Singing Guide: Russ Morgan
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
If you’re a big fan of Russ Morgan, you're in luck! Today, we’re going to discuss how to learn singing like Russ Morgan using some of his most popular songs to showcase his unique vocal technique.
Russ Morgan was a big band pianist and orchestra leader in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, known for his energetic style and jazzy sound. Some of his most iconic songs include “You’re Nobody ‘til Somebody Loves You” and “Does Your Heart Beat for Me?”.
To learn singing like Russ Morgan, you need to understand the fundamentals of big band music and the vocal techniques that he used. Here are some tips to help you master his style:
Approach
- Morgan sang with a lot of energy and excitement, so make sure to convey those emotions in your performance. Try to embody Morgan's upbeat spirit and lively personality.
Warm-up and Breathing
- Always take time to warm up your vocal cords and practice proper breathing techniques to ensure you have the stamina and power to sing in a big band style. Check out our Breathing Basics article and this Farinelli Breathing exercise to help with your warm-up.
Voice Techniques
- One of Morgan’s key vocal techniques is his swooping glissandos, which is the rapid and upward movement between notes. Practice this with our Singing Comfort Zone exercise, focusing on using your chest voice and head voice effectively with seamless transitions.
- Morgan also used a lot of vibrato in his singing to give his performances an extra flair. Check out our Singing with Vibrato article for more information and these two vibrato exercises: Beggars Bounce and Diaphragm Bounce.
- Another technique that Morgan employed was his use of high belting notes. To improve your high notes, try our Contemporary Vocal Techniques: Heavy Modal, Twang, Belting article and this How to Twang Exercise video exercise.
- Finally, Morgan had a great sense of rhythm and timing. To practice rhythm and delivery, check out our Chest Voice Explained video exercise and this 3 Minute Warm Up video to get started.
Russ Morgan's Songs
- To put all these techniques into practice, try singing his well-known songs like “You’re Nobody ‘til Somebody Loves You” and “Does Your Heart Beat for Me?”.
- Use our Song Search Tool to find other songs within your vocal range that showcase the big band style.
With these tips and Singing Carrots resources, you’ll be on your way to singing like Russ Morgan in no time!