Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Do you love musical theatre? Do you want to sing Broadway theatre songs? If you do, you’ll need both crisp diction and good vocal technique. Keep reading to learn how to sing powerful Broadway songs.
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How to Sing Powerful Broadway Songs: Interpretation Through Imagination
Broadway theatre happens live, which means it provides an excellent opportunity to connect with your audience.
Therefore, if you want to perform powerful music, you must develop good interpretation skills.
- First, you’ll need to interpret the emotional content of the lyrics and bring that emotion to your vocal performances.
- How? You do this by using your imagination.
- One of the easier ways is to imagine that you’re the character you are portraying.
For example, in the Inner Game of Music Barry Green quotes a soprano who describes her interpretive strategy.
I decided to [focus] on the character of the old lady. We turned out the lights, and I sat slumped in a chair for a few minutes. Then I began just speaking the text of the song as though I was an old woman.
I found myself close to tears. When the lights came on again, I felt peaceful and assured. I knew I had become the old woman, and my sense of myself as a singer had disappeared… The music flowed through me… (94-95)
Thus, you can use the power of your imagination to connect with your audience.
How to Sing Powerful Broadway Songs: Vocal Technique
Vocal technique is critical in Broadway theatre, because you must be heard in the last row.
- The following links bring you to vocal tips that’ll help you become a better singer.
- The emphasis is on good vowel production, mastering intonation, followed by a few key vocal tips.
- The next section deals with diction, which you must master if you plan to perform on stage.
If you want to have a good vocal tone, you must produce strong vowels.
Do you have issues with singing on pitch? The following posts will help.
These links have sing-along soundtracks that are designed to help you hone your harmonizing skills.
Vocal Tips
Click on the links for these helpful vocal tips.
- The power in your singing
- Singing phrases
- The benefits of training without vibrato
- Fine-tuning your pitch through your awareness of beating
In addition, when harmonizing with other vocalists, be aware of the shifting tone color that results from changing harmonies.
How to Sing Powerful Broadway Songs: Good Diction
You’ll need good diction, because Broadway theatre is live, otherwise your audience won’t understand your lyrics.
The secret of good diction is your consonants, because they’re what separate the vowel sounds into intelligible words.
- What’s diction? It’s how you pronounce your words.
- Vowels are important for your tone, but your consonants are critical for lyrical clarity.
- Schirmer’s Diction Coach series is geared toward opera but is a superb resource for any singer.
Diction Coach
Final Thoughts
Takeaway Points
- If you want to sing powerful songs, you must have strong interpretation skills.
- Vocal technique is critical for stage performers, because you must be heard in the last row.
- Broadway theatre is live, so you must have good diction, otherwise your audience won’t understand your lyrics.
Have fun performing!
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