Singing Guide: Kevin Ross
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Kevin Ross is an American R&B singer-songwriter. With his wide vocal range, he creates music that is driven by a mix of pop melodies, R&B grooves, and folk-inspired storytelling. Ross is popularly known for his cover of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me," which went viral on Facebook and Twitter in 2015, and earned praise from Smith himself.
If you want to learn to sing like Kevin Ross, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, his signature style is built upon falsetto and head voice. So, to sing like him, you need to develop your head voice and practice singing in falsetto.
A few exercises that can help you develop your head voice is the "chest to head voice slide" and "Humming before pitch." Good Singing Posture is essential to project your voice. Keeping good posture while singing ensures your throat is free from obstruction, allowing you to hit those high notes.
Another essential aspect of Ross's singing is his use of vibrato - a musical effect produced by slight variations in pitch. You can train your vibrato using the "Beggars Bounce" or "Diaphragm Bounce" exercises. Ross's unique vibrato technique is evident in his cover of "My girl." Then, if you want to work on improving your breath control and support, the "Farinelli Breathing" exercise will help you coordinate your breath while singing.
To enhance your singing in Ross' style, it's necessary to master your vocal dexterity and proper breath support. Ensure that you imbibe the correct breathing techniques, such as "Active and Passive breathing," "Breath support and Respiration," and open mouth and throat techniques. Because of his rich voice texture, resonators are a must-have in singing like Kevin Ross. Here, resonance in singing is essential.
Singing "Chest voice Explained" or "Voice Break" by Ross can help understand his way of hitting the high notes.
Adding dynamics to your singing is also crucial if you want to sound like Ross. A soft palate technique called "Stop Sounding Nasal" will help you execute high notes smoothly without sounding nasal. A wrong approach will make a higher note sound forced.
While mastering your singing techniques, it would be best to learn a few songs by Kevin Ross.
Some of his songs that highlight his R&B style and vocal technique are "Don't Go" and "Long Song Away." They showcase his vocal range and creative use of melodies. Once you've built up your skills, you can use the "Vocal Pitch Monitor" to see your sung notes on a virtual piano.
Attending an educational singing course, such as the one offered by Singing Carrots, will help you learn vocal scales, training techniques, and the dos and don'ts of singing.
Overall, if you want to sing like Kevin Ross, it's essential to focus on your head voice and falsetto, develop your vibrato technique, practice good breathing and support technique, add dynamics to your singing, and learn Kevin Ross's songs. Happy singing!