How to Sing Like Michael McDonald: A Guide

Michael McDonald is a legendary blue-eyed soul singer, songwriter, and musician who has been entertaining fans since the 1970s. His distinct voice boasts a rich tone that blends soulful grit with smoothness, making it a challenge for many aspiring singers to imitate. However, if you are looking to learn how to sing like Michael McDonald, there are steps you can take to develop a similar sound.

Step 1: Warm-up with the Farinelli exercise

Before attempting to sing any Michael McDonald songs, it is essential to warm up your vocal cords properly. One warm-up exercise that you can do is the Farinelli exercise, which can help increase your range and vocal flexibility. Singing Carrots' Farinelli Breathing video is an excellent resource to get you started on this exercise.

Step 2: Practice your chest voice

Michael McDonald is renowned for his unique and soulful chest voice. To develop a similar sound, you need to work on your own chest voice. Start by focusing on singing within the limits of your chest range, and gradually work your way up to higher notes. Singing Carrots' Chest Voice Explained video is an excellent resource to teach you the techniques needed to bring out your chest voice.

Step 3: Learn to control your pharyngeal resonance

Another critical aspect of Michael McDonald's sound is his use of pharyngeal resonance, which is responsible for his gritty, soulful sound. To achieve this, you can learn handy techniques such as twang or growling, as Singing Carrots' videos How to Twang Exercise and How to Growl Exercise demonstrate.

Step 4: Pay attention to your vibrato

Vibrato is an essential aspect of Michael McDonald's sound, giving his voice a unique character. One way to work on your vibrato is to practice the "Beggars Bounce" exercise, as shown in Singing Carrots' video Singing with Vibrato.

Step 5: Warm up your voice with humming

Humming is a great way to warm up your vocal cords and is useful in controlling your breath for long notes. Singing Carrots' Humming video can help you get started on building effective humming exercises into your practice routine.

Step 6: Good posture and breathing

Proper vocal technique requires good posture and effective breathing techniques. Singing Carrots' Good Singing Posture and Breath Support - Respiration articles provide useful information on how to master both.

Step 7: Choose your Michael McDonald song to practice

Finally, choose a Michael McDonald song that showcases his unique singing style, such as "What a Fool Believes" or "I Keep Forgettin'." Be sure to use Singing Carrots' Song search feature to find songs matching your vocal range, difficulty, and genre preference. Then, study the song carefully, paying close attention to Michael McDonald's unique phrasing and word placement. Singing Carrots' How to Learn a Song Effectively article is a helpful resource to help you learn the song taking steps to ensure retention.

Learning how to sing like Michael McDonald will take plenty of practice, patience, and persistence, but with dedication and effort, you can achieve a distinctive voice of soulful grit and smoothness. With the resources and exercises provided by Singing Carrots, you can determine your vocal range, develop your chest voice and pharyngeal resonance, warm up your voice effectively, improve your posture and breathing techniques, and learn new songs with greater ease.