Singing Guide: Rent
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Today, we will learn how to sing like Idina Menzel, who played Maureen Johnson in the Broadway musical Rent. Menzel has a very unique vocal technique, known for her powerful belt and ability to sustain high notes. She has showcased her vocal range in Rent by singing iconic songs such as "Take Me or Leave Me" and "Seasons of Love".
If you want to learn how to sing like Menzel, it's important to focus on proper breathing techniques. Singing requires a lot of breathing support, especially when trying to hit those high notes. Singing Carrots offers a great article on breathing basics for singers that can help you achieve the proper support you need to sing like Menzel.
Menzel's powerful belt is a signature of her vocal technique, and it requires good breath support and proper vocal placement. To achieve this, we recommend Singing Carrot's article on voice registers and vocal break, which covers the chest voice, head voice, and mix voice – all of which are essential for a great belt.
In addition to proper breathing techniques and vocal placement, Menzel's unique vocal technique also incorporates the use of vibrato. She often uses a fast, fluttery vibrato in her singing, which adds emotion and depth to her performances. Singing Carrots has a great video on how to sing with vibrato that can help you achieve this technique.
As for specific songs to practice with, "Take Me or Leave Me" is a great song to showcase Menzel's powerful vocal technique, particularly her ability to belt. "Seasons of Love" is another great song to practice with, as it features Menzel's use of vibrato and emotional delivery.
Overall, if you want to learn how to sing like Idina Menzel in Rent, we recommend focusing on proper breathing techniques, vocal placement, and vibrato. Check out the resources provided by Singing Carrots for additional guidance and practice exercises, including the vocal range test, pitch accuracy test, vocal pitch monitor, and the pitch training educational singing game. With enough practice and these resources at your disposal, you'll be able to sing like Menzel in no time!