He's Mistra Know It All

Anaam

How does he do it? 

How does Stevie Wonder have the kind of vocal range that allows him to sing the way he does?

I would love to sing this song one day especially the improv bits later on when he takes off.

I tried singing this with just the vowel sounds as Ken suggests but the upper ranges sounded too bright and 'unsmooth'....

Does anyone know if this kind of singing can be done with Ken's method?

highmtn

When Stevie goes up to his "highs", he compresses his voice.  He can hit some pretty good notes.  He's always sung with a brightness in his voice and uses a lot of mask.  His improvisations are very soulful and melismatic.  In my opinion, that's what gives his voice that unique character that I like so much about his voice. 

You will have to practice a lot to get anywhere close to the kind of mastery that Stevie has worked with for a lifetime.  He's got a very interesting and unique tone that's all his own.

Sing lots and lots of scales.  Learn to work your head voice to the highest of highs.  Learn to compress your voice and get your upper mid voice in chest way up there.  That's a lot of the mechanics of what Stevie has been doing for years.  

Seems like when he went from "Little Stevie Wonder" to "Stevie Wonder" that Mr. Wonder did just about as well as Little Michael of the Jackson Five when he became Michael Jackson.  

These are talented singers that had very good technical skills and tons of heart and soul, as well.  

If you learn and practice the techniques Ken teaches, you can move the limitations of your voice to places that you never could before, as well.

All the Best.

Bob

sspatrick

I had to perform a Stevie wonder song I Wish not too long ago. I actually performed it with Stevie's long time drummer Gerry Brown. He was quite impressed. Stevie uses a lot of mask singing into the front of the face. And he uses a mix of head and lighter chest voice to stay in the range which he sings in. The key is allowing head resonance to happen and not get too heavy with the chest voice. You have to start with less volume and build it up. I really had to work on not over singing not pushing to much volume just letting the notes sit in that balance.

Anaam

hmmm....thanks guys - food for thought (and voice!)