Singing Guide: Switchfoot
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Switchfoot is a rock Christian band characterized by the unique vocal texture of frontman Jon Foreman. Jon's vocal technique is smooth, emotional, and explosive embracing a range of singing styles from falsetto to head voice to belting. His voice is raw and intimate, conveying both angst and heartsickness. To sing like Jon, you should familiarize yourself with his vocal range, control over breath, and master his unique style of delivery.
1. Master the unique texture of Jon Foreman's voice
Jon Foreman's range incorporates very subtle changes in tone and intensity, culminating in a distinct timbre full of raw emotion. He can switch from a soothing, spine-chilling falsetto in "Only Hope" to a gravelly belt in "Meant to Live," showcasing his breadth of vocal range. Listen to his various songs and make note of its different styles.
2. Learn breathing techniques
To sing properly, proper breathing technique is critical. Free-flowing breath, inhaling on the diaphragm, and exhaling with ease are some of the basics. With his control over his breath, Jon maintains the richness of his tones and manages the contrast between his high and low registers.
3. Exercises for control and Warm-up
You can also use everyday breathing exercises to attain control over your voice. These exercises help keep your voice on point, relaxed, and minimize strain, allowing you to sing songs similar to Jon's repertoire effortlessly. As a starter, you could try Singing Carrot's Farinelli Breathing Video to practice open-mouthed breathing, which helps breath control.
4. Practice Singing with Emotion
Like it's said, vocals carry feelings, and everyone can learn how to sing with emotions. We suggest going through the article on Singing with skills, intuition, emotion, and thinking, which offers tips for singers to perform music through engaging emotions naturally.
5. Sing along with Jon's Songs
Sing along to his songs to experience Jon's singing style and practices his vocal styles. To help with this, Singing Carrots offers a song search tool that matches your vocal range, genre preference, and difficulty niveau, which can include those from the Switchfoot's catalogue.
Learning to sing like Jon Foreman can be an exciting and fun journey. Don't forget to check out the various resources on Singing Carrots to minimize voice damage and promote healthy vocals, alongside the pop/jazz versus classical blog article to help ascertain your vocal style.