Singing Guide: Ragtime: The Musical
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Ragtime is a popular musical that was first staged on Broadway in 1998. It tells a story set around the turn of the 20th century, with a score that incorporates elements of ragtime music. One of the most notable songs from the show is "Wheels of a Dream," which is sung by the characters Coalhouse Walker Jr. and Sarah.
If you want to learn how to sing like the actors who played these characters, you will need to focus on developing your vocal control and range, as well as developing a sense of the unique style of ragtime music.
How to analyze your voice
It is important to be able to analyze your voice so that you can identify any areas that need improvement. Check out this guide on how to analyze your voice to understand the fundamentals of getting started.
What's a Voice Type? Why classify mine?
What are Voice Registers?
Breathing Basics
Breath Support & Respiration
How to sing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking
Because ragtime music relies heavily on rhythm, it is important to pay attention to how your voice functions within the overall rhythm of the song. Check out this guide on how to sing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking, which includes tips on singing with rhythm.
Articulation
Ragtime music also often involves a unique form of articulation. Learn about how to articulate in singing in this article: Articulation.
Contemporary vocal techniques: Heavy modal, Twang, Belting
For an extra challenge, you can also explore the heavy modal, twang, and belting contemporary vocal techniques, which are often used in ragtime music. Read more at Contemporary vocal techniques: Heavy modal, Twang, Belting.
Singing Carrots incredible resources
Be sure to take advantage of Singing Carrots incredible resources, like the vocal pitch monitor, breathing exercises, and search for songs by vocal range. Vocal training, singing courses, and practice tools like these will be critical to your progress and growth as you work to master ragtime-style singing.
Using these resources and techniques, you can start developing the unique vocal style that is essential to performing ragtime music. Good luck and happy singing!