You’re practicing various vocal warm-ups and technical applications in your selections, but you’re struggling with genre changes practicing everything from contemporary vocal a cappella styles to Mozart choral works. To improve breaths, tone, and diction for any style, try speaking the lyrics conversationally with your comfortable (but clear!) speaking tone. Remember to breathe in the same places you should when you sing the song.

Then, record yourself singing the song with your conversational diction. Really let yourself sing the exact same vowels and consonant sounds the way you would normally speak. When you listen to the recording, decide if the sound of your vowels and  consonants match the style of the music you are practicing. If you’re not sure, try finding recordings of your song with performers demonstrating excellent intonation, appropriately styled diction, and, if possible, fantastic stage presence.

For a quick study of style changes within one song, check out this video of the group Take 6 singing “Get Away Jordan.” To skip the introduction, start the video at about 36 seconds. Keep watching until at least 3:20 for a brief change of style in the midst of the song. How would you describe the tone/vowel changes? Can you think of songs that would fit the two styles? Try recording yourself singing a selection with a  contemporary/commercial style and tone then a classical style and tone. Were you able to successfully achieve a convincing performance of the two vocal genres?

Alright, enjoy!