Marion Bell - Learning to Sing Like A Soulful Icon

Marion Bell is an American R&B and soul singer who became prominent in the 1960s and 1970s. Known for her powerful yet smooth voice, Bell's music style captured the essence of the Motown era. In this article, we'll explore how to learn singing like Marion Bell.

Vocal Range and Voice Type

Marion Bell has the vocal range of a contralto, meaning she has a lower and heavier range than most female singers. Her lower register is often described as earthy and sultry, which makes it ideal for singing blues or soulful ballads. If you're interested in learning how to sing like Marion Bell, the first step is to determine your own voice type and range. Singing Carrots offers a Vocal Range Test that can help you identify your voice type and your vocal range. You can find the test here.

Marion Bell's Unique Vocal Technique

Marion Bell is famous for her unique vocal technique in which she combines her heavy and velvety lower register with a smoothly transitioning range into her higher register. This transition is made by properly managing the vocal break. Her vocal technique involves a significant focus on vowel placement and strong breath support, which gives her voice a distinctive timbre.

Key Elements of Bell's Vocal Technique

• Breath control: Singing with proper breath support is critical for developing Bell's unique style. Breathing exercises such as the Farinelli Breathing technique found here can help increase your lung capacity and develop breath support.
• Resonance: Guiding your voice to the proper resonance points can change the fullness and character of your voice. You can find more about the importance of resonance in this article here.
• Articulation: Proper articulation is essential to make the lyrics clear and precise. The Finger Bite exercise found here can help you improve your articulation.

Songs to Showcase Bell's Singing Style

Here are a few songs of Marion Bell that embody her unique style:

• "Rescue Me"
• "Take Me Just As I Am"
• "Got to Get You Into My Life"
• "You're All I Need to Get By"
• "Everybody Loves A Winner"

Singing Tips

Here are a few practical tips to help you develop Marion Bell's singing style:

• Warm-up routines: Before starting, it's important to warm-up your vocal chords. You can find some exercises at Singing Carrot's Pitch Training or 3 Minute Warm-up.
• Practice regularly: Practice singing regularly to develop your voice and improve your precision. Pitch Training - Educational Singing Game could be ideal for you to improve your pitch accuracy and warm up at the same time.
• Record yourself singing: Recording yourself is an excellent method to analyze and improve your singing process. Singing Carrots has an article about how to analyze your voice, which can help you analyze your voice and identify areas that need improvement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, learning to sing like Marion Bell involves a study of her unique vocal technique, essential vocal exercises, properly managing the vocal break, focusing on vowel placement, breath support, and proper articulation. The provided songs and singing tips, along with the exercises and resources from Singing Carrots, can help you develop the technical and artistic skills you need to emulate this iconic soulful singer.