Singing Guide: Lena Horne
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Lena Horne was a legendary American jazz singer, actress, and civil rights activist. Horne was known for her incredible voice, which seamlessly blended jazz, blues, and pop. Her unique way of performing with her low tone and without any vibrato, created an unparalleled sense of intimacy and vulnerability in her music.
If you want to learn how to sing like Lena Horne, these are the top vocal elements to focus on:
Vocal Range:
Lena Horne's vocal range has been described as mezzo-soprano with a range from G3 to F5. Singing Carrots provides a vocal range test to determine your vocal range. It's important to know your vocal range when trying to produce music. By continually doing the vocal range test you can monitor your reaching grow and vocal range.
Singing Technique:
One of Lena Horne's unique vocal technique was performing in a low tone and without any vibrato. Emulating her vocals is not limited to these techniques only but incorporating these techniques will help singers get the Lena Horne sound. There are several exercises in the Singing Carrot's Pitch Training module that will help singers to refine their singing mechanism and help them develop their authentic sound.
Breathing Techniques:
One of the key elements in Lena Horne's singing is the control of her breath. Controlled breathing provides optimal vocal support for a vocalist. There are several videos on Singing Carrots that speak to breath control to enhance a singer's technique.
Articulation:
A great performer like Lena Horne sings in a way that every word counts and is heard. Articulation is key to the delivery of an excellent performance. One of the best exercises for articulation practiced by Lena Horne is the Finger Bite exercise which can be found in Singing Carrot's articulation module.
Phrasing:
Lena Horne mastered the skill of Phrasing in her singing, which is delivering the lyrics in a really clean way and conveying the message of the song. To learn how to sing like Lena Horne it is important to develop this skill. The module on learning effectively in Singing Carrots will guide you on how to perfect this.
Songs:
Some of Lena Horne's popular songs that showcase her unique vocal technique are "Stormy Weather," "Love Me or Leave Me," and "The Lady is a Tramp." It's important to listen, study and practice the songs to emulate the singer's unique style.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Lena Horne's unique vocal technique and style has made her an icon in the jazz music world. Developing good singing habits that focus on breathing techniques, articulation, phrasing and understanding your vocal range among other techniques explained in this article, is essential to achieving the Lena Horne sound. Singing Carrots provides artists with a great resource to discover their unique stylistic abilities and grow their skills with an educational singing course, pitch and range tests, vocal pitch monitoring, and search engines for songs and artists.