How to Match a Voice to a Song

When you're given a piece of vocal music to sing at voice lessons, you first tackle and master the notes. But don't stop there. The next step is digging into the music to make your voice match the mood of the song. It takes more than good mimicry. Like an actor, a vocal musician will study the piece of music to discover the mood and the heart of the piece.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Make sure your instructor selects a song at voice lessons that works with your range. You can't match your voice to a song if your alto voice can't possibly reach the high notes.
2. Go beyond the notes once you've mastered them. Study the lyrics and try to understand the story that is being told. Say them out loud. Look up words in the dictionary that you might not recognize.
3. Find out the context of the piece. Is the piece from a play or Broadway musical? For example, knowing the story from "Wicked" will help you sing the character Glinda's perky song "Popular." At voice lessons, ask your instructor to help you research the background of your song.
4. Connect with the mood of the song by matching your voice to suit the mood. Listen to the piece performed by another musical artist. What emotions do they bring to the song? Do you agree with their choices? Think about what you might contribute to the piece to help interpret the mood.
5. Bring the music to life by expressing the emotions you find there. Is the song happy or sad? Bluesy or contemporary? Look at the dynamics of the song. Does it call for loud (forte or F) or soft (pianissimo or p)?

Tips & Warnings

• Whatever you do, try to avoid a karaoke-style of singing. You can learn to appreciate another artist's interpretation of an old standard, but bring something fresh to it.