Singing Guide: Robert Earl Keen

Singing Guide: Robert Earl Keen

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

Robert Earl Keen is a Texas-based singer-songwriter who started his professional career in 1984. He is known for his unique mixture of traditional country, folk, and Americana music. Keen's vocal technique is characterized by his particular vocal placement and resonances. His use of soft palate constriction and throat tension creates a "twangy" vocal sound that has become one of his trademarks.

If you want to learn singing like Robert Earl Keen, here are a few practical tips to get you started:

  1. Listen to Robert Earl Keen songs: Begin by familiarizing yourself with his songs. Pay attention to how he uses his voice to express emotions and evoke moods. Some of his most popular songs include "The Road Goes On Forever," "Gringo Honeymoon," and "Corpus Christi Bay."

  2. Practice Twang: One of Robert Earl Keen's vocal trademarks is his "twangy" voice. You can develop this skill by practicing the Twang Exercise located in the Skill-related Videos section above. The heavy use of twang in his vocal technique allows Keen’s voice to cover a range of pitches.

  3. Work on your breathing: Proper breathing is essential for singing in this style. The Farinelli Breathing video in the Skill-related Videos section shows a great breathing exercise. Concentrate on deep, diaphragmatic breaths to ensure that you're getting enough air to support your vocal performance.

  4. Use your chest voice: Another key element of Robert Earl Keen's style is his use of the chest voice. Watch the Chest Voice Explained video to be able to use your chest voice and gain greater control. This will help create a deeper, richer, more resonant sound in the same way Keen's voice resonates.

  5. Work on your posture: Good posture is key to singing in this style, as it allows you to access your full lung capacity and control the resonance of your voice. Study how Robert Earl Keen sings and try to imitate his stance and body movement in performances.

Singing Carrots provides many resources that can help you master these skills. Use the following links from the Resources section above to improve your singing like Robert Earl Keen:

We hope this article helps you in learning how to sing like Robert Earl Keen!

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