Singing Guide: Silver
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
If you're a fan of Bluegrass music, Old-timey tunes, or even Gospel, the name Silver shines bright. Silver is a bluegrass gospel group known for their tight harmonies, hard-driving rhythm, and dynamic stage presence. Learning to sing like Silver can be an exciting challenge, as it involves a lot of focus on clear and powerful harmonies.
One of the most important aspects of singing like Silver is to learn how to harmonize effectively. The group is well-known for its carefully crafted four-part harmonies. To start, it's best to work on your listening skills. Listen to their albums, watch their concerts, and pay close attention to how they blend their voices. To accomplish this, practice singing along with them, and then try to pick out each individual singer's voice.
Once you know the individual voices, it's time to start putting them together. Try singing each of the harmony parts separately using one of the many Silver songs to pick from. Examples of songs include "Gettin’ Ready to Leave This World,” “Contemplatin’ the Cross,” and “I Hear My Savior Calling Me.” Once you are comfortable with each of the isolated harmony parts, try singing them together with the group. It may take a while to get the timing and pitch right, but practice makes perfect.
Apart from harmonization, Silver is also known for the focus on the lead vocals and the dynamic instrumental components in a lot of their songs. When singing like Silver, it's important not to forget about these nuances.
One of the ways to improve your lead vocals is to work on breathing techniques. To get the power and control necessary to sing like Silver, you need proper breath support. Check out Singing Carrot's article on breath support for helpful tips on breathing exercises.
Another crucial aspect of singing like Silver is to incorporate the swooping/gliding techniques in their lead vocals that help to create a more emotional rendition. To master this technique, train your voice to move smoothly and fluidly between notes using the right amount of breath control and vibrato. Check out the educational game Pitch Training for great tips on developing your pitch and increasing your breath control.
In summary, to sing like Silver, you need to learn how to harmonize effectively, focus on the lead vocals, and incorporate swooping/gliding techniques that help create a more emotional rendition. Practice singing the harmony parts individually and putting them together to create a seamless harmonization. Work on breathing techniques and incorporate swooping/gliding techniques to master the lead vocals. Check out the various articles, exercise videos, and tools that Singing Carrots offers to help you in your journey.