Singing Guide: Leah McFall
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Singer Leah McFall gained public attention and industry respect after serving as the runner-up on The Voice UK in 2013. Known for her incredible range, the Northern Irish artist's biggest strength is her tone. To learn how to sing like Leah McFall, there are a few techniques, exercises, and songs that are worth considering.
Techniques:
Utilize Twang
Twang is a technique that adds a nasal sound to the voice, and it helps in producing crisp and clean notes. Leah McFall has that crystal-clear tone that is achieved by adding twang, and this makes her sound unique. The how to twang exercise is one of the resources you can use to perfect the technique.
Work on Breath Support
Breath control is essential for all singers, and Leah McFall is no exception. She uses her breath control to sustain long notes and execute difficult runs. The breath support article can give you some insights, or you can explore the exercise of sustaining vocals.
Practice Head Voice
Head voice is crucial for achieving Leah McFall's smooth and effortless high notes. To improve this technique, you can use the chest voice explained exercise, which is also useful for gaining control over your voice register.
Songs:
Only Girl in the World
The Rihanna hit song demands excellent vocal control, precision, and range. Leah McFall's rendition of "Only Girl in the World" showcased her unique voice and amazing range. This song also showcases her impressive head voice technique.
Home
"Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros is another great song to learn to sing like Leah McFall. This song is known for its high notes, which McFall sings while using twang, head voice, and breath control techniques. Moreover, singing this song can improve your overall pitch accuracy, which is assessed by the pitch accuracy test.
Wolf Den
"Wolf Den" is a song by Haley Bonar. The opening is mellow, and it gradually builds up as the song progresses, and Leah McFall nails it. Pay attention to how she shifts between chest and head voice to add dimension and texture to the song. Learning to sing "Wolf Den" can also develop your pitch accuracy and give you a chance to put your vibrato technique to the test, as covered in the singing with vibrato article.
Resources:
In addition to these techniques and songs, there are many more resources on Singing Carrots to help you learn to sing like Leah McFall:
- Educational singing course
- Vocal ranges of famous singers
- Search songs by vocal range
- Vocal range test
- Vocal Pitch Monitor
- Pitch Training - Educational Singing Game
- How to find your own authentic voice
- How to analyze your voice
- Avoiding constrictions
- Voice registers & vocal break
- What are voice registers?
- How to learn a song effectively
- Pop/Jazz vs Classical singing
- Singing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking
- Contemporary vocal techniques: Heavy modal, Twang, Belting
- Vocal distortion & Growling
- Articulation
- Why do we sing out of pitch?
- Resonance in singing
- Vocal health
- How posture affects your singing
- How to overcome stage fright
- Tips for performing on stage