3/12/2017 DiscovertheSecretsofHowtoSingGospel

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HowtoSingGospel

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HowtoSingGospel

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Ifyouveeverlistenedtothegospelgreats,youmayhavewondered
abouthowtosinggospelthewaytheydo.Imalwaysamazedbythesplendorandpoweroftheirvoices
coupledwiththeincredibleenergyoftheirperformances.

Giventhatgospelsongsaresopowerfulandexpressive,whydoestheaveragechurchchoirjustnotreachthe
samelevelofemotionandmusicalglory?Welltoreallysinggospelmusicwell,differenttechniquesand
importantlyadifferentmindsetisnecessary.

HowtoSingGospel
BirthofGospel

ThebirthofgospelmusiccamefromtheAfricanAmericanspiritualsofthesouthinthemidtolate19th
century.Africanslavesbroughtwiththemarichmusicalheritageandpartofthatwastherhythmicalcalland
responsestylesinging.AsmanyweretaughttheChristianfaith,itwasanaturalthingtoincorporatethe
teachingsintothisstyleofspiritualsinging.Also,manyslaveswereilliteratesomuchlearningandpassingon
ofknowledgewasdonethroughsongsandstories.

CallandResponse

Acallandresponsesongrevolvesaroundaleadersingingaphraseandtheothersinthegrouprepeatingit
straightafter.Everyonethenjoinsintogetherforthechorusorrefrain.Itsbeautifulinitssimplicityand
togetherness.Therepetitivelyricsmeaneveryonecaneasilyjoininandcreaterealemotionandmeaningtothe
song.

ClassicchurchhymnssuchasthosewrittenbyIsaacWattsorCharlesWesleyhavealovelyqualitybutaremore
complexwhichmeanslesspeoplecansingthemwell.Multipleversesandalackofswingingrepetitivelines
meanthatmanycongregationsandchoirsdontseemtosingthesehymnswiththatmuchheart.Inaddition,
somechurchesdofrownupontoomuchemotionbeingdisplayedinfrontofothers.

TheRightMindset

SinginggreatgospelthoughrequiresamindsetthatreflectsMakeajoyfulnoiseuntotheLord!Thismeans
looseningup,feelingthesongdeepdownandnotbeingafraidtoletitout!However,forthoseofuswhoreally
wanttobecomeskilled,itdoesntmeanyoucanforgetaboutvocaltechnique.Gospel,afterperhapsopera,is
possiblythemostdemandinganddifficultmusictomaster.

Breathesupportandpowerinthevoiceisparamountwhensinginggospelwell.Phrasingisoftenlong,dramatic
andmoving.Youareconveyingastorytopeoplethatneedstobesungwithtotalbeliefandfeelingsoasto
bringtheaudiencewithyou.Anythinglessrevealsalackofauthenticityorcommitmenttothesong.

CheckoutAlGreensingingJesusIsWaiting.Alhashadanamazingcareerandisstillasvitalasever.
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al green - jesus is waiting

Breathing

Ifyoureallywanttolearnhowtosinggospelwell,thefirststepinvolvesyourbreath.Supportingand
controllingyourbreathisvital.AgreatmethodistheFontanelliExercise.

Todotheexercise,standupinagoodpostureinfrontofafulllengthmirror.Inhalethroughyourmouthwhile
mentallycountingtofourandthenexhaleallthatair(tothecountoffour).Besuretofullyexpandyourbelly
andthenmaintainthatexpansionwhenexhaling.

Oncedoingtheexercisetothecountoffourbecomeseasy,increasethecounttofive,sixandupwards.When
countsofsevenoreightarecomfortable,startdoingaholdphase.Thismeansinhale(countoffour),hold(count
offour)andexhale(countoffour).Keepwatchingyourselfinthemirrortomakesureyoumaintaingood
expansionofyourmidsection.Graduallyincreasethetimes.

Dynamics

NextupisdynamicsandanexcellentexerciseistheMessadiVoce(placementofvoiceinItalian).
RememberingwhatyoujustlearnedwiththeFontanelliExercise,takeinawellsupportedbreathandsinga
comfortablepitchinyourmidrange.Startoffverysoftlyandprogressivelygetlouder,thengraduallybringit
downagain.Thishelpsbuildgoodsupportandcontrolofyourvoicewhichwillallowyoutocreatedynamic
passagesduringsongs.

Expression

Properbreathinganddynamicsaregreatskillsbuttheydontadduptomuchifasingercantexpressthe
meaningofasong.Itsnotenoughtojustsingthewordsasastorymustbetoldtoreallycapturethelisteners
imagination.

Tobegintheprocess,studythelyricsofyoursongandthinkaboutthemessage.Readitoutloudtoyourselfas
thoughyouretellingastory.Youmaynoticeyourselfreadingsomepartsmorevigorouslythanothers,orsome
partsmayfeelbettertobereadquietly.Thisisyouinterpretingthestorynaturallyandisagoodindicatorof
howyoushouldsingthesongaswell.

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SearchforvideosonYoutubeofgreatgospelsingerssuchasMahaliaJackson,MavisStaples,AndraCrouch,
earlyArethaFranklinandSamCooke,SowetoGospelChoiretc.Watchcloselyhowtheyinterpretthesongsand
expressthemselvesduringtheirperformances.

SingGospel

AndrememberthatgospelmusicshouldbeajoyfulandUPLIFTINGexperienceforyouandeveryonearound
you.Enjoythesemomentsandletyourselfsoarhighinthesky!

Tohelpyouincreaseyourvocalrangeanddevelopbeautifultone,werecommendRogerBurnley,thefounderof
SingingMadeSimple.Heprovidesaverycomprehensiveandprofessionalcoursethatincludesdvdsanda
memberswebsite.RogerhascoachedmanysuccessfulsingersincludingMaceyGray.Youalsogetaccessto
someamazinginterviewswithmusicindustryveterans.CheckoutSingingMadeSimple.

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