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Hey Singers, I’m Justin Stoney
the Founder of New York Vocal Coaching
welcoming you to Ep. 20 of Voice Lessons Online.
This is the show where passionate Voice Teachers
from all over the world help us LEARN from
some of the greatest singers of all time.
Today’s singer was one of the most beloved R&B singers
we’ve ever known.
Rich baritone depth, soothing pop float,
and endless nuance - all spun together with
charm, ease, and love -
it’s Luther Vandross.
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So much glory.
Alright, let’s learn from Luther.
First, Kacey Velazquez is here to explore how
Luther conveys emotion through dynamics.
Hi everyone.
Luther Vandross was such an incredible singer
and one of the things that made his voice
so amazing was his use of dynamics.
Dynamics are how loud or soft we sing
and controlling our dynamics allow us to
add intensity and artistry to our performances.
Let’s take a listen to Luther doing this so amazingly well.
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Brilliant.
We can tell that Luther really understood
the meaning of his songs and used dynamics to
convey that to audiences
and connect with them deeper.
From Luther, we can learn that if we’re really intentional
with our dynamics and where we place them,
we can create lasting impacts.
Thank you all so much for having me again
and I’ll see you soon.
Excellent Kacey!
Next, Arbender Robinson.
I can’t wait for this.
Tell us about why it’s okay for singing to be “easy”.
Hey friends.
So I've had the pleasure of working with many music directors
and I've sang with many music groups and one day
I was in a rehearsal.
I'm a tenor, I love to sing high, I love big powerful songs
and the music director said to me,
“Arbender loud is not thrilling. But thrilling is thrilling.”
And this message perplexed me
for a very long time.
So I went back and I started looking at different artists
to find someone that was thrilling while being thrilling.
And Luther Vandross is the king at doing this.
Sometimes it's not too big, sometimes it's not too loud,
and at times it's not even too high.
But it's still thrilling and compelling and audiences love it.
So let's take a few looks at Luther Vandross
thinking about that idea, that loud is not thrilling
but thrilling is thrilling, and see if we can find
thrilling things happening in the vocals.
Check it out.
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And if that wasn't enough I also want you to
look at this clip for more vocal stylings that are thrilling
without always being loud or big,
but thrilling is thrilling.
Check this out.
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You see what I mean?
So in your own vocals why don't we spend a little time
trying to be thrilling in the vocals without
taking the easy path of just being loud
and big and singing high.
Let's make thrilling, thrilling.
Let me know how that works out for you.
Just awesome stuff Good Sir!
And Nicolás Hormazábal - help us dive deeper into Luther’s style.
One of the most important things to sing in one particular style
is to be on the style… you know…
each style has some kind of requirements
Luther Vandross knew about that,
because if we analyze,
we can find a lot of Gospel and R&B resources in his voice.
For example, we can find a medium/low larynx…
[demonstrates]
then we can find breathiness,
its super common to hear breathy voices in gospel, soul, R&B.
[demonstrates]
Vibrato too is one of the most important things,
and it’s not this fast vibrato, its more like a slow vibrato,
it sounds like [demonstrates]
and its super common in R&B, Gospel & Soul music.
And finally, Luther Vandross used a lot of riffs & runs,
and Riffs and Runs are a typical resource on gospel,
and R&B or Soul music.
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Nice points Nicolás!
And Zac Bradford - what about Luther’s
incredibly efficient vocal technique?
One of the key elements that contributed to Luther Vandross’
masterful technique and emotive singing style was his
skillful use of breath flow!
He had remarkable control over the use of his breath,
allowing him to sustain long notes and phrases,
to execute intricate riffs and runs,
and to infuse his performances with soulful nuance.
Check it out.
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He had the ability to pivot between vocal registers,
vocal dynamics and phonation types.
One very consistent element across all these changes
was his generous and easy release of breath flow
release of breath flow.
A great example is in this next clip,
where Luther starts the phrase in breathy phonation.
He then effortlessly belts out a G4
and does this skillfully by increasing the vocal fold compression,
while still maintaining a higher amount of flow,
enough so that it's easy, warmer, and smooth on
the belted phrase “But a chair…”.
Which you'll hear in a moment.
It’s also worth mentioning that what also assists
with this vocal coordination
is his optimal resonance tuning, or his vowel shape,
on the G4.
Check it out!
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We can all learn a lot from Luther Vandross!
Not only can learning to flow improve your technical efficiency,
but it can also enhance your expression
and communication as a singer.
A great way to start exploring flow in your practice
is to use semi-occluded vocal tract exercises,
like lip trills, raspberries, and straw phonation.
Well that is all from me this time singers.
I look forward to seeing you next time!
Thanks Zac.
And thanks to all our experts!
I’m going to share what I’ve learned from Luther in a moment,
but first - here are some resources to bring your vocal journey
into the here and now!
To get to know the Voice Lessons Online team or schedule a lesson,
visit VoiceLessonsOnline.com.
To get your copy of Justin Stoney's book
"Sing Like Never Before", visit SingLikeNeverBefore.com
If you'd like a vocal course that you can do from home,
check out the Voice Lessons To The World Vocal Course.
Our 12 part program takes you on a journey
from beginner to master level vocal exercises.
Find it at VoiceLessonsToTheWorld.com.
If you're a voice teacher looking to master your craft,
join our worldwide community at VoiceTeacherTraining.com.
Finally, if you'd like free vocal tips sent to you each day,
sign up at DailyVocalTips.com.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of
Luther Vandross without thinking about
“Dance With My Father”.
If you somehow don’t know this song,
I think it’s time you heard a little bit of it…
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Now, I’m tempted to talk about Luther’s range,
his style, his soulfulness.
But, I mean, that song.
What a song!
Luther himself said that this was the song of a lifetime.
“I’ve written my career song…
I want to make sure everyone
around me knows that I feel that way.”
But what can we learn from this?
Well, remember, Luther’s biggest achievement
as an artist came from when his singing was…
Vulnerable.
He sang about something very dear to him
Honest.
He told us exactly what he experienced and felt
Generous.
He honored someone else with his voice
and healing.
His song comforted him and many others.
Vulnerability, honesty, generosity, healing.
An incredible combination.
So, I want us to do this too.
If you’re a singer, a songwriter, voice teacher,
or just a music fan - ask yourself…
Can I sing about something personal?
Can I find a spirit of honesty in my singing?
Can I sing as a gift for someone else?
And can my singing be healing for me?
I hope you try this!
It doesn’t mean you have to write the “Song Of The Year”,
but if you do it
you’ll have done something just as important.
You’ll have danced.
Just like our friend Luther is doing.
We’ll see you next time for more Voice Lessons Online!
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