With some rad wolf skill art, the new Vocalist skill is a popular one with DIY users. One of the greatest things about singing is that you don't need much else other than a voice, and anyone can do it. The vocalist skill has 4 newb challenges, 7 normal challenges, and 2 pro challenges for the hardcore singer. Here's a quick guide.
Tip- All of these challenges require a video
Newb Challenges
Normal Challenges
Pro Challenges
Singing is easy, but there are so many ways to do it that it can become complicated with no instructions or help. Grab your microphone, your friends, and an instrument or karaoke track, and sing on!
-Evil Ladybug
Tip- All of these challenges require a video
Newb Challenges
- Warm Up Your Voice- Some simple ways to warm up your voice include stretching your face (for example, the lion face stretching excercise where one roars like a lion), and singing scales. Scales are a series of musical notes that are the same patterns, but played in ascending or descending keys.
- Sight Sing Using Do-Re-Mi - Make up a song using the do-re-mi scale popularized in the movie "The Sound of Music". A song could go do-fa-fa-la-re-mi-mi... etc. , and this helps you with improvising your music- a very important skill as a musician.
- Sing a One Minute Solo- Sing a minute from one of your favorite songs, or one you've written yourself. Show everyone what you can do as a singer in the time given. Make sure your song is appropriate, and give it all you got!
- Perform Karaoke- Karaoke is singing along to a track so that you're the only one singing. If you search "[your song] karaoke track" you can usually find a track with only the instruments on it so everyone can hear your voice. Don't be shy!
Normal Challenges
- Sing Without Words- Famous singer Ella Fitzgerald popularized a singing style where you don't use real words, but instead sing phrases like "do-di-di-daddle-a-da" and express the song not through your words, but how you sing them. Like the do-re-mi challenge, it challenges your improvisational skills as a musician to see how well you think on the spot.
- Explore Acoustics- Singing in different spaces sound different depending on how big the area is, and what kind of things are in the room. Sing in at least 3 different places, and talk about the difference in the different areas where you are singing,
- Belt A Show Tune- This is a time to release the musical theatre nut inside you. Some popular show tunes are "Maybe" from the musical Annie, "Popular" from the musical Wicked, and "Castle on a Cloud" from Les Miserables. Dress in costume if you desire, and belt it!
- Sing A Folk Song- Folk songs are usually songs passed down through generations of families. An example of a folk song would be the song "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie. You could also create a folk song to pass down through your family. Either way, keep the spirit going, and sing your own or your favorite folk song.
- Sing An R&B Song- R&B means rhythm and blues. R&B songs are songs that combine electronic music with rock music, gospel, and soul music. Some current day R&B singers are Adele, and Beyonce. Pick a song like this, and if you can't think of an R&B song, ask an adult for some suggestions.
- Sing a Country Song- Country music is originated from the Southern United States, and it is usually accompanied with a guitar. Some famous country singers are Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Blake Shelton. Sing with a guitar if you can, and share your song.
- Harmonize- Harmonies are made by two or more singers that sing different notes that fit nicely and sound nice together. A common way of harmonizing is singing in triplets- having the harmony be three notes above the melody. Harmonizing sounds really cool when done correctly, so you better get working!
Pro Challenges
- Yodel- Yodeling is a singing technique that goes from a deep voice to a high voice very quickly in song. Come up with your own yodeling song, or sing another. If you are confused, watch some videos of real yodelers, and you'll get the idea pretty quickly.
- Join a Chorus- A chorus or a choir is a group of people -small or large- that sing a song together, sometimes with harmonies, and instruments backing them up, and sometimes not. Many schools have choruses, so try joining one of those, or create your own with a mix of at least five family members or friends. Choose a song together, practice hard, and show what you've done! Have one person be the choir director, and you'll be singing in no time.
Singing is easy, but there are so many ways to do it that it can become complicated with no instructions or help. Grab your microphone, your friends, and an instrument or karaoke track, and sing on!
-Evil Ladybug