vaughan is a blues and rock guitarist and singer known for his soulful voice and unique guitar playing influenced by Freddie King, Buddy Guy, and Albert Collins.
If you're interested in learning to sing like Jimmie Vaughan, it's important to focus on developing your blues and rock vocal style while also incorporating his signature soulful quality. Here are some tips to help you achieve that sound:
Practice your breathing technique: Before you begin singing, start with a few deep breaths to open up your lungs and diaphragm. Focus on breathing from your diaphragm instead of your chest, which allows for more powerful and sustained notes.
Experiment with phrasing: Jimmie Vaughan often uses a syncopated vocal style with unexpected pauses and emphases on particular words or syllables, giving his singing a unique rhythm and flow. Play around with different phrasing techniques to capture this signature style.
Use your vibrato: Jimmie Vaughan is known for his smooth, soulful vibrato. Practice using a vibrato in your own singing, focusing on starting the note cleanly and then adding a gentle, natural vibrato for added warmth and depth.
Emphasize emotion in your singing: Jimmie Vaughan's singing is notable for its emotional depth and raw intensity. Don't be afraid to pour your own emotions into your performance, really feeling each word and note as you sing.
Choose the right songs: To really capture Jimmie Vaughan's sound, it's important to pick songs that showcase his unique vocal style. Some great songs to start with include "Dengue Woman Blues," "Roll, Roll, Roll," and "I'm Leaving You."
To help you on your journey to learning to sing like Jimmie Vaughan, Singing Carrots offers a range of resources to support your learning. Try our vocal range test to determine the best keys for your singing style, experiment with the pitch accuracy test to assess your pitch accuracy, and use the Vocal Pitch Monitor to see your sung notes on a virtual piano. Take advantage of our Pitch Training and Songbook tools for further practice and inspiration, and learn more about contemporary vocal techniques in our article on Contemporary Vocal Techniques and Heavy Modal, Twang, and Belting. Finally, improve your vocal health with tips in our article on Vocal Health: Prevent Damage with Healthy Habits.
By following these tips and using Singing Carrots' resources, you'll be well on your way to learning to sing like Jimmie Vaughan and developing your own unique vocal style in the process.