Learning to Sing like Selah: Discovering Your Authentic Voice

Selah is a Grammy-nominated American Christian vocal group known for their rich and soulful three-part harmonies. Their unique sound has reached the hearts of listeners all over the world with timeless classics like “I Look to You” and “You Raise Me Up.”

If you're looking to learn to sing like Selah, there are a few things you should know about their vocal techniques:

1. Harmonies: Selah is a vocal group and their unique signature is built on their beautiful harmonies. This means that they use a lot of layering and blending of their voices to create a sound that is much greater than the sum of its parts. For instance, their version of "You Raise Me Up" is a perfect example of the harmony they create.
2. Dynamic Control: Selah's music is also marked by the group's excellent control of dynamics. They know exactly how to build anticipation and tension with a slow-building vamp, like in the intro to "I Look to You," or a sudden burst of power, such as in "Wonderful Merciful Savior".
3. Vibrato: The remarkable vibrato that can often be heard in Selah's voice is another mark of their unique vocal style. Vibrato is essentially a subtle wavering in pitch that adds warmth and depth to a singer's voice.

Now that you have a better understanding of Selah's unique sound and vocal techniques, you can start to work on your own voice to learn how to sing like them. Here are some practical tips & exercises to get you started:

1. Find Your Voice Type: Understanding what your voice type is will help you to use your voice in more effective ways. Singing Carrots provides articles and tools to aid your exploration, including voice types and a vocal range test.
2. Practice with Simple Songs: Start by practicing simple songs where you can work on your dynamic control and harmonizing skills. "Amazing Grace" (especially Selah's version), "How Great Thou Art," or "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me," are great songs to work with.
3. Analyze and Emulate: Analyze the songs that you love and learn to sing like Selah by paying close attention to their notes, rhythms, dynamics, and vibrato. Once you have listened to a song/watched a performance, try to sing it yourself and emulate what you heard.
4. Warm-up your Voice: Use Farinelli breathing and 3 Minute Warm Up exercises to get your voice warmed up before singing.
5. Use Vocal Training Apps: Singing Carrots has unique tools like Pitch accuracy test and Pitch Training to improve your pitch accuracy and Vocal Pitch Monitor to help you monitor your vocal range.
6. Focus on Posture: Good posture is essential for good singing. Practice good singing posture by standing tall, with your shoulders relaxed and your chin parallel to the floor. Here's a video on good singing posture.
7. Identify Constriction: Learn to differentiate between the sensations of proper singing and constriction in breath support using chest, mixed, and head voices.

Selah has an incredible vocal technique, and by applying the tips and techniques outlined here, you can learn to sing like them, while also developing your own unique sound. And with the singing lessons in Singing Carrot's educational singing course, and vocal health resources like Breath support and Vocal Health, you have everything you need to start your singing journey today!