Singing Guide: Newton Faulkner

Singing Guide: Newton Faulkner

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

How to Learn Singing Like Newton Faulkner

Newton Faulkner is widely regarded as one of the most talented singer-songwriters in the UK. Known for his unique guitar playing style and soulful vocals, he has carved out a successful niche as a musician in the fiercely competitive industry of popular music. If you're keen to improve your singing and emulate Newton in some way, here's what you need to do.

Vocal technique

Newton Faulkner has a unique singing style that blends elements of folk, pop and rock music. His delicate vocals are usually accompanied by his trademark finger-picking guitar style. To learn to sing like Newton, you'll need to master a few techniques:

  • Control - Faulkner is a skilled vocalist when it comes to control, meaning he has great command over his voice. This helps him to sing smoothly and to hit every note with precision. To practice control try vocal exercises like the vocal range test or the pitch accuracy test.
  • Breathing - Good breathing is essential for any singer but is especially important for Faulkner's style of singing, because he often has long, sustained notes. You should master the basics of breathing, such as breathing from your diaphragm, and then you can move on to more advanced exercises like the Farinelli Breathing exercise.
  • Open throat - Singing with an open throat can give you a much better sound and a wider range. This is something Faulkner is very good at, so it's worth trying out the tips in this article about singing with an open mouth and throat.
  • Finger-picking - As well as his unique singing style, Newton Faulkner is also known for his finger-picking guitar style. You'll need to master how to play the guitar to achieve this effect. While our platform doesn't offer guitar lessons, Singing Carrots has a variety of songs that you can search by genre, artist, and vocal range, so you can accompany yourself on guitar with the right practice.

Newton Faulkner's Unique Techniques

  • Vocal Rhythm and Meter: One of Faulkner's most unique techniques is his ability to incorporate complex rhythms, syncopation, and swings in his vocals. His songs "Gone in the Morning", "Write It on Your Skin", and "If This Is It" showcase this style perfectly.
  • Vocal Layering: Another unique aspect of Newton Faulkner's singing style is his use of vocal layering. Songs like "Indecisive" and "Be Free" incorporate this technique in the backing vocals.
  • Mix of Contemporary and Traditional Technique: One of the main aspects of Newton Faulkner's technique is his blend of traditional and contemporary singing techniques. Faulkner often uses his chest voice and falsetto in the same song, creating a unique sound that displays his range.

Singing Carrots studio

To master these techniques, you may want to consider professional coaching or self-directed training. Singing Carrots offers an educational singing course that covers a range of topics, including exercises for breath control, vocal folds, vocal power, and voice production. Additionally, the pitch training module would help you improve your vocal range, agility, and pitch accuracy, while the vocal pitch monitor offers visual feedback on your sung notes to improve pitch.

Conclusion

In summary, to sing like Newton Faulkner, you'll need to work on your singing control, breathing, finger-picking, and open throat technique. By mastering these techniques, you'll be able to capture his unique style, which blends traditional and contemporary techniques, and incorporate syncopation and layering, especially in his songwriting. Singing Carrots is here to support you through our range of exercises and educational content.

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