The Merry Macs' Harmony: Tips and Techniques

The Merry Macs were a popular American pop and jazz harmony quartet active from the late 1920s through the 1960s, known for their smooth vocals and catchy melodies. Learning how to sing like The Merry Macs can improve your harmony, blend, balance, timing, and pitch accuracy. Here are some essential tips, techniques, and songs to help you get started:

Voice Range & Type

Before you start practicing, determine your vocal range and type using Singing Carrots' vocal range test . The Merry Macs mostly sang in the baritone, tenor, or bass range, with an occasional falsetto or soprano note. Knowing your range ensures you can sing along with the tracks comfortably.

Breath Support & Phrasing

The Merry Macs' harmony relied heavily on proper breath support and phrasing. Practice breathing exercises to strengthen your diaphragm, such as the Farinelli breathing exercise . To improve your phrasing, try singing along with the Lyrics Training exercise.

Vocal Registers & Break

The Merry Macs' vocal registers were smooth and well-balanced, with the occasional use of falsetto. Understanding your vocal registers and how to transition between them, including navigating your voice break, will help you achieve a seamless harmonious balance like that of The Merry Macs.

Song Choice

With their extensive repertoire, The Merry Macs had many popular songs, including "Mairzy Doats," "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," and "I Love You Because." Pick their songs that best showcase their harmony and practice singing along. You can search for songs by vocal range on Singing Carrots' song search tool .

Vocal Techniques

Apart from the tips above, The Merry Macs had distinctive vocal techniques that set them apart. The finger-bite and humming exercises taught in the Singing Carrots' articulation and warm-up videos respectively, can help you achieve their signature sound. Practice their chest voice explanation found in the mixed voice tutorial.

Resources for Learning

Singing Carrots provides numerous resources to improve your singing capabilities. Use Singing Carrots' pitch accuracy test and pitch monitor to monitor and improve your pitch. Take advantage of the vocal ranges of famous singers section to understand the range of singers like The Merry Macs. Watch the singing with intuition, skills, emotions, and thinking video to master stage presence.

Singing like The Merry Macs requires practice and dedication, following the tips provided and utilizing Singing Carrots' resources, sets you off on the right footing. Incorporating these techniques into your vocal practice will help you achieve the harmony, rhythm, and melody of The Merry Macs.