Singing Guide: The Toys
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
The Toys: Tips for Singing Like the Iconic Girl Group
The Toys were a popular American girl group in the mid-1960s. The group consisted of Barbara Harris, Barbara Parritt, and June Montiero. Their best-known hit is "A Lover's Concerto", which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the Cashbox chart. If you aspire to sing like The Toys, here are some practical tips to get you started.
Vocal Technique
The Toys are known for their smooth, mellow sound and intricate harmonies. To emulate their vocal style, you should focus on developing your breath support and tone quality.
- Breath support article
- Pitch accuracy test to improve your tone quality
- Vocal Pitch Monitor to visualize your pitch accuracy and adjust accordingly
- Contemporary vocal techniques article to explore various stylistic choices
It's also important to work on your vocal range and control, as The Toys often featured complex harmonies. Use the following resources to further develop these skills:
- Vocal range test to assess your current range and work on expanding it
- Pitch Training - Educational Singing Game to practice pitch accuracy and interval recognition
- Singing course to learn more about vocal technique and theory
Song Selection
The Toys' repertoire consists of love ballads and pop songs with intricate harmonies. Some of their most iconic songs include "A Lover's Concerto", "Attack!", and "May My Heart Be Cast into Stone". To learn how to sing like The Toys, choose songs that showcase their unique vocal style and harmonies.
The Singing Carrots song search tool can help you find songs that match your vocal range, difficulty, and genre preference. Use it to explore The Toys' discography and find songs that suit your voice.
Performance Tips
Performing like The Toys requires more than just strong vocal technique. Consider the following tips to bring their music to life:
- Take care of your voice and vocal health by following the advice in this vocal health article
- Work on your expression and artistry using the tips in this singing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking article
- Use the Singing Carrots Tips for performing on stage to improve your stage presence and audience engagement
Incorporating these performance skills with your strong vocal technique and song selection will help you sing like The Toys.