Description:
Now that you’ve got some of the accent going, and you’re going for that twangy chest voice tone, the next step is to stylize. This video will focus mainly on scooping, falling, and sliding. Those are pretty self- explanatory! Country singers do a lot of scooping up to a pitch, falling off of pitches, and occasionally sliding from one note to the next. Yodeling isn’t as present in contemporary country, but it’s something you could incorporate, especially in a classic country ballad. Another element of modern country would be riffs or runs, with the influence of pop music. They won’t be as complex as the runs you’ll hear in r&b or pop music, but listen for them and check out my tutorials on pop music or riffs & runs for more!
First, let’s practice a scoop on its own. We’re gonna sing the word “my” with a bit of an accent, and instead of singing the pitch straight on, we’ll scoop up to it. In context, you might sing “my heart” (stylized) instead of “my heart” (plain). If you’re not used to this, imagine you’re picking up this word, and it’s a little heavy.
[Exercise: “My” with a scoop]
Now let’s elongate that scoop into a slide! We’ll slide up, one whole step, on the word “hey”. It’ll sound like this. Give it a try! You won’t sing an entire song sliding, but you might throw them in here and there for extra emphasis, or to build tension. Let’s keep going!
[Exercise: Sliding “Hey” whole step]
Finally, here’s a little bit of a combo on the word “I”. We’re scooping up to our highest pitch, and then falling off of it.
[Exercise: Scoop and fall on “I”, 1-3-2]
Great job! See if you can pick up on your favorite country singers scooping, sliding, and falling; and then see if you can imitate their style and expression.
First, let’s practice a scoop on its own. We’re gonna sing the word “my” with a bit of an accent, and instead of singing the pitch straight on, we’ll scoop up to it. In context, you might sing “my heart” (stylized) instead of “my heart” (plain). If you’re not used to this, imagine you’re picking up this word, and it’s a little heavy.
[Exercise: “My” with a scoop]
Now let’s elongate that scoop into a slide! We’ll slide up, one whole step, on the word “hey”. It’ll sound like this. Give it a try! You won’t sing an entire song sliding, but you might throw them in here and there for extra emphasis, or to build tension. Let’s keep going!
[Exercise: Sliding “Hey” whole step]
Finally, here’s a little bit of a combo on the word “I”. We’re scooping up to our highest pitch, and then falling off of it.
[Exercise: Scoop and fall on “I”, 1-3-2]
Great job! See if you can pick up on your favorite country singers scooping, sliding, and falling; and then see if you can imitate their style and expression.
Lessons:
- 1: Welcome
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2:
Vowels & Accent
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3:
Tone & Resonance
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4:
Country Style
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5:
Conclusion
Instructor: Camille van Niekerk
Camille van Niekerk is a singer, writer and vocal instructor in Southern California. Camille began studying voice and performing in musicals at age seven. In 2010, Camille began working towards her BA in Music Education at Azusa Pacific University. She then earned her teaching credential from San Diego State University and taught classroom choral and instrumental music. Shortly after moving to LA county, Camille began her private vocal studio, providing vocal coaching, ear training, and recording for students of all ages. She is constantly refining her skills and methods for greater versatility and effectiveness. When she is not teaching, Camille enjoys singing with the L.A. Choral Lab and Ensoma Creative. She lives in San Diego with her husband and loves going to the beach, practicing yoga, reading, and cooking.