Singing Guide: The Color Purple (1985)

Singing Guide: The Color Purple (1985)

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

In this article, we will explore the vocal technique of Cynthia Erivo, who played Celie Harris Johnson in the musical adaptation of Alice Walker's novel "The Color Purple."

Cynthia Erivo is a British actress and singer with an incredible voice that has been praised for its power, range, and emotional depth. To learn how to sing like her, we first need to understand some basics about singing and then explore her unique style.

  • Breathing is the foundation of singing, so it's essential to work on your breath control to sing like Cynthia Erivo. Check out Singing Carrots' breath support articles and breathing exercisesto help with this. Cynthia uses active breathing, where she fills her abdomen and upper stomach with air, to project her voice powerfully, as opposed to shallow breathing that leaves your voice thin and weak.
  • Voice types play a crucial role in vocal technique. Cynthia has a soprano range, which means she can sing high notes with a bright and clear tone. She also has complete control over her voice registers, enabling her to blend them seamlessly. Understanding your voice type will help you learn how to sing in your sweet spot and protect your vocal cords. Check out Singing Carrots' articles on voice types and voice registers.
  • Cynthia has a unique vocal technique that she has developed by blending different singing styles, including gospel, soul, and opera. Her singing style is characterized by her impressive vocal agility, remarkable range, and emotional intensity. Listen closely to her songs in The Color Purple musical to study her different singing styles. Specifically, check out her rendition of "I'm Here," which showcases her full vocal range, emotional depth, and impressive belting.
  • To sing like Cynthia Erivo, you will also need to emulate her expressiveness and emotionality in performance. Cynthia is known for her ability to convey deep emotions through her singing and acting. So, work on your stage presence and your ability to connect with the audience emotionally. Understand how to sing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking by checking out Singing Carrots' article on this topic.
  • Singing Carrots offers many tools to help you learn how to sing like Cynthia Erivo. Take advantage of their breathing exercises and articles, which focus on breath support, active breathing, and avoiding constrictions. Use the vocal range test to determine your vocal range and compare it to Cynthia's. Use the pitch accuracy test to assess your pitch accuracy and the vocal pitch monitor to check your octave range and see your sung notes on a virtual piano. Check out the pitch training course to work on your pitch and agility.
  • You can also use Singing Carrots' songbook to find songs that match your vocal range, difficulty, and genre preference. The songbook gives you linked lyrics, sheet music, chords, karaoke, and audio to help you practice. Use the singing course to learn singing theory and practical tips that will help you sing like Cynthia Erivo.

Overall, to sing like Cynthia Erivo, you need to work on your breath control, understand your voice type, practice blending different singing styles, and focus on your expressiveness and emotionality in performance. Use Singing Carrots' many resources to help you achieve these goals.

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