From the romantic vocal flights in West Side Story to the energetic vocals in Grease, singing is the vibrant heart of the musical. But singing in this register requires much more than knowing your lyrics : it requires vocal technique, breath... and a great deal of stage expression.

Do you dream of performing on stage? You've come to the right place! Newzik guides you through voice training, vocal techniques and song interpretation to master the art of musical theatre singing.

How do you master your voice to sing in a musical?

What role does singing play in musical comedy?

A popular stage register thanks to song

Halfway between theater, concert and choreographed performance, the musical is a unique stage form. Born at the beginning of the 20th century, the genre is inspired by several traditional genres: opera, cabaret and music hall.

Many musicals have triumphed on stage and in film, thanks to the popularity of their musical compositions. You're The One That I Want, America, Circle Of Life, Let The Sunshine In: some songs from popular musicals have become cult hits in music history.

Singing: a key technique in musical theatre

A musical is a musical genre that vibrates to the rythm songs and choreography. The songs bring the play to life, guiding the action and the narrative. Each song adds character, intensity and emotion to the scenes.

It's impossible to imagine a musical without singing. Constantly on the move, singers must master solid vocal technique and demonstrate good physical stamina.

Combined with dance and acting, singing requires advanced vocal technique. Singing in a musical means mastering your voice while moving, acting and conveying strong emotions.

What are the vocal techniques used in musical theatre?

Whatever their vocal signature, musical theatre singers need to be able to link chest and head registers. Here are a few vocal techniques commonly practiced in musicals, and ideas for exercises to work them out.

Belting

Belting is a powerful vocal projection technique, typical of the Broadway style and also found in the gospel register. The belting technique consists in singing high notes with the strength of the chest voice, without switching to head voice. Belting is particularly suited to solos, and is often used in medium to high voice registers. This technique is best suited to strong, well-supported voices (soprano or mezzo for women, baritone or tenor for men).

Renowned for her mastery of belting, Barbara Streisand used it in the famous musical Hello, Dolly.

3 exercises to master belting

1. Vocalize on open vowels ("ma", "ya", "na"): sing on an ascending scale , keeping the feeling of chest voice in the high notes. Your aim: to find the right resonance in your voice without having to force it.

2. Breathe by blocking your abdomen: inhale deeply, engaging the diaphragm, block for 3 seconds, then exhale slowly while vocalizing on "ah". Breathing optimizes our lung capacity to maintain a vocal note (even a high one) over time during a solo chorus, for example.

3. Practice the "cry-belt" exercise: imitate a plaintive voice by prolonging the vowels of a word. Example: if you sing the phrase "I don't know", emphasize the "o" in "know". This makes it easier to place your voice.

Speech level singing (or "speak singing")

This vocal technique is based on the idea of singing as one speaks, in a natural, fluid and balanced vocal posture, without exaggeration. Speech level singing offers great freedom throughout the tessitura, and enables you to maintain a flexible voice over time. Suitable for all voice types, speech level singing is perfect for creating natural transitions between speaking and singing, in pop, folk or jazz styles.

The actors used this technique in certain scenes of the cult masterpiece Singing In The Rain with Gene Kelly.

3 exercises to master speech level singing

1. Read a text, then sing it on a single note: read a phrase, then sing it on a medium note, keeping the same flow and a natural tone . This exercise makes it easier to link speaking and singing.

2. Make gentle glissandos (sliding from one note to another): slide notes from low to high to connect registers without breaking your voice.

3. Singing in "spoken-posed" mode: say a phrase with intention (e.g. "I love to sing"), then sing it back while maintaining the same vocal posture. The aim is to stabilize your voice while singing.

phrasedspeech

A hybrid technique between singing and speaking, parlé-chanté involves expressing a text melodically, sometimes without even raising the pitch of the voice. Used to reinforce narration in a composition role, this technique doesn't require an overly wide range, but does demand control of the voice's timbre, articulation and flow.

Very common in modern musicals, spoken word is used in one of the recent productions of the play Hamilton.

3 exercises to master the spoken word

1. Repeat with the rythm a metronome: read a text to the rythm a metronome, then gradually add a pitch to master the flow, rythm and musical phrased .

2. Improvise on fixed notes: choose a note and speak on it with marked emotion. Then vary the notes to play with intonation and musicality.

3. Work on diction and intention: take a spoken text (dialogue or monologue) and articulate it with exaggeration, then integrate it into a musical rythm . This will improve your clarity and expression.

💡 An audio recording is often recommended to correct poor voice placement. Here's a tip: record and work on your voice on Newzik! Use the recording feature to practice and improve your vocal technique.

The mixed voice

Mixed voice is a technique for harmoniously combining the chest voice and the head voice voice, to achieve a homogenous sound throughout the tessitura. This technique is very useful for navigating between low and high notes without creating a vocal break.

Indispensable for performers who cover a wide range of tessituras, the mixed voice enables a gradual increase in intensity, and is particularly present in duets or ballads. Such is the case with Defying Gravity, from the musical Wicked.

3 exercises to master the mixed voice

1. Glide from low to high register: vocalize slowly, gliding from one note to another without changing register, so that your chest and head voices merge seamlessly.

2. Sustaining a note: hold a mid-range note and increase the volume slightly, without changing register.

3. Rehearse a mixed voice sequence: use different vowels such as "a", "o" or "i" to feel the resonance of your voice and identify its optimal placement according to the vowel being sung.

Lyrical singing technique

A classical vocal technique inspired by opera singing, lyric singing in musicals requires considerable vocal power and good vibrato control. The lyric register often requires a wide tessitura, and is ideally suited to classically trained voices (soprano, tenor, etc.).

Lyrical singing can be found in historical dramas inspired by classical music, as in some modern performances of the play Les Misérables.

3 exercises to master opera singing

1. Make legato vocalizations on "o" or "u": work on slow scales with a natural vibrato to exercise the flexibility of your voice and maintain your vocal line.

2. Exercise controlled breathing: inhale deeply, hold your breath, then exhale while vocalizing on "vooo" for 10-15 seconds to learn to master your vibrato.

3. Work on your vocal "mask": sing on nasal consonants ("ng", "m", "n") to feel the vibrations of your face and place the resonance of your voice.

🎤 Discover all our tips for learning opera singing

5 tips for interpreting and singing a musical comedy song

Working on your voice for musical theatre requires training your breath, posture and presence. Here are a few tips on how to master your voice more easily on stage:

1. Choose a song suited to your tessitura

Singing a song that's too high or too low for your vocal range can strain your voice and damage your vocal chords, as well as causing you to lose pitch or energy.

Identifying your vocal range and choosing a piece in which your voice can really express itself is therefore very important to facilitate your singing in a musical.

2. Identify the emotions to be conveyed

Before you sing, ask yourself: how does the character feel at this moment in the story? Anger, nostalgia, joy, determination... Remember: in a play, it's emotion that guides vocal intention. Understanding the emotions of a musical will enable you to give your voice more depth and add effects to your interpretation.

3. Learn lyrics by heart

Performing a song well isn't just about singing it right. It also means being able to let go. And to do that, the secret is not to have to focus on the lyrics. Knowing your text perfectly allows you to free yourself from reading and concentrate on interpretation. It also allows you to play with dynamics, phrased and silences.

Repeat as much as you can until you feel comfortable singing while moving.

Learn to sing your favorite musical theater songs with Simply Sing app ! Sing to the rythm scrolling lyrics , monitor your pitch, record your voice... Simply Sing is an excellent tool for working on your vocal technique!

4. Working on stage expression

A musical is also theater. Your body, your gestures, your eyes must reflect the character you're playing.

It's a good idea to get into the character's psychology and adopt his or her body language and gait. Don't hesitate to film yourself or work with a stage coach to adjust your expressiveness.

5. Regular vocal exercises

As with any instrument, the voice needs to be worked on and maintained. Here's some training you should never neglect, especially when it comes to stage performance:

Warm up your voice: as very fragile muscular organs, the vocal cords need to be warmed up before being used for singing. Stand upright, relax your jaw, then make a few vocal sounds, alternating open and closed mouths, such as "ou", "hmmm", "ha", "papetipa" or "zzz".
Work on your breathing: breathing well is the basis of singing. Work on your diaphragmatic breathing to avoid tension and sing without straining.
Adopt good body posture: proper body alignment is essential to free the breath and support the voice. Remember to stand up straight and relaxed when you sing.

Ideally, you should take lessons with a singing teacher, especially to correct technical errors and avoid damaging your voice.

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