Singing Guide: Noël Coward
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Noël Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, and one of the best-known figures of the 20th century theatre. He wrote more than 50 plays and composed hundreds of songs, many of which are standards to this day.
Coward had a very distinctive voice, with a clear enunciation and perfect pitch. He often employed a conversational tone in his performances, and his singing style was marked by precise articulation, phrasing, and impeccable breath control.
To learn singing like Noël Coward, follow these practical tips, and make use of Singing Carrots' resources:
- Work on improving your enunciation: Like Coward, it is important to articulate every word precisely to convey the meaning and emotion of the song effectively. The "Articulation" article, Finger Bite exercise, and Humming exercise from Singing Carrots can help you enhance your enunciation and diction.
- Develop breath control: Coward's breath control was remarkable, which allowed him to sustain long phrases and deliver complex vocal lines. The "Breath support" article and Farinelli Breathing exercise from Singing Carrots can help you practice and improve your breathing technique.
- Emphasize the conversational tone: Coward often used a conversational tone to make the song lyrics sound more natural and expressive. It is important to pay attention to the rhythm and phrasing to achieve the same effect. The "Singing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking" article from Singing Carrots provides tips on developing this skill.
- Choose appropriate songs: Coward's songs often have witty and intelligent lyrics that require good storytelling skills. Choose songs that showcase your unique vocal range and tell a story that resonates with you. Singing Carrots' Song search feature can help you find songs that match your vocal range, skill level, and genre preference.
- Improve your posture: Good posture is crucial for breathing and vocal support. The "How posture affects your singing" article from Singing Carrots provides tips on achieving the proper posture for singing.
By following these tips and using Singing Carrots' resources, you can start to develop a singing style like Noël Coward's. Good luck and happy singing!