Billie Holiday is one of the most unique voices of the 20th century. Known for her signature vibrato and storytelling phrasing, she is a challenging but rewarding artist to emulate. In this article, we will explore some practical tips that can help you develop your voice to sound more like Billie Holiday, as well as point you to some resources on Singing Carrots that can assist you in your journey.

Breathing

Billie Holiday had a very light and airy voice, which was achieved through the correct use of breath support. Singing Carrots has a great article about Breath Support that would be really helpful in this aspect. Another exercise that can be useful is the Farinelli Breathing exercise. It's a great starting point to develop the proper breath support, which is the foundation for all good singing.

Phrasing

Billie Holiday's phrasing is one of the most unique elements of her singing style. She would often sing behind the beat, creating a sense of lazy or relaxed timing, and she used repetition, stretching, and bending notes to tell a story. To learn how to sing similarly, you need to develop your sense of rhythm and the ability to communicate emotion through your singing. Singing Carrots' article on Singing with Intuition, Skills, Emotion, and Thinking, provides great insights on how to develop this sense of phrasing.

Articulation

Billie Holiday was known for her unique diction and articulation style which comprised of a subtle, effortless, and lightly affected style with a range of sound synthesis effects. Try watching the Finger Bite exercise video on Singing Carrots, this helps in improving diction and articulation.

Vibrato and Melody

Billie Holiday had a very unique vibrato style, which you can develop by practicing the vibrato exercise. Additionally, it is essential to learn the melodious tunes sung by Billie. This is one of the key features of her style. On Singing Carrots, we have a great database of songs which you can search based on your vocal range, difficulty, and genre preference. You can find the link to the song search tool in the resources section below!

In conclusion, Billie Holiday's unique singing style demands a thorough study and patience in its emulation. The above-discussed techniques are crucial, but to master the unique phrasing and timing, one needs a lot of dedication and practice. Singing Carrots provides ample resources and tools to assist in understanding vocal foundations such as breathing and phrasing, developing range and agility, finding the right song, and most importantly, allowing you to monitor progress. To learn more about all the features of Singing Carrots, visit our website today!