Macklemore & Ryan Lewis became wildly famous with their hit songs Thrift Shop and Can’t Hold Us. Their music combines both rap and singing, and Macklemore has a unique delivery that is quite different from many other popular hip hop artists. In this article, we will analyze the unique vocal techniques used by Macklemore and how to learn to sing like him.

The Macklemore Singing Style

Macklemore is known for his fast-paced rapping as well as his smooth singing voice. He creates a balance of both styles in his songs, which has become his signature sound. His singing style is often breathy and airy, with a hint of vibrato to add some character. When he raps, he is very clear with his diction, so listeners can understand all of the words, singing in a sort of gentle baritone.

Learning to Sing Like Macklemore

If you want to learn to sing like Macklemore, you need to focus on two things: breathing and diction. Macklemore's singing style relies heavily on being able to execute both of these techniques with precision.

Breathing

The most important element in singing like Macklemore is breath control. He uses clever breathing techniques to give more emphasis at important parts of a song. To copy Macklemore’s style, start with the following exercises from the Singing Carrots collection:

• Breathing basics
• Farinelli Breathing

Diction

Macklemore is famous for his clear and precise diction. You need to be able to enunciate your words just like Macklemore to achieve his sound. This requires a lot of practice and awareness of the way you shape your mouth and throat when you sing. Here are some exercises from Singing Carrots that can help you improve your diction:

• Articulation
• Open mouth & throat
• Stop Sounding Nasal

Practice Songs

Once you feel comfortable with your breathing and diction, it is time to put your efforts into practice. To sound like Macklemore, try to start with his most famous songs Thrift Shop and Can’t Hold Us. They showcase his unique singing style and his creative use of fast-paced rapping and breathy singing. Here are some resources from Singing Carrots that can help you continue learning and improving your skills:

• Find songs matching your vocal range, difficulty, and genre preference Search songs
• Song-book: Create your performance set and get linked lyrics, sheet music, chords, karaoke, and YouTube audio. Start now
• Vocal Range Test
• Pitch Accuracy Test

Conclusion

Macklemore has a unique sound that combines singing and rap in a way that few other artists do. Achieving his vocal style takes practice, but it is attainable if you focus on your breath control and diction. By utilizing the resources provided by Singing Carrots, you can improve your singing skills and learn how to sing like Macklemore.