Singing Guide: Kim Carnes

Singing Guide: Kim Carnes

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

Kim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter who gained popularity in the early 80s with her hit song "Bette Davis Eyes". Her signature gravelly voice and distinct vocal style has since inspired many aspiring singers. In this article, we'll explore how you can learn to sing like Kim Carnes.

One of the key features of Kim Carnes's vocal technique is her use of vocal fry. Vocal fry refers to a low, crackling vocal quality that is often used to emphasize certain parts of a song. To develop this technique, start by exhaling and making a "sizzle" sound with your voice. Gradually lower the pitch until you're producing a low, popping sound in the back of your throat. Keep practicing until you can produce this sound effortlessly.

Another element of Kim Carnes's vocal style is her use of vibrato. Vibrato is the natural fluctuation of pitch in a singing voice that gives it a rich, expressive quality. To develop your vibrato, start by practicing long, sustained notes. Focus on sustaining the note as smoothly as possible while gradually adding a slight wobble to your pitch. A good resource to hone this skill is the Singing Carrots' video on Singing with Vibrato.

In order to sing like Kim Carnes, it's also important to pay attention to your breath control and articulation. Focus on keeping your breath diaphragmatic and your chest and throat open to avoid constriction while singing. Follow Singing Carrots' advice on breathing basics and breath support to strengthen your control of your breath while singing.

Kim Carnes is also known for her songwriting ability and lyricism in her songs. To capture her emotive style, consider how you can effectively connect with the lyrics of your song. Check out Singing Carrots' article on singing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking to learn more.

To showcase Kim Carnes's signature vocals, consider trying to emulate her hits. Songs like "Bette Davis Eyes", "Draw of the Cards", and "Crazy in the Night" are good examples of her unique style. You can search for songs by vocal range on Singing Carrots' song search tool to find tunes that complement your vocal range and difficulty level.

Overall, Kim Carnes's signature vocal style is a combination of vocal fry, vibrato, breath control, and emotive lyricism. By practicing these techniques and incorporating them into your singing, you can learn to sing like Kim Carnes. Don't forget to continuously monitor your progress with Singing Carrots' progress statistics tool, and enroll in their singing course for a comprehensive guide on foundational singing techniques.

Learn more about this artist vocal range, voice type and repertoire.