Singing Guide: Mae West

Singing Guide: Mae West

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

If you're looking to sing like Mae West, then you've come to the right place! Mae West was an American actress, singer, and playwright whose distinctive voice and playful persona made her a beloved and enduring figure in Hollywood. To sing like Mae West, you'll need to master her signature sultry, torch-singing style, which is characterized by slow tempos, breathy vocals, and plenty of attitude. Here are some tips and resources from Singing Carrots that will help you emulate her vocal style while making it your own:

  1. Develop your breath control: Mae West's singing style is all about control. To capture that breathy quality, you'll need to practice controlling every breath you take while maintaining a slow and sultry tempo. Breath support is also key to maintaining that low, sultry tone. Check out Singing Carrots' article on Breath support for more tips on how to improve your breathing technique.
  2. Master your vocal registers: Mae West's low, smokey vocal register is key to her distinctive sound. To achieve this, try practicing exercises that focus on your chest voice, such as Singing Comfort Zone exercise. Learn more from Singing Carrots' article about Voice registers & vocal break to help you navigate between your different vocal registers.
  3. Emulate Mae West's phrasing: One of the most important elements of Mae West's singing style is her phrasing. She often employed a conversational style and tended to stretch and bend notes to fit her unique persona. Practice singing along to Mae West's recordings to get a feel for her style, then experiment with your own phrasing to create your own unique sound.
  4. Incorporate Mae West's repertoire: Mae West's song choices are classic examples of her sultry style. Her hits such as "A Guy What Takes His Time", "I'm No Angel" and "Come up and see me" can be found at Singing Carrots' song search so you can find these tunes that showcase her style and try them for yourself.
  5. Polish your performance: Once you've developed your singing style, the final step is to polish your performance. Work on your stage presence by practicing with Singing Carrots' Tips for performing on stage. Remember, Mae West was known for her bold and confident persona, so practice channeling your own unique brand of confidence to make your performance unforgettable.

Singing like Mae West takes practice and patience, but with these tips and resources, you'll be well on your way to capturing her distinctive vocal style. Explore Singing Carrots' resources and let Mae West's sultry sound inspire your own unique singing style.

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