Singing Guide: Loggins & Messina

Singing Guide: Loggins & Messina

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

Loggins & Messina is an acoustic folk rock duo, famous for their harmony singing, intricate guitar work, and creative arrangements. To emulate their style, one needs to master the following techniques:

Vocal Techniques:

  1. Harmony singing: L&M's vocal harmonies are intricate and tight, elevating the melody with countermelodies. To learn harmony singing, use this Supportive Harmony tutorial and this 10 Tips For Singing Harmony.
  2. Breath control: To sing Loggins & Messina's songs, one needs to have comfortable breath control. Apply this Breath Control guide to start.
  3. Vibrato: Vibrato is an important element of L&M's singing style. The song "Angry Eyes" is a good example of their use of vibrato. Learn how to create and control your vibrato with these exercises: Beggars Bounce and Diaphragm Bounce

Guitar Techniques:

  1. Strumming and fingerpicking: Loggins & Messina's guitar parts blend intricate fingerpicking with nuanced strumming rhythms. Use this Fingerpicking guide and this Strumming guide to perfect your technique.
  2. Chord progressions and voicings: The duo's songs have intricate chord progressions, sometimes involving jazz chords and alternate voicings. Steadily improve your chord vocabulary with our Essential Chord Progressions tutorial.
  3. Classic guitar riffs: Some of L&M's songs have iconic acoustic guitar riffs, like the opening riff of "My Music" and the instrumental interlude of "House at Pooh Corner." Use our Guitar Licks library to learn more guitar riffs.

Choosing Songs:

  1. "House at Pooh Corner": A delicate ballad, with arpeggiated guitar and warm singing over a lush harmony. Use these Ballad Singing tips and exercises to master it.
  2. "Your Mama Don't Dance": An upbeat rock and roll song, with a groovy guitar riff, solid rhythm, and soulful singing. Study the elements of rock singing with this Rock Singing guide and exercises.
  3. "Watching the River Run": A highlight of Messina’s skills and harmonies, with complex arpeggios and upbeat folky singing. Use our Folk Singing exercises to perform it gorgeously.
  4. "Angry Eyes": A bluesy rock song with a dynamic interplay of guitars and vocals. Use our Blues Singing tutorial to explore the song's vocal technique and performance.

By mastering these techniques and songs, you'll be well on your way to performing like Loggins & Messina. Keep practicing and exploring Singing Carrots' educational materials to continue improving!

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