Singing Guide: Shinedown
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
If you're looking to learn how to sing like Shinedown's lead vocalist, Brent Smith, you're in luck! Known for his powerful, emotive voice, Brent Smith has been a prominent figure in the rock music scene since the early 2000s. Here are some tips and resources to help you emulate his style:
Vocal Technique
To sing like Brent Smith, you should focus on developing strong breath support and control. This will help you achieve the powerful, sustained notes that are a trademark of his singing style. Additionally, work on opening up your mouth and throat while singing, as this will help you achieve the clarity and resonance that are essential to sounding like Shinedown. Focus on controlling your onsets and offsets, as well, including the glottal onset, which is commonly used in rock singing.
Songs to Study
To really get a feel for Brent Smith's unique style, study some of Shinedown's most recognizable songs. Focus on listening to his use of vibrato, dynamic range, and emphasis on sustained notes. Some essential tracks to study include:
- "Save Me"
- "I Dare You"
- "Second Chance"
- "Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)"
- "Devour"
Singing Exercises
To build your skills and vocal range, Singing Carrots offers a range of exercises that are perfect for emulating Shinedown's style. Some key exercises for aspiring rock singers include:
- Practice warm-up techniques to open your voice, with exercises such as the Farinelli breathing and hum method.
- The "Comfort Zone" exercise- Work on singing in your chest voice in a comfortable range, moving up slowly to a higher range.
- The "Ding-Dong" exercise- Focus on controlling your mixed voice by singing
- "How to twang" exercise- Learn to achieve the heavy-metal pitch of Twang.
- "How to growl" exercise - Add some edge to your voice.
- Vocal distortion & Growling - Practice vocal distortions using the technique described.
Singing Course
Singing Carrots' "Singing for Beginners" course also provides an excellent foundation for those wanting to develop their singing skills to sing like Brent Smith. The course covers the fundamentals of singing, including breathing, vocal registers, articulation, and more. Take the course to get a complete and comprehensive education in singing.
Additional Resources
Singing Carrots offers additional resources to aid you in your journey of singing like Shinedown's Brent Smith. The platform boasts an extensive library of articles and videos covering topics such as vocal health, stage performance, and vocal techniques, ranging from traditional ones to contemporary techniques like Twang and Belting. You can also use the vocal range test to determine your vocal range, pitch accuracy test, and vocal pitch monitor to help you reach your singing goals.
With hard work, dedication, and the right resources, you can successfully learn to sing like Brent Smith and be well on your way to becoming a powerful rock singer.