Singing Guide: Lissie

Singing Guide: Lissie

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

Learning to Sing like Lissie

Lissie is an American singer-songwriter known for her powerful voice, energetic performances, and passionate interpretation of various genres, including folk, rock, pop, and country. Her unique vocal technique combines breathy tones, raspy growls, and powerful belts, conveying a wide range of emotions from vulnerability to anger to joy. Learning to sing like Lissie can help you develop similar skills in breathing, articulation, pitch, dynamics, and expression while finding your own authentic voice.

Vocal Range and Voice Type

Lissie has a wide vocal range of 3.5 octaves spanning from F#3 to C#7, according to the Singing Carrots Vocal Range Test. Her voice type is mezzo-soprano, which means her voice has a natural balance of low and high pitches with a warm timbre and a powerful chest register that can handle emotional weight and fullness.

Breathing Basics

To sing like Lissie, you need to have proper breathing techniques that support your voice and express your emotions. Lissie emphasizes the importance of active and passive breathing in her live performances, interviews, and Singing Carrots Blog article. Active breathing involves inhaling deeply through your nose, expanding your ribcage, and engaging your diaphragm to control the air flow and intensity of your voice. Passive breathing involves exhaling gently through your mouth, relaxing your ribcage, and letting gravity help you release tension in your neck, shoulders, and jaw. Practicing breathing exercises such as Farinelli Breathing can help you build stamina, phrasing, and expression in your singing.

Singing Technique

Lissie's voice is characterized by several unique vocal techniques that enhance her performance style, including heavy modal, twang, belting, growling, and vibrato. These techniques require proper breath support, open mouth and throat, articulation, and coordination, which you can learn and practice using Singing Carrots educational materials. Here are some examples of Lissie's singing techniques and how to develop them:

  • Heavy Modal: This technique involves adding weight and depth to your voice by using the full capacity of your chest register and the natural resonance of your head and throat. Lissie uses this technique in her rock and country-inspired songs such as "Shameless" and "Feels Good".
  • Twang: This technique involves narrowing your vocal tract and adding a bright, nasal sound to your voice, which can add clarity and energy to your singing. Lissie uses this technique in her folk and pop-inspired songs such as "When I'm Alone" and "All Be Okay".
  • Belting: This technique involves singing in your full voice range with power and intensity, which can convey a sense of vulnerability, urgency, or strength. Lissie uses this technique in her rock and pop-inspired songs such as "Don't You Give Up On Me" and "Best Days".
  • Growling: This technique involves adding a guttural, distorted sound to your voice by using your false vocal folds, which can add grit and edginess to your singing. Lissie uses this technique in her rock and blues-inspired songs such as "In Sleep" and "Record Collector".
  • Vibrato: This technique involves adding a gentle, fluctuating pitch to your sustained notes, which can add warmth and expressiveness to your singing. Lissie uses this technique in her ballads and folk-inspired songs such as "Blood and Muscle" and "In My Life".

Song Selection

To fully understand and practice Lissie's singing technique, you need to choose songs that showcase her unique style and challenges. Some of Lissie's best-known songs that can help you practice her singing techniques are:

  • "When I'm Alone": This song features Lissie's use of twang, dynamics, and vibrato.
  • "Shameless": This song features Lissie's use of heavy modal, chest voice, and dynamics.
  • "Don't You Give Up On Me": This song features Lissie's use of belting, mixed voice, and dynamics.
  • "In Sleep": This song features Lissie's use of growling, breath control, and dynamics.

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