Singing Guide: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Singing Guide: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

Martha Reeves is an American singer born in Eufaula, Alabama. She started her career with The Vandellas, Motown's rock n' roll girl band, where they recorded hits like "Dancing in the Street", "Heat Wave", and "Jimmy Mack". If you want to learn how to sing like her, you need to focus on her soulful and powerful voice that exudes her music style.

  • One of the essential techniques you can incorporate while practicing to sing like Reeves is breath control. Reeves' singing style includes holding notes with strong soulful cries, which could be challenging without adequate breath support. The breath support helps you to control your airflow and regulate breathing, two key elements that improve your vocal performance.
  • Another technique to consider is to work on pitch accuracy. In her songs, you can feel her control over the pitch, making the soulful melodies even more enjoyable to hear. To practice your pitch, you can take Singing Carrots' free Pitch Accuracy Test, where you get to sing along with simple melodies while we assess your pitch accuracy.
  • When it comes to songs that showcase Reeves' unique vocal technique, one of the most popular tracks is "Dancing in the Street," as its opening lyrics immediately introduce the singer's melodic style. Another excellent song is "Nowhere to Run." It starts and finishes with Reeves' tone taking you through the love story described in the lyrics. You can also check out "Heat Wave" to see how Reeves' powerful voice complements the upbeat, rhythmic song.
  • Incorporate Singing Carrots' resources, such as pitch training exercises and voice registers. A great video to watch is "Voice Registers and Vocal Breaks" as it can help you improve your voice's range and add more depth to your music. The "Vocal registers" article is worth a read and introduces the types of registers and how to switch between them while singing.
  • For warm-up exercises, Singing Carrots offers a 3-minute Warm-up video that helps you sing high notes with ease. Additionally, posture plays a crucial role in your singing. In the "How Posture Affects Your Singing" article, you can learn how slouching impacts your airways.
  • Lastly, if you feel stuck or need to improve further than what's mentioned above, consider taking Singing Carrots' educational course to improve your singing from the basics and learn more.

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