Academic or classical vocals differ markedly from jazz or pop performance techniques. It is based on musical traditions dating back to the 16th century. Today classical vocals are performed in the opera, chapel, academic choir. However, some pop singers also work in an academic manner.

Distinctive features of academic vocals

• Academic vocals do not involve the use of a microphone or other amplifying equipment. The vocalist, thanks to complete control over his voice, is able to sound the hall without merging or entering into confrontation with the orchestra.
• A competent academic vocalist is distinguished by the ability to sing in a wide vocal range and the ability to qualitatively reproduce the most complex material in the musical and technical sense. At the same time, the slightest superfluous overtones are not allowed: tremolations, vultures, wheezing and other sound defects. Academic vocals - striving for the ideal singing manner: the singer achieves a volumetric clear sound of the voice.
• A musician working in classical technique masters the widest palette of means of musical, vocal and artistic expression. The singer is able to reproduce the most subtle and transparent tones, and produce extremely vivid expressive compositions. At the same time, regardless of the range of feelings put into the song, it turns out to be harmonious, beautiful and aesthetically perfect.

Why study classical vocals?

A solid foundation is important for a building, so a professional musician cannot do without a high-quality vocal base. Regardless of the genre in which the singer plans to work, academic vocals can become an excellent basis for his further creative development. It allows you to maximize the development of natural abilities, master the basic vocal techniques, study and learn how to effectively use the mechanisms of voice control.

How is academic vocal training going?

In academic vocal lessons for beginners under the supervision of professional teachers, you can develop and develop the following important skills:

• Correct singing breathing.
• Clear articulation and diction;
• Ability to place the right accents;
• Ability to competently use singing techniques, which include the use of resonators, singing on a support and other vocal possibilities.

In addition, academic vocal classes will help you prepare for performing on the professional stage. For example, the teachers of the music school on the website help their students choose a repertoire that best suits their vocal abilities, and also contribute to the development of the singer's artistry and emotional expressiveness.

What is pop vocals?

Pop vocals - this is a special kind of modern vocal art, which, as it becomes clear even from the name, is directly related to the stage. At the same time, we will say that he has a lot of shades, because he combines many styles and directions, creates a rich palette of images.

Choosing your style.

Among the songs that relate to pop vocals, you can see:

• Bright jazz compositions.
• Songs with folk tunes in modern processing.
• Author's songs.
• Modern chanson.
• Rock works

Pop vocal classes involve a huge palette of expressive means , bright and interesting, allowing not only to demonstrate all the abilities of the vocalist, but also to present any song in the required dramatic performance.

Flexible genre that allows you to showcase your voice from the most attractive side . It is no secret that in each new performance the same piece may sound differently, because the framework of pop vocals also contains the dramatic talent of the performer.

And yet, despite all the performer's abilities, the most important value in pop vocals is the voice: sound power, timbre, range - all this affects the final result. The technologies of modern equipment make it possible to apply a variety of voice effects, phonograms, backing tracks - all this is an integral part of pop vocals.

Many people think that pop vocals are the younger brother of the academic and are of no value. There are even opinions that this is not vocals at all, but that it’s a cross between yard singing with a guitar and dashing songs at a wedding. But this is what people who have never encountered real pop vocals say: exercises and chanting, classes to improve diction and articulation, range development - all this is fully applicable to pop vocals.

Vocalist (from the Latin words vox - "voice" and vocalis - "sounding") —

a musical profession associated with singing, that is, performing various vocal parts; a member of any vocal-instrumental ensemble in which this member performs vocal parts.

The term "vocalist" is almost the same as the term "singer" but in modern pop music it is interpreted somewhat broader, in particular, implying the possibility of using declamation, recitative, screaming, etc.

A singer is one who sings, is engaged in singing. A performer of vocal music: songs, romances, arias, choirs, singles, etc. A person performing music on an instrument, which is his own voice. The singer is the most common type of vocalist.

Leader-vocalist - participant musical groupperforming mainly the main vocal parts.

Back Vocalist - a member of a musical group performing additional, harmonic vocal parts (kind of backing vocals).

Types of vocal performance.

Depending on how many people and how exactly they participate in the vocal performance of the work, such types of vocals are divided as:

• Solo singing (singles);
• Ensemble singing (from two to 10 people, usually performing different parts);
• Choral singing (from 5-7 to several dozen people, some of whom lead identical parts).

There are various systems for classifying voices (and singers, respectively). Some of them take into account the strength of the voice, that is, how loud a singer can sing. Others - how mobile, virtuoso, the singer's voice is distinct. Still others include non-musical characteristics such as appearance, acting ability, etc.

The most commonly used classification is based on the vocal range and gender of the singer. Even guided by only these two criteria, many varieties are obtained:

• soprano - high female voice
• mezzo-soprano - middle female voice
• contralto - a low female voice (in choral music it is customary to call it simply the viola)

• tenor - high male voice
• baritone - middle male voice
• bass - low male voice

Other vocal varieties are coloratura soprano, dramatic tenor, bass-baritone, bass-profundo. There is even a category of male singers who sing in the range of a female voice. This type of voice is rare but is still used today, mainly in opera. In Baroque music, many roles were written for castrated male singers who underwent castration as a boy to prevent mutation and to maintain a high female voice. In modern vocal performance, these roles can be performed by a singer who has a developed technique of falsetto singing. Singers of this type are called countertenors (aka male viola).

Where can I learn to sing? The question is undoubtedly quite general: the fact is that some are interested, for example, in jazz improvisation, while others feel confident enough in karaoke, etc.

Vocal classification according to the manner of performance.

Academic vocals (classical, opera).

Academic vocals are old classical vocal school. Academic singers sing in the opera, in the academic choir, in the chapel, with symphony orchestra, as well as in the genre of chamber vocal music. Academic vocals differ from pop, jazz and rock vocals in their strictly classical position. Academic vocals do not involve singing into a microphone. There are certain frameworks in academic vocal, developed by the experience and history of vocal music. This framework, as a rule, does not allow an academic singer to use his voice in other vocal directions. With experience, an academic singer develops a certain vocal position, thanks to which the voice becomes very strong and acquires a large volume. However, in rare cases, academics can perform in other vocal genres, if they can facilitate the presentation of the sound.

Pop vocals.

Pop vocal - pop singing combines many song directions, unites the entire palette of vocal art. Pop vocal, first of all, implies singing from the stage, but the concept of pop vocal, as a rule, is associated with easy and understandable music. In pop vocals, you can hear both folk motives and elements of jazz, this is also the author's song and elements of rock music. Pop vocals differ from academic vocals in a more open and more natural sound. However, singing skills, correct position and sound support are just as essential in pop vocals as they are in academic.

Jazz vocals.

Jazz vocals - first of all, implies an ideal sense of rhythm and harmony, as well as voice mobility and the ability to improvise. In jazz singing, it is necessary to feel the form of the work, to be able to present your understanding of the melodic theme, modifying it but without leaving the necessary harmony. Just as important is the sensitive partnership of musicians, the ability to improvise on the go.

Rock vocals.

Rock vocals are usually the singing of a vocalist in a rock band. Rock vocals differ from jazz singing in a more emotional presentation. Rock vocals involve a more semantic load than vocal. However, a rock vocalist needs to have some serious vocal training. A rock vocalist should also have courage and complete freedom in an emotional and musical sense.

Folk singing or ethnic singing.

Folk singing, ethnic singing, as follows from the term itself, is singing that has existed since the appearance of man, and is distinguished by the characteristic features inherent in one or another nationality, ethnic group. Echoes of folk tradition can be found both in academic (classical) musical culture and in pop (urban) musical culture. In general, folk singing is characterized by a flat sky, singing in strings.

The so-called throat singing is a kind of folk singing, in which the singer, while singing, uses not only the ligaments, but the throat itself, the resonating cavity of the mouth, larynx, due to which the overtones of the main tone become audible.

At the same time, it is precisely the academic vocal staging that is at the heart of everything: it gives freedom of voice control.At the same time, the transition from "jazz to academic" type can become a real breakdown for a singer, which is why it is advisable to immediately decide what exactly one wants to study.

It is important to understand that it is impossible to teach singing professionally in 2-3 months, even people with natural voice and perfect pitch.In the case of academic vocals, for the first year, you will have to sing only exercises, vocalizations (singing without words - in "oh-oh-oh" or "ah-ah") and simple songs.Then you can gradually move on to romances and simple arias. The point is not that the science of singing is based on some technique available to the elite. In fact, you can tell how to sing correctly in half an hour, everything else is a matter of training.

Vocal lessons are history for several years.

In this sense, singing is like a sport. Depending on natural abilities, it will turn out a little faster or a little slower, but in any case, persistent training is needed.

The most common and correct form of vocal training is individual lessons with a teacher (here we do not touch upon the ensemble-choral school - this is a whole separate world).

Finding your teacher is quite difficult, and even recommendations do not guarantee anything: here it is also important to get together in a purely human way, because you will have to spend a lot of time together. There are more ways of teaching than there are varieties of vocals, one might say, each teacher has his own manner.

There is an old academic school, there are former rockers, etc. Of course, one thing unites them: there are no singing teachers who do not sing.The quality of the teacher's singing does not directly affect the quality of teaching.

Why do you need vocal lessons for children.

Singing lessons for children are more fun than learning. Every child is talented. There are no children who are completely deaf or completely devoid of rhythm.

Vocal training for preschool and school age is not just a way to keep your child busy when he is not attending school or kindergarten:

• Through singing lessons, the child learns to understand and feel the beauty of music, learns to appreciate it and himself participates in the creation of beauty.
• Vocal for beginner children forms such qualities as a sense of rhythm, hearing, develops the vocal apparatus, improves speech, motor skills.
• Vocals for toddlers, older preschoolers, schoolchildren and adolescents develop creativity. The child becomes more confident in himself, learns to set goals and achieve them, gains the ability to control himself, his voice, body and emotions.
• And also a children's vocal studio or school is a great opportunity to expand the circle of communication of a young singer.

Pop vocals
Pop vocal - pop singing combines many song directions, unites the entire palette of vocal art. Pop vocal, first of all, implies singing from the stage, but the concept of pop vocal, as a rule, is associated with easy and understandable music. In pop vocals, you can hear both folk motives and elements of jazz, this is also the author's song and elements of rock music. Pop vocals differ from academic vocals in a more open and more natural sound. However, singing skills, correct position and sound support are just as essential in pop vocals as they are in academic.

Jazz vocals
Jazz vocals - first of all, implies an ideal sense of rhythm and harmony, as well as voice mobility and the ability to improvise. In jazz singing, it is necessary to feel the form of the work, to be able to present your understanding of the melodic theme, modifying it but without leaving the necessary harmony. The sensitive partnership of the musicians is also important, the ability to improvise on the go.

Rock vocals
Rock vocals are usually the singing of a vocalist in a rock band. Rock vocals differ from jazz singing in a more emotional presentation. Rock vocals involve a more semantic load than vocal. However, a rock vocalist needs to have some serious vocal training. A rock vocalist should also have courage and complete freedom in an emotional and musical sense.

Screaming or screaming (from the English scream - to scream)

A vocal technique based on the splitting technique is often used in such styles of music as black metal, grindcore, death metal, metalcore, emocore, deathcore, speed metal (rarely). The correct scream can be described as a scream, or rather, a wheezing scream with a very high tessituation, while the wrong one sounds like a shriek. It was first used on the self-titled debut album of the Swedish black metal band Bathory in 1984. Screaming is usually used by male vocalists, but there are some exceptions (for example, Opera IX / Cadaveria, Astarte, Lucifugum, Walls of Jericho, Otep, Holy Moses, Kittie, In This Moment, The Agonist, Crisis, Demonic Christ, Dylath-Leen , Matriarch, Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, Arkona). Can be used in combination with female operatic vocals (for example, Cradle of Filth, Russian bands Tvangeste, Arcane Grail).

Grim (from the English grim - "gloomy", "ominous")

The kind of screaming, sounding more hoarse and low, calmer than typical screaming, and without hysteria, is similar in extraction method to strobus. It resembles the casting of dark spells and is created exclusively by vibration of the ligaments in a relaxed state. Used mainly in black metal and dark metal. Typical representatives are the vocalists of Immortal, Satyricon, in some Cradle of Filth songs (eg The Death of Love).

Croak
A high-pitched, more puffed-up air, reminiscent of a crow's croak (also called croak), can be heard on the vocalists of the Norwegian black metal bands Immortal, Carpathian Forest and Mayhem Olve "Abbot" Eikemo, Roger "Nattefrost" Rasmussen and Sven-Erik "Maniac" Christiansen, respectively. In melodic death metal, the croak vocals are represented by the vocalist of the Finnish band Eternal Tears of Sorrow Altti Vetelainen.

Shrike (from the English shriek - "scream")

A kind of extreme vocals, reminiscent of a broken voice. Used in depressive black metal. The first performer was Varg Vikernes, the creator and sole member of the Norwegian band Burzum. Typical representatives are Austere, Urfaust, Wigrid, Silencer, Aaskereia.

Screamo

A kind of extreme vocals used in such styles as emocore, screamo, emo-violence. Sounds like a hysterical scream. The extraction technique is similar to the shrike and has nothing to do with screaming. It is done on the vocal cords by "forcing falsetto". Typical representatives are the vocalists of the bands Alesana, Funeral Diner, Orchid, Enter Shikari, Envy, Limp Bizkit.

Dirty-scream - dirty scream

Dirt-screaming sounds much more aggressive than fry-screaming. Due to its aggressiveness and rigidity, it is rarely used, and mainly in deathcore. Used by Bring Me the Horizon on Count Your Blessings, Alesana, Haste The Day and Suicide Silence.

Harsh (from the English harsh - "hoarse")

A type of screaming used in styles such as thrash metal, metalcore and nu metal. Typicals are Slayer, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Mushroomhead, Element Eighty, Louna, Grendel, Amaranthe, Five Finger Death Punch

Fry-screaming (from the English fry-screaming)

Reception of extreme vocals, in which the required sound is achieved through a forced sip. Used in hardcore, metalcore, melodic death metal styles. Typical representatives are Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage, In Flames, Anal Cunt.

Pig voice

Reception of extreme vocals, reminiscent of the squeal of a pig. Such vocals in the common people are called bree-bree (Bree-bree).

Folskord (from English false chords - "false chords")

A type of extreme singing in which the sound is obtained by splitting on false ligaments. Mainly used in styles such as metalcore, chaotic hardcore and post-hardcore. Representatives - Architects, Bring Me the Horizon.

Growling or growling (from the English growling - "growl")

Split singing in some extreme music styles, mainly black, death and doom metal, as well as grindcore and deathcore.

People learned to create artistic images, to convey delight, despair, warmth with the help of voice long ago, and singing, as an art, was born when the desire arose to express feelings in a musical line. No instrument can convey the richness of human emotion like a voice. What is vocal, and why, in pursuit of an ideal, people sometimes lose the most important thing - freedom, sincerity, ease of performance - interests many of our contemporaries.

Vocal performance is one of the oldest ways to convey vivid images folk art... In the process of development, the singing phenomenon formed special musical directions, when the mastery of the voice gave birth to idols on the stage, in opera, and folklore.

A vocalist must have certain abilities:

• correctly recreate sounds of different heights;
• have a sense of rhythm;
• know musical notation, theoretical basis;
• be able to coordinate the auditory mechanism with the vocal apparatus.

The vocalists develop some skills in the process of training, acquire the knowledge necessary for professional implementation in any direction.

Classic execution

As different styles have evolved, academic vocals, whose origins date back to the 16th century, remain the basic foundation for all performers. To learn to sing well, it is not enough to have a strong voice.

What is Academic Vocal? Professionals know that half of success lies in proper breathing, and the job is to exercise every day. The teachers of skill have a lot of techniques with which they achieve maximum opening of the larynx. Special techniques help improve the technique for deep, rich singing.

1. Skillful use of vocal resonators is one of the most important aspects of vocals. For most vocalists, skill comes with experience. The ability to steer the sound in the right direction is essential for a vocalist.
2. Pivot point ownership. An academic singer should be able to produce the sounds of the low and high position. For this, head, chest resonators are used.
3. Development of imaginative thinking. Everyone knows - the voice comes from the larynx, but the artist must imagine that the sounds originate in the chest, and only then burst out. When playing high notes, tutors achieve lightness of sound, the feeling that the sound, penetrating through the soft palate, comes out of the crown.

When the ligaments are as open as possible, it becomes much more expressive with the same tessiture. The owner of the unique larynx F.I. Chaliapin did not have to "yawn" for days on end, walk with a spoon in his mouth to open the ligaments.

There are opinions that Luciano Pavarotti did not use any points and positions, he sang with the natural position of the vocal cords, but the uniqueness of his timbre, his voice radiating warmth is unlikely to be disputed by anyone. But even systematic training does not help everyone to get closer to ideals.

Features of pop performance

Popular art differs in many ways from the classical style, but not everyone with a beautiful voice can sing the modern repertoire. The school of pop art is based on its own techniques and a distinctive manner of performance.

When asked what pop vocals are, people are interested to know what meaning this expression reflects, and how popular performance differs from academic creativity. Vocalists go through the stages of basic training almost the same. They work on breathing, developing range, and the ability to control the vocal mechanism.

The classical style is usually perceived by trained and musically educated people. Pop vocals are an open manner of extracting and delivering sound, it is understandable for most listeners. Secular content, simple form presentation also requires certain skills from the performer. Variety lessons, as in other areas of singing art, begin with certain exercises:

• learning the basics of proper breathing;
• extraction of resonator sound;
• mastering singing positions.

After the preparatory exercises, work begins on the performance numbers. At the beginning, the performers have difficulties - it is difficult to combine all the moments. But regular and consistent classes allow you not to think about academic background - they are performed mechanically. Variety performance combines several directions:

• expressive jazz;
• melodic and fiery folk songs in modern arrangements;
• bardic compositions;
• rock music;
• pop music.

This allows you to go beyond cultural, social and linguistic traditions... The differences in vocal skill among academic performers and pop singers are blurred. In all cases, a professional artist must have the main wealth - a voice, clear diction, a wide range.

Honing their skills with basic exercises, daily rehearsals, the vocalists go on stage without concentrating on the technique of performance. The audience enjoys the performance and gives the singer a round of applause. The listeners do not think about what it cost an academic or variety performer his successful performance.

No matter how unexpected it may be for me, but we will really talk about pop vocals and this time only good, but no, and the same will be bad, but everything, as they say, for the sake of truth. And so, I think, 90% of the visitors to my blog, in principle, just for the sake of singing in pop style, came here. I don't mind, I'm all for it! In general, I believe that any singing, in principle, is useful for a person in all respects, as long as it does not go beyond the natural capabilities of the human body.

Get to the point

Friends, now, I will both delight and disappoint you.

School of pop singing - is as much a real thing as Santa Claus, the Loch Ness monster, bogeyman, a good Jew and a white nigger!

This is both good and bad for you, and I understand that. Usually, a person who comes to the Internet and looks for something that meets the query “ pop vocal school"Hopes to see both the address and phone number and teachers with a bunch of cool reviews about how cool they are, but guys, do not get fooled by this divorce, you are simply deceived!

I'll explain, don't spit it out:

The fact is that the vocal school itself implies: setting up the vocal apparatus, developing vocal skills, developing all parts of the vocal apparatus and the ability to use them. I heard hell knows how many entertainers and from the point of view of the above, 90% of them can't portray a damn thing. And so it was, is and will always be, and because such music has only momentary meaning, it should not be complex, deep and highly professional. Pop music is needed to mow loot from people, and nothing else. And if suddenly the show business runs out of money, all pop singers will run away from there, because no one wants to sing this shit without money. And I do not blame them, because everyone needs money, without it anywhere. Simply, I think that the average listener takes pop music too seriously, which was written to sound on the radio, at weddings, in cafes, etc.

I do not beg everyone to run to opera houses and educate themselves there, because without mental preparation and understanding of high-quality music, Operas will seem to you complete nonsense. Just think, why do you need to live in a small one-room apartment, if there is an opportunity to live in a huge mansion? It's the same with singing. Well, then, why?, Listen only to pop vocalists, and ignore the operatic art, which has been developing for centuries, because people who created classical music spent on their education and musical activity all ones life.

The operatic vocal school has centuries of experience and a huge path of self-improvement, there is so much vocal knowledge and wonderful art, well, does it really not deserve attention, if not among everyone, then at least among people interested in vocals! It is there, in academic singing, that you will find answers to all your questions concerning singing., and not in some sharashkin office, which will tell you that they will teach you to sing better than anyone else.

Classical music deserves respect

Dear friends, I suggest you visit the site of Alexander Drozdov, ex-soloist of VIA Blue Bird. On the site you can view recordings of Alexander's performances, get acquainted with his work, as well as order the organization of a concert with the participation of the artist.

So, the pop singing school is more of an amateur group, and the teachers there simply teach some basics of vocal art, which, in principle, are not needed by anyone and even the students in these schools, they just do not know about it. Variety art has always been an amateur performance and for this I do not blame her, but then why change traditions?

Over the past few decades, a bunch of different schools of modern vocal have appeared, because everyone is tired of the old one, it seems to novice singers to be uninteresting, difficult, incomprehensible and not popular, and besides, teachers will not make money on academic vocals, as on pop singers!

But guys, here's my advice to you, learn at least the basics of vocal art in an academic class, even in any music school, and then get out of there and sing in your own way, because pop vocals are so wonderful that it is not necessary to sing better there , everyone, it's enough to sing not like everyone else. Be individual, if you want, sing the stage, but you should not learn this from someone, do not imitate anyone.

Be yourself in the end, and do not squint under someone! Each singer should have a zest, and in a pop singer, the zest should be greater than the singer himself and even stick out, because very few people have high vocal abilities there!

For example, I respect in the stage: Grigory Leps, Alexander Ponomarev, Nikolai Baskov, Nikolai Noskov, the Group NOT ANGELS, Tina Karol, Lara Fabian, Ani Lorak, Pelageya, Olga Kormukhina, and in principle many others. And they all sympathize because they are all individual in their own way, they all have unique roles and manner of singing, they all have taken their own unique niche in the stage, thanks to their uniqueness!

Friends love music and try to discover it for yourself from all sides, try to find something new in it.

I also once thought that there are no vocalists on the planet better than Kipelov, but then, with all due respect to him, I discovered a huge number of singers who are not inferior to him in rock and opera!