The Ultimate Guide to Singing Styles, Types, and Genres

The Ultimate Guide to Singing Styles, Types, and Genres Sign up successful But several pop singers have come to be considered the greatest entertainers of all time, including Whitney Houston, Madonna, Prince, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Tips Vocal Exercises for Pop Singers Learn how to control your vibrato without tension. Experiment with different vocal sounds, like short, popping sounds and fast runs. Focus on improving your movement on stage and take dance lessons, if necessary. Famous Pop Singers Tori Kelly Tori  chose a really high key for this  song. She also chose to accentuate the lyrics of the song with a short, light texture in her voice. That kind of texture makes everything easier to sing in your high register. Whitney Houston At 2:05 in this video, Whitney  uses a fast run on the end of the word all. Notice how she doesnt make it overly dramatic, and uses those runs only a few times in the song? Sometimes, too many runs can be distracting from the songs message. Bruno Mars Bruno  sings tenderly because its a tender song. His voice is so free of tension that he seems to float up into his falsetto. Rock You might be surprised  to learn that rock is a grandchild of the blues. After it became heavier and more dance-ably rhythmic, the music began to rock and rock and roll was born! It grew up to become rougher and edgier, and now, rock vocal sounds are as diverse as in any other genre. Today, rock singers include voices as different as Adam Lambert, Tom Araya  of  Slayer, James Hetfield of Metallica, and Bono of U2. But that rougher and edgier part of rock has to be, at least in some ways, a defining characteristic of the rock voice. Otherwise, it might be confused with an adult contemporary or pop voice. Tips Vocal Exercises for Rock Singers Try out different vocal flairs, like a little growling or vocal fry at the end of song sections, but dont overdo it. Get comfortable singing a huge range of dynamics, from whispers (used sparingly for the health of your voice) to healthy, supported shouting. Dont be afraid of your own vibrato. Famous Rock  Singers Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury was known for quite a theatrical kind of rock. Notice how easily he  transitions from one dynamic to another, using subtlety when its needed for effect, and rough growling when the lyrics call for it, like at 2:20. John Fogerty John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival sings this song with the emotional sense of defiance. He clearly has a hold of being what we now call a singing actor, though its doubtful that the vocals were planned as such. Ann Wilson The lead singer of Heart, paying tribute to Led Zeppelin, keeps a true sense of her own voice but doesnt change the vocals so much that its disrespectful to the original. Shes clearly not afraid of her own vibrato, using it as a tool to accentuate certain lyrics, like at 4:24. Bonus Quiz:  What Genre Are You Destined to Sing?   Opera and Classical Often considered the most formal and restrictive of all genres of singing, classical and opera singing actually require the greatest amount of freedom. Much of it is sung with uncontrolled vibrato and total emotional release. It is, however, the least conversational of all genres. Because it lacks the intimacy of that conversational quality with the audience (think folk music), it has the tendency to give audiences the impression of admiring a beautiful painting from afar. The classical genre  includes secular arias and religious oratorios, as well as motets. Opera singing is similar, but its part of a stage production, often involving dancing and speaking parts. Think of opera as a musical with classical singing instead of Broadway-style singing. Tips Vocal Exercises for Opera Singers Dont try to sound how you think an opera singer sounds. Sing with an open and free voice. Vibrato sometimes develops over time as we let go of more and more tension. Dont force it or try to create it. Get a voice teacher. Soon. Opera singing can seldom be taught without a good teacher.   Famous Opera and Classical Singers Bryn Terfel In this incredibly dramatic scene from Mozarts interpretation of the Don Juan story, Bryn Terfel is the actor in the reddish-brown cloak. Watch how intense and exaggerated his facial expressions are throughout the scene. Kiri Te Kanawa Singing one of the best-loved arias ever written, here is one of the best-loved sopranos to have ever lived. She is an incredible example of how you can sing beautifully through your entire life if you take good care of your voice. Marian Anderson Marian Andersons distinguished career is marked not only by fantastic singing, but also by courageous defiance in the face of racism. Her voice is flawless, in spite of the shortcomings of the old recordings, but more importantly, her heart can be heard in everything she sings. In the video above, she sang for a beautiful Christmas program. Notice her alignment and how it remains consistent throughout the changes in the song. Country An overly simple way to think of the country genre is fancy folk. But its had quite a history through the years, having evolved from Appalachian mountain music, southern blues, country-western and whats called honky-tonk. I recommending listening  to many different country voices so that you dont get into the trap of imitating only the big voices. Think about how different Carrie Underwoods voice is from Miranda Lamberts. Check out the differences between Hank Williams, Jr. and Luke Bryan. And dont forget to listen to classic singers like Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline. Tips Vocal Exercises for Country Singers Dont force a country accent. If you listen to a lot of country music, over time, a natural twang will come when you sing. Become familiar with great storytelling; thats where country comes from! Listen to professional storytellers on YouTube. Be willing to wear your heart on your sleeve. Audiences love when country singers share their feelings, and your credibility  is based on your ability to be genuine. Famous Country  Singers George Jones In one of the most famous country songs of all time, the irreplaceable George Jones exemplifies the all-important skills of storytelling and a down-to-earth singing style. Notice that there isnt a lot of vibrato here; its almost as if Jones is too busy telling a story to hold out a note and show off! Carrie Underwood Both this song and video are great examples of country. Carrie, season 4 winner of American Idol, knows just how to use her voice to a songs advantage. She floats a note (sings it lightly) when its a tender moment and then sings with a heavier tone when its a heavier moment. Loretta Lynn The ultimate story song, Coal Miners Daughter, was Loretta Lynns biggest hit. Take note of how similar her speaking voice (at the beginning of the video) is to her singing voice. This can be achieved through the study of something called speech level singing. Blues and Jazz The blues were born in the American south from the spirituals of slaves and the call-and-response music of the Southern church. Think of jazz as its slightly more sophisticated child who never forgot its roots. Jazz singing is characterized by clear, speech level singing and distinct consonants, while blues singing has a rough or rootsy edge to it, sometimes with a natural Southern accent. Tips Vocal Exercises for Blues Singers You cant sing the blues and jazz right without knowing its history. Watch Ken Burns Jazz documentary and the Thelonius Monk documentary, Straight, No Chaser. Experiment with different vocal sounds, like pitch slides and scatting. Study up on your music theory, especially your chromatic scales. Famous Blues and Jazz  Singers Cassandra Wilson Though she may not be the best-selling jazz artist, Cassandra Wilson is considered by many to  be the best living jazz singer. Her voice is perfect for it rich, thoughtful, and focused.  Notice how around 3:05, she  begins to use pitch slides. Sarah Vaughan Once described as having one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century, Sarah Vaughan was known for a sensitive but easy tone. At 2:15, she effortlessly shows off an impressive vocal range and some great improvisation skills. Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong is so important to jazz music that most experts agree it wouldnt have been developed, or even survived, without his contributions. Here we have a great example of a singer who loved what he did and knew how to make people feel happy and entertained. Hip Hop Hip hop, the heavily rhythmic and rhyming singing that often accompanies rapping and beat-boxing, emerged  in the 1970s, and has grown steadily in popularity since then. In fact, that popularity has turned into tremendous influence on other singing genres, including pop and country. Its origins are many, but the most apparent are funk, disco, reggae, and the blues. Singers of hip hop are diverse, but the singing generally takes on edgy and sometimes nasal qualities. Tips Vocal Exercises for Hip Hop Singers Know hip hops musical ancestry. Listen to a lot of funk, disco, reggae, soul, gospel, blues, and old-school hip hop. You dont have to become a rapper, but get comfortable switching between singing and speaking lyrics to help your versatility. Dont be afraid to experiment with different vocal sounds, like nasality and wordplay, to create your own signature style. Famous Hip Hop  Singers Lauryn Hill See if you can hear the songs Spanish and gospel influences. Despite these varied sounds, Lauryn  stays true to her own voice, which is stunningly consistent in tone and texture. Its important to listen to influences with respect, without allowing it to pressure you to imitate. Beyonce In this  heart-stopping acoustic performance of her hit Halo, Beyonce has full command of her voice. Its as if her voice is an arrow, she aims at the bulls eye, and hits it every time. In other words, her pitch is always right and her transition between the lower register in the verses and the upper register in the chorus is seamless. Cee Lo Green Originally, the hit Crazy was created and released by Gnarls Barkley, a musical duo consisting of rapper and hip hop singer Cee Lo Green and producer Danger Mouse. In this video, Cee Lo  sings the song at a much slower tempo than the original, allowing for a lot of time for both the performer and the listener to really think about the meaningful lyrics. Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary is such a unique genre, because singers from relatively different genres often get put into this camp as well, or end up here at the height of their career. Its essentially pop singing, but the lyrics are decidedly grown-up, or adult.  Adult contemporary has been called vanilla, bland and boring, but often, the most magnificent songs ever are forever embedded in its charts. Tips Vocal Exercises for Adult Contemporary Singers Learn how to sing consistently with a well-supported sound and power will come naturally. Get into the habit of speaking the lyrics of the song out loud before singing them. Dont add too many effects to your voice; singing with whatever you have, in its truest form, is adult contemporary. Famous Adult Contemporary  Singers Bruce Hornsby This is a classic example of an adult contemporary theme â€" the songwriters here are reflecting on their own lives and on life in general. Bruce Hornsbys easy, almost-nonchalant style comes across as utterly conversational, perfect for singing about down-to-earth themes. Amy Grant Amy Grant successfully crossed over from contemporary Christian music (which she practically created herself) to pop and adult contemporary. All the while, she never really changed her vocal sound. Throughout this video, she uses dynamics to her advantage to highlight certain words. Lists of Musical Genres Of course, thats not all! There are so many different styles of music to discover, as well as sub-genres within each category. For a comprehensive list of musical genres,  AllMusic is  a great resource. We also love this interactive genre map from Every Noise at Once. So there you have it, the ultimate guide to singing styles! If you have additional questions, check in with your singing  teacher  for help finding your unique voice. Happy singing! About the Author: Heather L. teaches singing and more in St. Augustine, FL. She is  a graduate of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and has performed with the New York and Royal Philharmonics, the New Jersey, and Virginia Symphonies. Learn more about Heather here!