Page 10 - Write Away Magazine Dec 2019

George Michael’s Vocals

In the coaching world, one of the primary things The ability to instantly go from a huge belt to a
to get working in a voice quickly is efficiency and seductive and breathy voice is one of the greatest
adduction - the proper closing of the vocal folds. hallmarks of George Michael’s sound. He was
So many other great things become available truly masterful at it. And he could do it more
when we can do this. So what about all the than once within the same vocal line.
breathy songs out there? Are they sung poorly?
Are they bad? Not at all. But if you’re in George Michael had a GREAT tone to his voice.
training with a pro coach and the ONLY thing It always sounded very open, controlled and

you can ever do after training is sing breathy, accurate. What made his performances shine
then you’d probably want to be asking some was his deliberate (or naturally intuitive)
questions. A car that can go 200Km/hr can movement from breathy to belt without
obviously travel at 60 if the driver desires, yet changing his tone. This takes skill and a deep
a car that can only go to 60 can’t go to 200. A emotional connection to his voice. Listen to his
voice that can sing powerfully can obviously pull performances and you’ll notice him moving in
back and sing breathy and intimately, but a voice and out seamlessly.
that can only ever do that, can’t sing with power.
So when you’re working on your performances
When a singer interprets a song, there are this month, why not take a leaf out of his book
multiple options available to them. Loud or soft? and try singing some phrases differently to

Pushing the groove or sitting back on it? Bright how you usually would. If you have a naturally
and twangy or dark and mellow? Perfect diction breathy voice, try singing a few with a clear tone,
(that might make a contemporary song suck) or and if you naturally sing very clear and
approximate diction (that would make efficiently, try singing a word or two with some
traditional singing suck) and breathy or clear. breath for emphasis. I can’t stress enough what a

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