Singing Guide: Van Halen
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
If you want to learn how to sing like Van Halen, it's important to understand his unique vocal style. While his singing is often overshadowed by his guitar skills, Van Halen is known for his high-pitched, almost shrieking voice that perfectly complements his heavy rock sound. One of the most distinctive aspects of his singing is his use of falsetto, which he combines with full-voice belting to get a range that is truly impressive.
To start singing like Van Halen, it's important to work on your falsetto. This can take some practice, but with time and dedication, you can develop the same kind of vocal control that Van Halen had. Start by practicing scales and vocal exercises that emphasize your head voice. Once you have a good handle on your falsetto, experiment with combining it with full-voice belting to get the signature sound that Van Halen was known for.
Another thing to keep in mind when singing like Van Halen is to pay attention to your breath control. He had great breath support, which allowed him to hold high notes for long periods of time. You can work on this yourself by doing breathing exercises and incorporating breath control exercises into your vocal warm-up routine. Singing along to Van Halen songs and trying to match his long, sustained notes can also help you develop the breath control needed to sing like him.
Some of Van Halen's most iconic songs include "Jump," "Panama," "Hot for Teacher," and "Runnin' with the Devil." These songs showcase his unique vocal style and are great to practice if you want to learn to sing like him.
To further develop your voice, Singing Carrots provides a number of resources that can help. Our vocal range test can help determine where your voice falls compared to famous singers like Van Halen, while our pitch accuracy test can help you work on hitting those high notes. The vocal pitch monitor gives you instant feedback on your singing, while the pitch training section offers warm-ups and exercises to help you develop your range and agility.
For more in-depth learning, our singing course covers everything from singing theory to practical tips. And to find songs that match your vocal range, difficulty and genre preference, our song search function is an amazing resource. We also offer a song-book feature that allows you to create your own performance set and get linked lyrics, sheet music, chords, karaoke tracks, and YouTube audio.
All in all, singing like Van Halen takes practice, dedication, and patience, but it can be incredibly rewarding. With the right techniques and resources, you can develop your own unique voice while paying tribute to one of rock's greatest singers.