Natalie Merchant is an outstanding singer-songwriter who became popular in the 1980s with the band 10,000 Maniacs. Her solo career has also been quite successful and her deep emotional vocals and powerful lyrics are very distinctive. In this article, we'll explore how to learn singing like Natalie Merchant, including her unique vocal technique and some of her iconic songs.

Develop your voice

To become a singer like Natalie Merchant, you'll need to develop your voice so you can hit notes with the same power and emotion. Practice singing scales regularly to extend your vocal range and improve your flexibility. Use the range test in Singing Carrots to determine your vocal range, then identify areas that need improvement with the appropriate warm-up exercises and practices in the Educational singing course.

Vocal Technique

Natalie Merchant has a deep, husky voice, with a vibrato that adds a unique flair to her singing style. She often employs a smooth and relaxed vibrato when holding long notes and lets her voice break a bit for effect. To learn how to sing in this style, try practicing the vocal exercises for vibrato in the Skill-related Videos section.

Control your breathing

Good breathing is essential for any singer. To sing like Natalie Merchant, you'll need to develop a good grasp of breath control. Breathing basics and Breath support are some Singing Carrots articles that can help you get started on the basics of breath control.

Sing with emotion

One of the most striking aspects of Natalie Merchant's singing is emotion. She conveys intense feelings through her music. To learn how to do this, you need to learn the art of interpreting lyrics and performing with conviction. Articles such as Singing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking and How to find your own authentic voice can offer some useful tips in this regard.

Iconic Natalie Merchant songs

To really master the deep emotional style of Natalie Merchant, it's important you listen to and practice some of her most popular songs such as "Wonder", "Carnival", "Kind & Generous", "Life Is Sweet", and "My Skin". You can find links to these songs in the Song-book on Singing Carrots. You can use the Articulation article to perfect your pronunciation while performing these songs.

By following the advice and using the resources in this article, you'll be well on your way to learning how to sing like Natalie Merchant. Pay attention to the unique characteristics of her music and vocals, and practice regularly with the exercises and songs provided on Singing Carrots. Good luck!