Singing Guide: Sonny Boy Williamson

Singing Guide: Sonny Boy Williamson

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

Sonny Boy Williamson was a pioneering blues harmonica player, famous for his complex and soulful playing, emotive singing, and distinctive tone. To learn his style, we need to focus on different aspects of his vocal and instrumental technique.

Firstly, we need to understand his use of dynamics and phrasing, as well as his vocal delivery. His singing style is a mix of spoken word and melodic singing, often filled with emotion, soul and grit. He sang with a rich and deep voice, and his delivery had a kind of lazy cool that made his words hang on the air.

His harmonica playing is the stuff of legends, and we need to pay close attention to his bending and vibrato techniques, as these are central to his signature sound. He uses tongue-blocking, overblowing, and different embouchure techniques to achieve his unique sound, and he is a master of rhythmic and melodic improvisation.

To start learning his style, we recommend taking our vocal range and pitch accuracy tests. This will help you understand your abilities and limitations. Also, read our articles about breathing, vocal registers, voice breaks, and resonance to get a good foundational understanding of the techniques.

To improve your bending and vibrato on the harmonica, try the "Beggars Bounce" in our vibrato-related videos. Use the "Farinelli Breathing" video to warm up and get your diaphragm in shape. For a singing and harmonica technique exercise, you can try "Chest Voice Explained," explaining how to gain more control over your chest voice.

To improve your singing, listen to some of Sonny Boy Williamson's recordings and try to mimic his delivery and phrasing. Also, check our resource on finding your authentic voice.

Song-wise, we recommend starting with "Don't start me talking," "Keep it to Yourself," and "One Way Out." Additionally, you can search our song-book to find other songs that are in your vocal range and fit your genre preference.

In conclusion, learning to sing and play harmonica like Sonny Boy Williamson is a lifelong pursuit. But with the right techniques, consistent practice, and good listening skills, you can develop a rich and soulful style that will express your emotions and tell stories.

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