Advanced Vocalises for Pop Singers

Kim Chandler

The roots of vocal pedagogy are to be found in the realm of classical music. Due to the technical and musical complexity of operatic singing, many vocalises were composed to help develop the various aspects of technique demanded by the repertoire. Many of these are timeless classics still used to great effect in private vocal studios and institutions the world over (e.g. Vaccai, Marchesi etc).
Likewise, jazz singers also benefit from the availability of technically challenging vocalises written in jazz style (e.g. Stoloff, Weir etc). These too are valuable in exercising the voice and developing vocal technique whilst simultaneously contextualising these aspects in the musical framework and culture in which jazz singers are required to operate fluently.
Conversely, pop singers, the newcomers to academia and vocal study in general, currently have almost no such resources available. By and large classically-based or jazz-based vocalises are unlikely to be of interest or relevance to this type of singer. Therefore, it is this author’s informed opinion that new pop-based vocalises (as distinct from but as an adjunct to vocal exercises) should be created to cater for pop singers so that they too may benefit from the technical and musical stretching afforded to the other aforementioned categories of singers.
As a highly qualified, experienced pop vocal coach, this author is currently in the process of addressing this issue by recording a vocal exercise CD of challenging short vocalises in pop style which will be the latest in a series of popular-selling vocal exercise CDs that this author as already developed. She is also co-writing a book of longer, more advanced vocalises designed primarily for the tertiary level pop student.

Kim Chandler, MMus (Distinction), BMusEd
kim@kimchandler.net