Singing Guide: Verna Felton
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Verna Felton was known for her deep, resonant voice and her ability to bring warmth and humor to any role. Her voice is a unique blend of power, control, and expressiveness that can make anyone stop in their tracks. If you're an aspiring singer looking to learn from a vocal legend, here are some tips to help you sing like Verna Felton.
Explore Your Vocal Range
Vocal range is a crucial aspect of any singer's voice, and Verna Felton had a highly developed one. To sing like Verna Felton, you'll need to work on expanding your vocal range. Singing Carrots' Vocal Range Test can help you determine your current vocal range, and then you can use Pitch Training to develop it even further.
Develop Breath Support
Verna Felton's voice had a rich, full quality that was largely due to her excellent breath support. Breathing Basics article from Singing Carrots can teach you active and passive breathing techniques to help you control your breathing and support your singing. A good warm-up routine and breathing exercises like Farinelli Breathing can help you build your breath control.
Work on Your Tone and Resonance
Verna Felton had a warm, resonant tone that made her voice instantly recognizable. It's important to work on your tone and resonance, and one way to do this is by exploring the registers of your voice. In the Voice Registers & Vocal Break article, you can learn about the different voice registers and vocal breaks. Singing Comfort Zone is a useful video exercise that can help you find your chest voice. Similarly, the Chest Voice Explained video explains this register in more detail.
Master the Articulation
Verna Felton's clear, precise articulation was a hallmark of her singing. You can work on improving your articulation by practicing articulation exercises like Finger Bite. It's important to consider the role of your mouth and throat when singing too, which is explained in the article Why to open mouth and throat while singing. Additionally, Singing Carrots' articulation article explains how to pronounce consonants and vowels for clear delivery.
Choose Appropriate Songs
To sing like Verna Felton, you must choose the right songs that showcase your vocal talent. For instance, "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" is a Disney song Felton sang for the Fairy Godmother in the 1950 animated film Cinderella. Singing Carrots' search songs by vocal range tool may be useful for discovering songs from various genres that fit within your vocal range and skill level.
Final Thoughts
Verna Felton's rich, powerful voice set her apart as a singer and voice actress. By exploring your vocal range, developing breath support and control, mastering articulation, and choosing suitable songs, you, too, can aim towards her vocal prowess. Singing Carrots has a variety of resources such as vocal training courses, interactive singing tools, articles, and exercises to help you achieve your singing goals.