If you’re new to singing, OR you’ve been singing for a while but you feel like you struggle with finding your individual voice, then it’s important to take some time to DO THIS before moving on with more advanced techniques.
It’s common for me to have singers who have been taking lessons for years, come into the Voicehouse studio in Adelaide and feel defeated because their voice is all over the place on any given day.
They feel like there’s no consistency in their sound, and they have no idea what might come out on a daily basis.
They’ve tried this genre, and that style, and for some reason they still don’t feel like they’re really hitting the ‘nail on the head’.
If this sounds like you, you’ve likely not taken the time (or had the right training) to help establish your singing style.
But why is having one ‘singing style’ so important?
Great question.
You might immediately feel like you want to close this tab because you don’t want to be put into a box.
I hear you.
But hear me out first.
Essentially, all singers have one ‘core’ style to their voices, whether they want to acknowledge it or not.
You might have a straight up Pop, or Rock sound.
Or, you might have a Country sound, blended with some Jazz influences.
The good (or bad) news is that whatever your voice lends itself to naturally, is essentially the foundation of your singing style (whether you like it or not).
Trust me when I say that this is a GOOD thing.
I spent years wanting to be a pop singer as a teenager, mainly because all the other girls at my talent school were singing Christina and Britney. The teachers were often praising them and commenting on how amazing they sounded.
But for some reason, no matter how hard I practiced, I never sounded like them.
It wasn’t until I was in my late teenage years and went on to study Classical Singing at University, that I realised I had been forcing myself into a silly box all along.
I went from being one of the more average, forgettable singers... to one of the singers with the WOW factor!
I went from singing Pop Ballads to Musical Theatre Anthems and all of a sudden, I had the BIGGEST voice on the stage.
All because I let go of forcing my voice into a style that didn’t come to me naturally, and started singing in a way that my natural voice LOVED.
I find it so effortless to sing big, high, sustained notes in my Head Voice.
I love being able to over-articulate words and use my whole mouth.
I’ve also discovered a natural vibrato in my lower tones that theatre songs adore!
Then, all of a sudden, I was able to go back and sing the Pop Songs I had previously struggled with and BAM… they were 100 TIMES BETTER!
Which begs the question… why the sudden improvement in my overall singing style?
Well, I was no longer singing songs “like the singer” so to speak.
I was now singing them like me.
And thats because I learned that I can have a natural Classical/Musical Theatre Style voice, yet still sing pop songs in a ‘popular tone’, without compromising the integrity of my foundations.
Let me break that down a little!
You can have a ‘Country Style’ to your voice and still sing songs in a ‘Rock or Jazz tone’, whenever you see fit.
Just like you can have a ‘Rock Style Voice’ and add in some ‘Classical or Twangy tones‘ to suit your latest piece.
And the beauty is… THAT’S ACTUALLY WHAT WILL MAKE YOU UNIQUE.
The reality is though, that most singers will resist this, and most vocal coaches wont bother because they lose too many customers fighting this battle.
It’s the sad truth of the age of popular culture we’re in right now. Everyone’s too busy trying to be something they’re not.
However, if you’re reading this and you’re in the 10% of singers who will do whatever it takes to sound your best, then the process is actually pretty simple!
Finding Your Singing Style Step #1
Nobody likes a Fake Voice.
Firstly, spend some time finding your singing style so that you can make sure you are not limiting your potential in any way, shape or form.
Singing in somebody else’s style, or what we call a ‘fake voice’, can potentially lead to trouble later on.
Imitating other people’s accents and the style they sing could limit your potential and cause setbacks. For example, you could strain your voice by not allowing yourself to sing open and free.
The best way to stop this, is to sing a song that you are working on without the music.
Listen to yourself singing one line at a time, maybe even a small paragraph, and then stop and speak that paragraph and see if there’s any differences.
Finding Your Singing Style Step #2
Drop the accidental accent.
If you’re singing in an accent that isn’t your native accent, or singing with inflections and tones that you don’t do naturally, try singing without those instead.
Its best to strip the voice down to the bare essentials, then build it up with your own unique style.
Remember, there’s only one you and there’s only one of your voice. That’s the only voice that’s ever going to get you anywhere in life (and as a singer)!
If you want to work on your own unique sound, try and work out the difference between how you’re singing it now VS. how you would sing it, if that version of the song didn’t exist and you were starting from scratch.
It might sound a bit dodgy at first, but that’s part of the process.
Repetition is the key with any skill, so stick with it long enough to see what you end up with!
Finding Your Singing Style Step #3
Don’t compare yourself with other singers.
This is by far, the hardest one to do.
We all have imposter-syndrome at times, and just when we think we’re onto something, we hear someone else and want to give it all up on the spot.
If there’s one thing i’ve learned the hard way, it’s that I can’t be me with someone else in my head.
Makes perfect sense when you put it like that, doesn’t it?
Art is, and always will be, subjective.
Meaning that preferences change with different opinions!
Stop trying to label your sound as GOOD or BAD, and just let it be whatever it is.
Nothing is good or bad, unless you give it that meaning.
It’s all just a matter of opinion!
I truly hope you’re now empowered to explore your unique voice and see what’s possible for you.
Finding your singing style can be a journey, but the other side is well worth the ride.
If you’re struggling with finding your singing style, reach out to a vocal coach who will be able to help you navigate this tricky territory.
The best part about singing, is that you never have to do it all alone!
If you enjoyed this article, we’d love to offer you a FREE value-packed resource that’ll help power-up your singing…
Until next time,
