With countless albums spanning over forty years, live recordings, and concert video footage, MJ has left plenty of material to take cues and inspiration from.
Most of Michael Jackson’s trademark touches, such as his peculiar pronunciation of “come on” as “shamone” and exclamations like “hee-hee!,” were improvisations made while recording. Get into the spirit of Jackson’s music when singing by loosening up and adding your own embellishments, or even improvise new lyrics and rhythms for a brand new take on a classic song.
It may not always seem like it, but singing can be a physically stressful activity after a while. Don’t get so into it that you damage your voice. Remember to have fun! Music should be about being moved and spreading that feeling, so relax and enjoy yourself.
Unlike other activities, practicing singing is something you can do every day, even while you’re doing other things! Learn to sing MJ’s songs the way he sang them, then branch out and make use of your own unique vocal range and rhythm. Start with songs like “Will You Be There” for more traditional singing style, then move on to more difficult songs like “Dirty Diana” or “Beat It. "
This option can be a great benefit to your voice but comes with considerable expense. You should probably only hire a vocal coach if you’re a dedicated singer seeking to refine your craft and have the necessary funds. It is not a requirement to work with a vocal coach in order to become a talented singer. Many of today’s most popular artists are self-trained. If you learn the right methods and practice hard, your singing will improve.
An example of a common voice exercise used by choir singers during their warm-up is to repeat a sententious line, often packed full of assonance and alliteration, like “mommy made me mash my M&Ms,” singing your way up and down the scale and hitting a higher octave on each recitation. Since Michael Jackson’s music was sung in a wide variety of ranges, you should also structure your voice exercises to be able to move through different ranges. Songs like “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” will make great voice exercises in themselves because of their rapid changes in rhythm and tone.
Be sure to drink plenty of water before singing for long periods. The moisture will help make your voice supple and protect the tissue in and around your vocal cords from damage. If your throat becomes strained or sore from singing, sip warm tea, gargle mild salt water or use cough drops to sooth the discomfort and use your voice as little as possible to give it a chance to heal.
Listen to recordings of famous tenor singers to get an idea of what a strong natural tenor voice sounds like. One good way to practice singing in the tenor voice is by using a keyboard or piano and singing notes from Upper ‘C’ down to Lower ‘C. ’ By the time Jackson matured, his natural range had dropped to high tenor. This can be heard in his most famous songs, including “Thriller” and “Man in the Mirror. "
Normal soprano range extends from Middle ‘C’ to High ‘A,’ making it the highest vocal range. As such, soprano is ordinarily sung by females; men who can sing in soprano voice boast especially impressive range. Don’t worry if you have trouble settling into the soprano voice. It might take some time to train your voice to properly hit a higher register, or it might simply be out of your natural range. This is okay. Expanding your range is a good focus in voice training, but you should know your limits and always stick within a comfortable natural range. Jackson most famously sung in a soprano voice as a child in Jackson 5 songs like “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There. "
If you’re unsure of how to project in a falsetto voice, try talking in a high-pitched cartoon character voice or “wooing” like you would a concert or sporting event. The same muscle groups used to generate these noises come into play when singing falsetto. The sound should feel like it’s coming out from the center of your head, not from your lower throat or diaphragm. Falsetto was a technique very commonly utilized by Michael Jackson. Songs like “Billie Jean” and “Smooth Criminal” all feature prolonged sections of falsetto vocalization.
