It may not have reached "Let It Go" acclaim quite yet, but "Into the Unknown" is exploding in popularity, and nobody is that surprised. When Frozen 2 came on the scene, everyone was already waiting to hear what the next big Idina Menzel hit would sound like. "Into the Unknown" is catchy and fun to sing, but those choruses and that bridge are high and on fairly unfriendly vowels. If you're ready to stop ignoring the whispers and want to try journeying into the unknown vocally, start with this post to make your trip a little less perilous.
Close to a decade ago, when Kesha (then Ke$ha) was out there performing “Tik Tok,” it didn’t feel likely that one of her songs would eventually make it into our Hard Songs to Sing collection. But “Praying” is a whole different beast. If you’ve tried it, you may have found that it begins lower than […]
Rachel Platten 08-20-2015-5, by Justin Higuchi, under CC BY 2.0 Rachel Platten’s latest hit, “Stand By You,” is an uplifting, catchy pop song that doesn’t seem particularly difficult until you try to sing it. Like her previous hit, Fight Song, “Stand By You” mostly falls in a range that’s pretty high for most people to […]
Sam Smith Oct 23, 2014 at O2 ABC, Glasgow, UK, by marcen27, under CC BY 2.0 Sam Smith’s songs are full of intricate runs and fluid adjustments between registers. I’ve worked with many frustrated students on one of his most popular ones, “Lay Me Down.” The song’s opening verse meanders stream-of-conscience style in a way […]
We recently got a request for “Problems,” by Ariana Grande for our Hard Songs to Sing collection. It’s a great choice, because anyone who’s tried it knows what an intensely hard song it is. Grande has over a 4-octave range, and while we may not be able to give you that, we can give you […]
I often get asked whether students learn to sing better in a group environment or a private one. Many voice teachers would unhesitatingly say that private lessons are more effective, and in many ways there’s truth to that, but the answer isn’t quite that simple. What Are Private Voice Lessons Better For? For a personalized […]
Our incredible vocal student Lucy sang a stunning rendition of Rachel Platten’s new hit, “Fight Song” in last night’s recital, reminding everyone how tough the song is! To pull it off, you should either have a strong, high belt or a powerful head-mix, along with great dynamic control. I thought it’d be a perfect song […]
Luciano Pavarotti in Vélodrome Stadium, 15/06/02, by Pirlouiiiit Pirlouiiiit, under CC BY-SA 2.0 You’ve all heard it before: “If you can sing classical music, you can sing anything!” “Pop singers won’t be able to sing classical music, but classical singers can easily apply what they know to pop music.” “If you have a healthy classical […]
Sia-SXSW 2008, by kris krug, under CC BY-SA 2.0When you just listen to the first 30 seconds of Sia’s latest mega hit, “Chandelier,” with its largely monotone verses and self-consciously auto-tuned pre-chorus, (1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, drink) you probably wouldn’t nominate it as a contender for hardest song to sing. But then the […]